Roller sequencing for improved bearing runout

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11767880-B2
Application number	US-202017419843-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2020
Priority date	Apr 23, 2019
Publication date	Sep 26, 2023
Grant date	Sep 26, 2023

Abstract

A bearing includes a plurality of rolling elements ( 26 ) spaced around a three-hundred and sixty degree circumferential extent of the bearing. An odd, non-singular number of high-points are positioned as near to evenly as possible about the circumferential extent of the bearing, the high-points defined by locations at which rolling elements with the largest diameters are positioned. An odd, non-singular number of low-points are positioned as near to evenly as possible about the circumferential extent of the bearing, the low-points defined by locations at which rolling elements having the smallest diameters are positioned. The odd, non-singular number of high-points is the same as the odd, non-singular number of low-points, and each low-point is positioned as near to evenly as possible between two adjacent high-points.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bearing comprising:
a plurality of rolling elements spaced around a three-hundred and sixty degree circumferential extent of the bearing;
(A) an odd, non-singular number of high-points positioned as near to evenly as possible about the circumferential extent of the bearing, the high-points defined by locations at which rolling elements with the largest diameters are positioned;
an odd, non-singular number of low-points positioned as near to evenly as possible about the circumferential extent of the bearing, the low-points defined by locations at which rolling elements having the smallest diameters are positioned;
wherein the odd, non-singular number of high-points is the same as the odd, non-singular number of low-points; or
(B) an even number of high-points greater than two positioned as near to evenly as possible about the circumferential extent of the bearing, the high-points defined by locations at which rolling elements with the largest diameters are positioned;
an even number of low-points greater than two positioned as near to evenly as possible about the circumferential extent of the bearing, the low-points defined by locations at which rolling elements having the smallest diameters are positioned;
wherein the even number of high-points is the same as the even number of low-points;

wherein each low-point is positioned as near to evenly as possible between two adjacent high-points;
wherein rolling elements of the plurality of rolling elements positioned between a high-point and a low-point decrease in diameter in a direction from the high-point to the low-point; and
wherein the bearing is a multi-row bearing assembly having a cage that aligns the high-points and low-points of one row of rolling elements with the high-points and low-points in an adjacent row of rolling elements, the cage being configured such that alignment includes a circumferential offset between rotational axes of the rolling elements in the one row and rotational axes of the rolling elements in the adjacent row.

2. The bearing of claim 1 , wherein the odd, non-singular number of high-points and low-points is three.

3. The bearing of claim 2 , wherein each high-point is spaced as close to 120 degrees from an adjacent high-point as possible, depending on a total number of rolling elements in the bearing.

4. The bearing of claim 3 , wherein each low-point is spaced as close to 60 degrees from an adjacent high-point as possible, depending on a total number of rolling elements in the bearing.

5. The bearing of claim 1 , wherein the high-points are all defined by rolling elements having a same diameter that is a largest measured diameter of the rolling elements in the bearing.

6. The bearing of claim 1 , wherein the low-points are all defined by rolling elements having a same diameter that is a smallest measured diameter of the rolling elements in the bearing.

7. The bearing of claim 1 , wherein the high-points are all defined by rolling elements of largest measured diameters of the rolling elements in the bearing, those largest measured diameters being different diameters.

8. The bearing of claim 1 , wherein the low-points are all defined by rolling elements of smallest measured diameters of the rolling elements in the bearing, those smallest measured diameters being different diameters.

9. The bearing of claim 1 , wherein the bearing is one of a ball bearing, an angular contact ball bearing, a spherical bearing, a cylindrical roller bearing, a four point ball bearing, a taper double outer race bearing, a taper double inner race bearings and deep groove ball bearings.

10. The bearing of claim 1 , wherein the rolling elements are in preload such that all rolling elements are in contact with inner and outer raceways of the bearing.

11. The bearing of claim 1 , wherein the even number of high-points and low points greater than two is four.

12. A crossed roller bearing comprising:
a plurality of rollers spaced around a three-hundred and sixty degree circumferential extent of the bearing, adjacent rollers being crossed such that the respective axes of the adjacent rollers are generally normal to one another;
a plurality of spacers, one spacer of the plurality of spacers positioned between each adjacent roller;
(A) an odd, non-singular number of high-points positioned as near to evenly as possible about the circumferential extent of the bearing, the high-points defined by locations at which rollers with the largest diameters are positioned;
an odd, non-singular number of low-points positioned as near to evenly as possible about the circumferential extent of the bearing, the low-points defined by locations at which rollers having the smallest diameters are positioned;
wherein the odd, non-singular number of high-points is the same as the odd, non-singular number of low-points; or
(B) an even number of high-points greater than two positioned as near to evenly as possible about the circumferential extent of the bearing, the high-points defined by locations at which rollers with the largest diameters are positioned;
an even number of low-points greater than two positioned as near to evenly as possible about the circumferential extent of the bearing, the low-points defined by locations at which rollers having the smallest diameters are positioned;
wherein the even number of high-points is the same as the even number of low-points;

wherein each low-point is positioned as near to evenly as possible between two adjacent high-points;
wherein rollers of the plurality of rollers positioned between a high-point and a low-point decrease in diameter in a direction from the high-point to the low-point; and
wherein each high-point is defined by a pair of rollers that ride on alternating races of the crossed roller bearing.

13. The crossed roller bearing of claim 12 , wherein no cage is present in the bearing.

14. The crossed roller bearing of claim 12 , wherein the bearing includes two inner rings and one outer ring.

15. The crossed roller bearing of claim 14 , wherein each roller includes a nib adjacent a smaller diameter end that biases the roller toward the outer ring.

16. The crossed roller bearing of claim 12 , wherein the odd, non-singular number of high-points and low-points is three.

17. The crossed roller bearing of claim 12 , wherein the odd, non-singular number of high-points and low-points is five.

18. The crossed roller bearing of claim 12 , wherein the rollers are in preload such that all rollers are in contact with inner and outer raceways of the bearing.

19. The crossed roller bearing of claim 12 , wherein the rollers are tapered rollers or cylindrical rollers.

20. The crossed roller bearing of claim 12 , wherein the even number of high-points and low points greater than two is four.

Assignees

• Timken Co

Inventors

• Wilmer Matthew G
• Faust Carl E

Classifications

• F16C19/362 Primary

  the rollers being crossed within the single row · CPC title

• F16C23/086

  forming a track for rolling elements · CPC title

• F16C43/06

  Placing rolling bodies in cages or bearings · CPC title

• F16C19/50 Primary

  Other types of ball or roller bearings · CPC title

• F16C33/36 Primary

  with bearing-surfaces other than cylindrical, e.g. tapered; with grooves in the bearing surfaces · CPC title