Roller bearing having radially inner raceways with an optimized profile and associated radially outer ring of a bearing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12460676-B2
Application number	US-202318238717-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2023
Priority date	Sep 2, 2022
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

A rolling bearing includes an outer ring, an inner ring, and a plurality of rolling bodies between the rings. The outer ring includes a first and a second annular raceway, both formed on an inner lateral surface of the outer ring, and an axial shoulder extending in a radially inward direction and formed between the two raceways. The axial shoulder includes a first curvilinear portion formed by a first arc of a first circle with a first radius of curvature and a geometric center projected in a radially inward direction, and a second curvilinear portion formed by a second arc of a second circle comprising a second radius of curvature and a geometric center projected in a radially outward direction. The two curvilinear portions are flush connected to one another by an inflection point, the inflection point representing a tangent point of the first and second circles.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A rolling bearing, comprising:
a radially outer ring comprising:
a first annular raceway and a second annular raceway, the first and second annular raceways being formed on a radially inner lateral surface of the outer ring; and
an axial shoulder extending in a radially inward direction and formed between the first and second annular raceways, the axial shoulder comprising:
a first curvilinear stretch formed by a first arc of a first circle comprising a first radius of curvature and a first geometric center projected in a radially inward direction toward the inner ring;
a second curvilinear stretch including a second arc of a second circle comprising a second radius of curvature and a second geometric center projected in a radially outward direction away from the inner ring,
wherein the first and second curvilinear stretches are flush connected to one another by a first inflection point, the first inflection point representing a tangent point of the first circle and the second circle;

a radially inner ring; and a first row and a second row of a plurality of rolling bodies interposed between the inner ring and the outer ring.

2 . The rolling bearing of claim 1 , wherein the first radius of curvature is smaller than the second radius of curvature.

3 . The rolling bearing of claim 2 , wherein,
the second radius of curvature is three times the first radius of curvature, and the second radius of curvature is equal to a sum of an axial length of the first curvilinear stretch and an axial length of the second curvilinear stretch.

4 . The rolling bearing of claim 1 , wherein,
the inner ring further comprises:
a first axial end;
a second axial end axially opposite the first axial end; and
a first flange adjacent to the first axial end, the first flange formed integrally with the inner ring, and the first flange comprising a flat face on an axially outer side of the first flange,
the first and second row of rolling bodies each comprises a diameter, and a distance measured from an axially outer surface of the second axial end to the flat face of the first flange comprises less than 2.5 times a sum of a distance between the diameters of the first and second rows of rolling bodies, a radius of a rolling body in the first row of rolling bodies, and a radius of a rolling body in the second row of rolling bodies.

5 . The rolling bearing of claim 4 , wherein the radius of the rolling body in the first row and the radius of the rolling body in the second row are not equal.

6 . The rolling bearing of claim 4 , wherein the radial shoulder of the outer ring further comprises:
a first terminal portion adjacent to the first annular raceway, wherein the first curvilinear stretch extends from a first demarcation point at the first terminal portion to the first inflection point; and a second terminal portion adjacent to the second annular raceway and on an opposite axial side of the axial shoulder than the first terminal portion, wherein the second curvilinear stretch extends from the first inflection point to a second demarcation point of the second terminal portion, and the first demarcation point is tangent to an arc of a circle comprising a radius equal to half the diameter of the first row of rolling bodies.

7 . The rolling bearing of claim 6 , wherein a diameter of the first terminal portion is larger than a diameter of the second terminal portion.

8 . The rolling bearing of claim 6 , wherein,
the first terminal portion comprises a third arc of a third circle with a geometric center projected in the axially outward direction, and the first terminal portion connects flush with the first curvilinear stretch at a second inflection point, the second inflection point representing a tangent point of the first circle and the third circle.

9 . The rolling bearing of claim 6 , wherein the second curvilinear stretch further comprises:
a first straight section; and a third curvilinear stretch connecting the first straight section and the second terminal portion, wherein the third curvilinear stretch comprises a fourth arc of a fourth circle with a geometric center projected in the axially outward direction.

10 . A radially outer ring for a rolling bearing, comprising:
a first annular raceway formed on a radially inner lateral surface of the radially outer ring; a second annular raceway formed on the radially inner lateral surface of the radially outer ring adjacent to the first annular raceway; an axial shoulder extending in a radially inward direction and formed between the first and second annular raceways, the axial shoulder comprising:
a first curvilinear stretch formed by a first arc of a first circle comprising a first radius of curvature and a first geometric center projected in a radially inward direction;
a second curvilinear stretch including a second arc of a second circle comprising a second radius of curvature and a second geometric center projected in a radially outward direction, wherein the first and second curvilinear stretches are flush connected to one another by a first inflection point, the first inflection point representing a tangent point of the first circle and the second circle;
a first terminal portion adjacent to the first annular raceway, wherein the first curvilinear stretch extends from a first demarcation point of the first terminal portion to the first inflection point;
a second terminal portion adjacent to the second annular raceway and on an opposite axial side of the axial shoulder than the first terminal portion, wherein the second curvilinear stretch extends from the first inflection point to a second demarcation point of the second terminal portion,
wherein the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion are separated by an axial distance of 5 mm or less, and
the second radius of curvature is three times greater than the first radius of curvature, and the second radius of curvature is equal to a sum of an axial length of the first curvilinear portion and an axial length of the second curvilinear portion.

11 . The outer ring of claim 10 , wherein,
the first terminal portion comprises a third arc of a third circle with a geometric center projected in the axially outward direction, and the first terminal portion connects flush with the first curvilinear stretch at a second inflection point, the second inflection point representing a tangent point of the first circle and the third circle.

12 . The rolling bearing of claim 10 , wherein the second curvilinear stretch further comprises:
a first straight section; and a third curvilinear stretch connecting the first straight section and the second terminal portion, wherein the third curvilinear stretch comprises a fourth arc of a fourth circle with a geometric center projected in the axially outward direction.

Assignees

• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Bertola Maurizio
• Mandya Shekar Pruthviraj
• Gulli Carmelo

Classifications

• F16C19/186

  with three raceways provided integrally on parts other than race rings, e.g. third generation hubs · CPC title

• F16C2326/02

  Wheel hubs or castors · CPC title

• F16C19/184

  in O-arrangement · CPC title

• F16C2223/10

  Hardening, e.g. carburizing, carbo-nitriding · CPC title

• F16C33/585

  of raceways, e.g. ribs to guide the rollers · CPC title