Bearing assembly with lubrication cartridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016138653-A1
Application number	US-201314901724-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 3, 2013
Priority date	Jul 3, 2013
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A bearing assembly comprising a rolling element bearing having a first row of rolling elements arranged in a first bearing cavity between a first inner raceway and a first outer raceway of the bearing, and having a second row of rolling elements arranged in a second bearing cavity between a second inner raceway and a second outer raceway of the bearing. The assembly further comprises an annular grease cartridge arranged between the first and second rows of rolling elements. The annular grease cartridge is at least partly formed from a honeycomb structure having axially extending passageways filled with a grease lubricant, wherein at least some of passageways are open towards the first and second bearing cavities.

First claim

1 . A bearing assembly comprising:
a rolling element bearing having a first row of rolling elements arranged in a first bearing cavity between a first inner raceway and a first outer raceway of the bearing and a second row of rolling elements arranged in a second bearing cavity between a second inner raceway and a second outer raceway of the bearing; and an annular grease cartridge arranged between the first row of rolling elements and the second row of rolling elements, wherein the annular grease cartridge is at least partly formed from a honeycomb structure having axially extending passageways filled with a grease lubricant, wherein at least some of passageways are open towards the first bearing cavity and the second bearing cavity.

2 . The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the annular grease cartridge has a first side wall that faces the first bearing cavity and a second side wall that faces the second bearing cavity and the bearing assembly further comprising comprises:
a first axial extension that protrudes from the first side wall towards the first bearing cavity; and a second axial extension that protrudes from the second side wall towards the second bearing cavity, wherein the first axial extension and the second axial extension have openings that form axial passageways, which act as a conduit for delivering lubricant, released from the honeycomb structure, to a desired location within the first bearing cavity and second bearing cavity.

3 . The bearing assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the first row of rolling elements and second row of rolling elements is retained in a cage and wherein the first axial extension and the second axial extension extend one of below or above an axially inner portion of the cage.

4 . The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the grease cartridge is formed from the honeycomb structure.

5 . The bearing assembly according to claim 4 ,
the honeycomb structure of the cartridge further comprising axial passageways which are closed towards the first bearing cavity and the second bearing cavity and which are in communication with axial passageways that are open towards the first bearing cavity and the second bearing cavity by at least one radially extending channel.

6 . The bearing assembly according to claim 2 , the annular grease cartridge further includes a cavity that is enclosed by a top wall, a bottom wall and the first and second side walls of the cartridge,
wherein the openings in the first axial extension and the second axial extension form a conduit between the cartridge cavity and the first bearing cavity and the second bearing cavities cavity.

7 . The bearing assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the cavity of the grease cartridge is filled with one of a grease or an oil lubricant.

8 . The bearing assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the first axial extension and the second axial extension are formed by axial passageways in the honeycomb structure.

9 . The bearing assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the honeycomb structure is arranged in the cavity of the grease cartridge.

10 . The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the honeycomb structure is made from a metallic material.

11 . The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the annular grease cartridge is mounted to a rotating part of the bearing assembly.

12 . The bearing assembly according to claim 11 comprising a first inner ring, a second inner ring and a spacer ring arranged between the first inner ring and the second inner ring, wherein the spacer ring comprises a shaped recess and the annular grease cartridge has a base portion that is correspondingly shaped to fit in this recess.

13 . The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the cartridge is mounted to a non-rotating part of the bearing assembly.

14 . The bearing assembly according to claim 13 , further comprising an outer ring that is non-rotational in use,
wherein the outer ring comprises at least one channel that extends through the outer ring; and the grease cartridge further comprises at least one radially extending channel which is in communication with the at least one outer ring channel and with the axially extending passageways of the honeycomb structure.

15 . The bearing assembly according to claim 1 the honeycomb structure further comprising axial passageways that slope in a direction towards the rotation axis of the bearing.

16 . The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing is further lubricated by a bearing grease and the grease provided in the grease cartridge comprises a base oil which is the same as the base oil of the bearing grease.

17 . The bearing assembly according to claim 16 , wherein the grease cartridge comprises a grease with a higher thermal bleed rate that the bearing grease, at the same predefined temperature.

18 . The bearing assembly according to claim 16 , wherein the grease cartridge comprises a grease with one of a lower stiffness or a higher stiffness than the bearing grease.

Assignees

• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Holsnijders Jos
• Martinetti Maurizio
• Rosengren Filip

Classifications

• F16C33/6633

  Grease properties or compositions, e.g. rheological properties · CPC title

• F16C33/46

  Cages for rollers or needles · CPC title

• F16C19/305

  consisting of rollers held in a cage · CPC title

• F16C33/6622 Primary

  Details of supply and/or removal of the grease, e.g. purging grease · CPC title

• F16C19/184

  in O-arrangement · CPC title