Rolling bearing cage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020370600-A1
Application number	US-202016875137-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 15, 2020
Priority date	May 24, 2019
Publication date	Nov 26, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A rolling bearing cage includes at least one cage side ring and a plurality of cage bars extending from the cage side ring so as to form a plurality of pockets, each pocket being defined between a separate pair of adjacent bars, for receiving rolling bodies of the rolling bearing. A cage breakage detection unit includes at least one conductive track and a module for wireless cage breakage monitoring. The cage has at least one recess, in which at least a prefabricated part of the cage breakage detection unit is inserted and fixed.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A cage for a rolling bearing, the bearing having a plurality of rolling bodies, the cage comprising:
a cage base structure including at least one cage side ring, a plurality of cage bars extending from the side ring such that a separate one of a plurality of pockets is defined between each pair of two adjacent bars, each pocket being configured to receive a rolling body of the bearing, and at least one recess; and a cage breakage detection unit including at least one conductive track and a module for wireless cage breakage monitoring, at least a portion of the cage breakage detection unit being prefabricated and fixedly disposed within the cage recess.

2 . The rolling bearing cage according to claim 1 , wherein the cage breakage detection unit further comprises a carrier, at least one of the conductive track and the module being attached to or embedded within the carrier.

3 . The rolling bearing cage according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the conductive track and the module is attached to or embedded within the carrier by at least one of gluing, molding, over-molding and printing.

4 . The rolling bearing cage according to claim 2 , wherein the conductive track is configured to have a breaking point lower than a breaking point of at least one of the cage base structure and the carrier.

5 . The rolling bearing cage according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the cage base structure and the carrier is formed of a non-metallic material.

6 . The rolling bearing cage according to claim 5 , wherein at least one of:
the non-metallic material is resin; and at least one of the cage base structure and the carrier are of materially uniform, one-piece construction.

7 . The rolling bearing cage according to claim 1 , wherein the cage base structure includes another cage side ring such that the cage is a window cage.

8 . The rolling bearing cage according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
the conductive track is designed to form a loop; and the module includes at least one of passive electric components and active electric components.

9 . The rolling bearing cage according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
the recess is formed as an annular groove extending inwardly from a side face of the cage side ring and sized to receive an annular cage breakage detection unit; and the recess is a meandering groove extending into an inner circumferential surface or an outer circumferential surface of the cage base structure, the groove extending along the cage bars and along arch-shaped sections between each pair of adjacent cage bars.

10 . The rolling bearing cage according to claim 1 , wherein the rolling bearing cage is a tapered roller bearing cage having a diametrically larger cage side ring and a diametrically smaller cage side ring, the recess extending into a side face of the diametrically larger cage side ring.

11 . The rolling bearing cage according to claim 1 , wherein the breakage detection unit is fixed within the recess by at least one of gluing, molding, over-molding and mechanical fastening.

12 . The rolling bearing cage according to claim 1 , wherein the cage breakage detection unit is fixed within the recess such that any breakage of the cage adjacent to the recess causes a breakage of the cage breakage detection unit.

13 . The rolling bearing cage according to claim 1 , wherein the recess extends into a free side face of the cage ring and the breakage detection unit and the recess are each sized such that the cage breakage detection unit is at least generally flush with the free side face of the cage ring.

14 . A cage for a rolling bearing, the bearing having a plurality of rolling bodies, the cage comprising:
a cage base structure including at least one cage side ring having a side face and an annular groove formed in the side face, a plurality of cage bars extending from the side ring such that a separate one of a plurality of pockets is defined between each pair of two adjacent bars, each pocket being configured to receive a rolling body of the bearing; and a cage breakage detection unit disposed within the annular groove and including an annular carrier, a conductive track and a module for wireless cage breakage monitoring, the track and the module being disposed on or embedded within the carrier.

15 . The rolling bearing cage according to claim 14 , wherein at least one of the conductive track and the module is attached to or embedded within the carrier by at least one of gluing, molding, over-molding and printing.

16 . The rolling bearing cage according to claim 14 , wherein the conductive track is configured to have a breaking point lower than a breaking point of at least one of the cage base structure and the carrier.

17 . The rolling bearing cage according to claim 14 , wherein the conductive track is formed as a loop and the module includes at least one of passive electric components and active electric components.

18 . The rolling bearing cage according to claim 14 , wherein the breakage detection unit is fixed within the annular groove by at least one of gluing, molding, over-molding and mechanical fastening.

19 . The rolling bearing cage according to claim 14 , wherein the cage breakage detection unit is fixed within the recess such that any breakage of the cage adjacent to the recess causes a breakage of the cage breakage detection unit.

20 . The rolling bearing cage according to claim 14 , wherein the breakage detection unit and the annular groove are each sized such that the cage breakage detection unit is at least generally flush with the free side face of the cage ring.

Assignees

• Skf Ab
• Skf Aerospace France Sas

Inventors

• Hebrard Yoann
• Lang Defeng
• Diermen Jeroen Van

Classifications

• F16C19/52 Primary

  with devices affected by abnormal or undesired conditions · CPC title

• F16C33/467 Primary

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

• F16C33/56

  Selection of substances (F16C33/48, F16C33/49 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16C2233/00

  Monitoring condition, e.g. temperature, load, vibration · CPC title

• F16C41/008

  Identification means, e.g. markings, RFID-tags; Data transfer means · CPC title