Bearing housing design with dual o-ring function

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020200220-A1
Application number	US-201816229988-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 21, 2018
Priority date	Dec 21, 2018
Publication date	Jun 25, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one embodiment, an apparatus, comprising: a housing; a spherical bearing disposed within the housing; a shaft disposed in part beneath the housing and penetrating a portion of the spherical bearing; a bellow circumscribing a lower portion of the housing and providing an interface between the spherical bearing and the shaft; and a cover adjacent a lower end of the bellow and having a circumferential groove configured to enable rotational movement of the bellow, the cover extending to and circumferentially surrounding a portion of the shaft to seal the shaft.

First claim

At least the following is claimed:

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
a housing; a spherical bearing disposed within the housing; a shaft disposed in part beneath the housing and penetrating a portion of the spherical bearing; a bellow circumscribing a lower portion of the housing and providing an interface between the spherical bearing and the shaft; and a cover adjacent a lower end of the bellow and having a circumferential groove configured to enable rotational movement of the bellow, the cover extending to and circumferentially surrounding a portion of the shaft to seal the shaft.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spherical bearing enables angular rotation about a central point in two orthogonal directions.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spherical bearing comprises a dry bearing.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bellow is configured to absorb cardanic movement of the spherical bearing while enabling conveyance of rotary steering movement.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the bellow comprises an elastomeric material.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the elastomeric material is coated with a low friction material.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising plural bolts, wherein the cover is comprised of plural, equally spaced arcuate recesses that receive the bolts and are configured with the bolts to prevent rotational movement of the cover.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cover comprises a plastic material.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cover constrains rotational movement of the bellow to the groove.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an O-ring circumscribing the shaft, the O-ring disposed between the shaft and the cover.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a bolt disposed centrally through a recess of the shaft, wherein responsive to deformation of the O-ring via a tightening of the bolt, the O-ring is configured to seal the shaft according to a first of plural O-ring functions.

12 . The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a bolt disposed centrally through a recess of the shaft, wherein responsive to deformation of the O-ring via a tightening of the bolt, the O-ring is configured to provide a friction connection between the shaft and the cover according to a second of plural O-ring functions.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a clamping ring circumscribing an upper portion and lower portion of the bellow.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the upper portion comprises a larger diameter than the lower portion, wherein the clamping ring is configured to clamp the upper portion and support the lower portion.

15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spherical bearing comprises a lubricated bearing.

Assignees

• Agco Int Gmbh

Inventors

• Verbrugge Wilko

Classifications

• Y10T403/32729

  Externally packed · CPC title

• F16C11/0666 Primary

  Sealing means between the socket and the inner member shaft · CPC title

• B60G2200/144

  with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram · CPC title

• B60G2300/08

  Agricultural vehicles · CPC title

• B60G2200/44

  steerable · CPC title