Combined insulator and conductor assembly for bearings with adjustable conductor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021310518-A1
Application number	US-202117210168-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 23, 2021
Priority date	Apr 3, 2020
Publication date	Oct 7, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A combined electrical insulator and conductor assembly for a bearing disposable between a shaft and a housing includes an annular insulator disposable about the bearing outer ring and configured to prevent electric current flow between the outer ring and the housing and including a plurality of projections extending axially along and spaced circumferentially about a centerline. A conductor includes a conductive disk with an outer radial end engageable with the housing inner surface, an inner radial end defining a central opening for receiving the shaft and openings each receiving a separate one of the plurality of projections of the insulator such that the disk is axially displaceable relative to the insulator. An annular conductive brush subassembly is coupled with the conductive disk and includes a plurality of electrically conductive fibers contactable with the shaft outer surface so as to provide a conductive path between the shaft and the disk.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A combined electrical insulator and conductor assembly for a bearing disposable between a shaft and a housing, the bearing having an inner ring, an outer ring having an outer circumferential surface and opposing first and second axial ends, and a plurality of rolling elements between the rings, the housing having an inner circumferential surface, the assembly comprising:
an annular insulator disposable about the bearing outer ring and configured to prevent electric current flow between the outer ring and the housing; and an electrical conductor movably coupled with the insulator and having an inner radial end and an outer radial end, at least one of the conductor outer radial end and a portion of the conductor between the inner and outer ends being conductively engageable with the housing and the conductor inner radial end being engageable with the shaft outer surface so as to provide a conductive path between the shaft and the housing.

2 . The assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein:
the insulator has a centerline and a plurality of projections extending axially along and spaced circumferentially about the centerline; and
the conductor has a plurality of openings spaced circumferentially about the centerline, each opening receiving a separate one of the plurality of projections of the insulator such that the conductor is axially displaceable relative to the insulator along the projections.

3 . The assembly as recited in claim 2 wherein the insulator includes:
an insulative ring coupled with the first axial end of the bearing outer ring, formed of an electrically insulative material and providing the projections; and
a tubular insulator body having an inner circumferential surface disposable about the outer surface of the bearing outer ring and an outer circumferential surface engageable with the housing inner surface, a first axial end coupled with the insulative ring and an opposing second axial end, the insulator body being formed of an electrically insulative material or provided with an insulative layer on at least one of the inner and outer surfaces.

4 . The assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein the insulative ring has an axial portion disposed about a portion of the outer surface of the bearing outer ring and a radial portion extending inwardly from the axial portion and having a first axial end disposed against the first axial end of the bearing outer ring, and an opposing second axial end, the plurality of projections extending axially from the second axial end.

5 . The assembly as recited in claim 4 wherein the insulative ring has an annular groove and the first axial end of the insulator tubular body has an annular projection disposed in the annular groove to couple the insulator body with the ring.

6 . The assembly as recited in claim 2 wherein the conductor includes:
an electrically conductive disk having an outer end providing the conductor outer end, an inner end defining central opening for receiving a portion of the shaft and a plurality of through-holes disposed between the inner and outer ends and providing the conductor openings; and
an annular conductive brush subassembly coupled with the conductive disk and including a centerline and a plurality of electrically conductive fibers, the conductive fibers being spaced circumferentially about the centerline and extending radially inwardly from the inner end of the conductive disk, each conductive fiber having an inner end contactable with the shaft outer surface so as to provide the conductor inner radial end.

7 . The assembly as recited in claim 6 wherein the conductive disk includes a plurality of mounting tabs spaced circumferentially about the centerline, each mounting tab being engaged with the brush subassembly to couple the brush subassembly with the carrier.

8 . The assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein each mounting tab is formed by cutting through the disk to form the tab and a separate one of the disk through holes.

9 . The assembly as recited in claim 6 wherein the conductive brush subassembly includes an annular retainer connected with the carrier and having an inner radial end with an annular groove, each one of the plurality of conductive fibers having an outer radial end disposed within the groove and extending radially inwardly from the retainer and toward the shaft.

10 . The assembly as recited in claim 9 wherein at least one of:
the brush subassembly further includes a circular hoop disposed within the retainer and each one of the plurality of conductive fibers is bended about hoop such that each fiber has two ends contactable with the shaft outer surface; and
the plurality of conductive fibers of the brush subassembly are arranged in a plurality of circumferentially spaced discrete sets of fibers.

11 . A combined electrical insulator and conductor assembly for a bearing disposable between a shaft and a housing, the bearing having an inner ring, an outer ring having an outer circumferential surface and opposing first and second axial ends, and a plurality of rolling elements between the rings, the housing having an inner circumferential surface, the assembly comprising:
an annular insulator disposeable about the outer ring and configured to prevent electric current flow between the outer ring and the housing, the insulator having a centerline and a plurality of projections extending axially along and spaced circumferentially about the centerline; an electrically conductive disk coupled with the insulator so as to be axially adjacent to the bearing, the disk having a centerline, an outer radial end engageable with the housing inner surface, an inner radial end defining a central opening for receiving a portion of the shaft and a plurality of openings spaced circumferentially about the centerline, each opening receiving a separate one of the plurality of projections of the insulator such that the disk is axially displaceable relative to the insulator along the projections; and an annular conductive brush subassembly coupled with the conductive disk and including a centerline and a plurality of electrically conductive fibers, the conductive fibers being spaced circumferentially about the centerline and extending radially inwardly from the inner end of the conductive disk, each conductive fiber having an inner end contactable with the shaft outer surface so as to provide a conductive path between the shaft and the disk.

12 . The assembly as recited in claim 11 wherein the insulator includes:
an insulative ring coupled with the first axial end of the bearing outer ring, formed of an electrically insulative material and providing the projections; and
a tubular insulator body having an inner circumferential surface disposeable about the outer surface of the bearing outer ring and an outer circumferential surface engageable with the housing inner surface, a first axial end coupled with the insulative ring and an opposing second axial end, the insulator body being formed of an electrically insulative material or provided with an insulative layer on at least one of the inner and outer surfaces.

13 . The assembly as recited in claim 12 wherein the insulative ring has an axial portion disposed about a portion of the outer surface of the bearing outer ring and a radial portion extending inwardly from the axial portion and having a first axial end disposed against the first axial end of the bearing outer ring, and an opposing second axial end, the plurality of projections extending axially from the second axial end.

14 . The assembly as recited in claim 12 wherein the insulative ring has an annular groove

Assignees

• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Berruet Nicolas
• Feliciano Paul
• Hubert Mathieu
• Jullien Tommy
• Kovacs Gene
• Perrotin Thomas
• Rybski Dave Christopher
• Simonin Anthony
• Snyder Collin

Classifications

• F16C41/002 Primary

  Conductive elements, e.g. to prevent static electricity · CPC title

• F16C19/16

  with a single row of balls · CPC title

• F16C33/62

  Selection of substances · CPC title

• F16C19/52 Primary

  with devices affected by abnormal or undesired conditions · CPC title

• F16C2380/26

  Dynamo-electric machines or combinations therewith, e.g. electro-motors and generators · CPC title