Bearing cage assembly with one-piece annular retainer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11828329-B2
Application number	US-202217573066-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2022
Priority date	Jan 11, 2022
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

A cage assembly includes an annular cage disposable within the bearing outer ring and having a centerline, an inner radial end defining a bore, an outer radial end and a plurality of pockets extending between the inner and outer radial ends and spaced circumferentially about the centerline. Each pocket contains a separate one of the rolling elements. A flexible annular retainer is disposed against the inner radial end of the cage and has a plurality of through holes. Each one of the plurality of retainer holes is radially aligned with a separate one of the plurality of cage pockets and has a dimension with a value less than a diameter of each rolling element. As such, a radially inner portion of the rolling element contained within the aligned cage pocket extends through the retainer hole while a remainder of the rolling element is retained within the cage pocket.

First claim

We claim:

1. A cage assembly for rolling elements of a bearing, the bearing having an outer ring, the cage assembly comprising:
an annular cage disposable within the bearing outer ring and having a centerline, an inner radial end defining a bore, an outer radial end and a plurality of pockets extending between the inner and outer radial ends and spaced circumferentially about the centerline, each pocket being configured to contain a separate one of the rolling elements; and
a flexible annular retainer disposed against the inner radial end of the cage and having a plurality of retainer holes, each one of the plurality of retainer holes being radially aligned with a separate one of the plurality of cage pockets and having a dimension with a value less than a diameter of each rolling element such that a radially inner portion of the rolling element contained within the aligned cage pocket extends through the retainer hole while a remainder of the rolling element is retained within the cage pocket;
wherein the cage has at least one cavity extending radially outwardly from the cage inner radial end and the retainer has at least one protrusion disposable within the at least one cavity of the cage so as to align each one of the retainer holes with a separate one of the plurality of cage pockets and/or to removably couple the retainer with the cage.

2. The cage assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the annular retainer is configured to limit radially inward displacement of the rolling elements so as to facilitate axial displacement of an inner member into the bearing outer ring.

3. The cage assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the annular retainer is formed of an elongated rectangular sheet having two opposing longitudinal ends, the sheet being bent into a cylinder with the two longitudinal ends being attached or disposed adjacent to each other.

4. The cage assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein the retainer sheet includes two annular side portions and a plurality of transverse portions extending between the two side portions and spaced circumferentially about the centerline, each one of the plurality of retainer holes being defined between two adjacent transverse portions.

5. The cage assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein the retainer sheet has a thickness that is less than ten percent of a radial thickness of the cage and/or less than 1.27 mm.

6. The cage assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the annular retainer is configured to be collapsible radially inwardly so as to be insertable within the cage bore when the rolling elements are installed within the cage pockets and expandable radially outwardly after installation of the retainer within the cage so as to become disposed against the inner radial end of the cage.

7. The cage assembly as recited in claim 6 wherein the annular retainer is collapsible radially inwardly when disposed against the annular cage inner end so as to remove the retainer from the cage bore.

8. The cage assembly as recited in claim 6 wherein the retainer is fabricated from a sheet of metallic material or molded of a polymeric material.

9. The cage assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the retainer includes a first annular side portion, a second annular side portion and a plurality of transverse portions extending between the first and second side portions and spaced circumferentially about the centerline, each one of the plurality of retainer holes being defined between two adjacent transverse portions.

10. The cage assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the cage includes a first annular side portion, a second annular side portion and a plurality of transverse portions extending axially between the first and second side portions and spaced circumferentially about the centerline, each one of the plurality of pockets being defined between two adjacent transverse portions.

11. The cage assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein:
each cage transverse portion has a first axial end connected with the cage first side portion and a second axial end connected with the cage second side portion; and
the cage further includes a plurality of projections extending radially inwardly from each one of the first and second side portions, the projections being spaced circumferentially about the centerline such that each projection of the first side portion extends radially inwardly from the first axial end of a separate one of the transverse portions and each projection of the second side portion extends radially inwardly from the second axial end of a separate one of the transverse portions, each projection having a free inner end and the inner ends of the plurality of projections collectively provide the inner radial end of the annular cage, the annular retainer being disposed against each one of the plurality of projection inner ends.

12. The cage assembly as recited in claim 11 wherein the retainer includes a first annular side portion, a second annular side portion and a plurality of transverse portions extending axially between the first and second side portions and spaced circumferentially about the centerline, each one of the plurality of retainer holes being defined between two adjacent transverse portions, the first annular side portion of the retainer being disposed against the inner ends of the projections of the cage first side portion and the second annular side portion of the retainer being disposed against the inner ends of the projections of the cage second side portion.

13. The cage assembly as recited in claim 11 wherein the annular retainer has an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface disposed against the plurality of projections of the cage, the cage projections being radially sized such that less than twenty percent of the diameter of any rolling element projects radially inwardly from the retainer inner circumferential surface.

14. A cage assembly for rolling elements of a bearing, the bearing having an outer ring, the cage assembly comprising:
an annular cage disposable within the bearing outer ring and having a centerline, an inner radial end defining a bore, an outer radial end and a plurality of pockets extending between the inner and outer radial ends and spaced circumferentially about the centerline, each pocket being configured to contain a separate one of the rolling elements; and
a flexible annular retainer disposed against the inner radial end of the cage and having a plurality of retainer holes, each one of the plurality of retainer holes being radially aligned with a separate one of the plurality of cage pockets and having a dimension with a value less than a diameter of each rolling element such that a radially inner portion of the rolling element contained within the aligned cage pocket extends through the retainer hole while a remainder of the rolling element is retained within the cage pocket;
wherein the cage includes a first annular side portion, a second annular side portion, a plurality of transverse portions extending axially between the first and second side portions and spaced circumferentially about the centerline, each one of the plurality of pockets being defined between two adjacent transverse portions and each cage transverse portion has a first axial end connected with the cage first side portion and a second axial end connected with the cage second side portion, and a plurality of projections extending radially inwardly from each one of the first and second side portions, the projections being spaced circumferentially about the centerline such that each projection of the first side portion extends radially inwardly from the first axial end of a separate on

Assignees

• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Misiaszek Matthew
• Menon Arun
• Lunz Thomas W

Classifications

• F16C33/467 Primary

  Details of individual pockets, e.g. shape or roller retaining means · CPC title

• F16C19/361 Primary

  with cylindrical rollers · CPC title

• F16C33/4623 Primary

  formed as one-piece cages, i.e. monoblock cages · CPC title

• F16C33/46

  Cages for rollers or needles · CPC title

• F16C33/6659

  Details of supply of the liquid to the bearing, e.g. passages or nozzles · CPC title