Spacer for rolling bearing, notably used in a wind turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9341249-B2
Application number	US-201114342476-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2011
Priority date	Sep 2, 2011
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

A spacer for a rolling bearing, most notably for use in a wind turbine is provided. The spacer is adapted for a rolling bearing having an inner ring, an outer ring and at least one row of angular contact rollers disposed between raceways provided on the rings. The spacer includes two opposite faces 17, 18 having a concave profile adapted to the rollers, each face comprising at least a contact surface 17 a, 18 a with the associated roller having the shape of a cylinder segment. The axes of the cylinder segments of the contact surfaces converge.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A spacer for a rolling bearing comprising:
two opposite faces having a concave profile, each face configured to provide at least a contact surface with an angular contact roller and having the shape of a cylinder segment,
two opposite lateral flanges delimiting the opposite faces in an axial direction with respect to the angular contact roller, the lateral flanges each comprising two recesses and a contact surface located between the two recesses, the contact surface configured to contact a guiding face of the rolling bearing during operation,
an inner part and an outer part delimiting the opposite faces in a transverse direction, the inner part and the outer part each comprising two raceway contact surfaces adapted to come into contact with one of an inner and an outer raceway of the rolling bearing and a second recess located between the two raceway contact surfaces, wherein each of the raceway contact surfaces of the inner and outer parts connect to a respective one of the recesses of the two opposite lateral flanges.

2. The spacer according to claim 1 , wherein
a thickness of the spacer between the opposite faces decreases from one of the lateral flange to the other lateral flange.

3. The spacer according to claim 2 , wherein the minimum thickness (t min ) and the maximum thickness (t max ) of the spacer are defined by:

1
,

05
≤

t

ma
⁢

⁢
x

t

m
⁢

⁢
i
⁢

⁢
n

≤
4.

4. The spacer according to claim 3 , wherein the minimum thickness (t min ) is equal to or greater than 5% of the diameter of the angular contact roller.

5. The spacer according to claim 4 , wherein the two opposite faces each comprise two contact surfaces configured to contact the angular contact roller and a concave recess extending between the two contact surfaces.

6. The spacer according to claim 5 , wherein the concave recess extends from the inner part to the outer part.

7. The spacer according to claim 6 , wherein the concave recess of the face extends from the second recess of the inner part to the second recess of the outer part.

8. The spacer according to claim 1 , wherein when viewed from a side view, the side view being a view such that only an axial end of the angular contact roller and the spacer are shown, the inner and outer parts are linear such that there are no recesses or protrusions therein.

9. The spacer according to claim 1 , further comprising a through-hole that places the two opposite faces into communication with each other, the through-hole extends across the concave recess and into the two contact surfaces.

10. The spacer according to claim 1 , further comprising being formed in one part from one of a metal and from polymer material.

11. A rolling bearing comprising:
an inner ring,
an outer ring,
at least one row of angular contact rollers disposed between raceways provided on the rings, and
a plurality of identical spacers having;
two opposite faces having a concave profile adapted to the angular contact rollers, each face configured to provide at least a contact surface with an angular contact roller and having the shape of a cylinder segment,
two opposite lateral flanges delimiting the opposite faces in an axial direction with respect to the angular contact roller, the lateral flanges each comprising two recesses and a contact surface located between the two recesses, the contact surface configured to contact a guiding face of the rolling bearing during operation,
an inner part and an outer part delimiting the opposite faces in a transverse direction, the inner part and the outer part each comprising two raceway contact surfaces adapted to come into contact with one of an inner and an outer raceway of the rolling bearing and a second recess located between the two raceway contact surfaces, wherein each of the raceway contact surfaces of the inner and outer parts connect to a respective one of the recesses of the two opposite lateral flanges, and
disposed circumferentially between the angular contact rollers.

12. The rolling bearing according to claim 11 , wherein the number of contact rollers (Z w ) of the row is equal to or smaller than Z w which is defined by

Z
w

=

π
×

d
w

d
w

+

t
med

and rounded to the lower integer value, with
d m corresponding to the bearing pitch diameter,
d w corresponding to the diameter of the contact rollers, and
t med corresponding to the medium thickness of one spacer in a mid-plane containing the axes of the associated rollers.

13. The rolling bearing according to claim 12 , wherein the angle (α) formed between the axes ( 3 ′ a ) of the two rollers associated to one spacer is defined by

α
=

360

Z
w

.

14. A rolling bearing to be used in a wind turbine having; an inner ring, an outer ring, at least one row of angular contact rollers disposed between raceways provided on the rings, and a plurality of identical spacers having; two opposite faces having a concave profile adapted to the angular contact rollers, each face configured to provide at least a contact surface with an angular contact roller and having the shape of a cylinder segment, two opposite lateral flanges delimiting the opposite faces in an axial direction with respect to the angular contact roller, the lateral flanges each comprising two recesses and a contact surface located between the two recesses, the contact surface configured to contact a guiding face of the rolling bearing during operation,
an inner part and an outer part delimiting the opposite faces in a transverse direction, the inner part and the outer part each comprising two raceway contact surfaces adapted to come into contact with one of an inner and an outer raceway of the rolling bearing and a second recess located between the two raceway contact surfaces, wherein each of the raceway contact surfaces of the inner and ou

Assignees

• Bouron Cyril
• Magny Jean-Baptiste
• Ovize Pascal
• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Bouron Cyril
• Magny Jean-Baptiste
• Ovize Pascal

Classifications

• F16C19/38 Primary

  with two or more rows of rollers · CPC title

• F16C33/3706

  with concave surfaces conforming to the shape of the rolling elements, e.g. the spacing bodies are in sliding contact with the rolling elements · CPC title

• F16H35/06 Primary

  Gearings designed to allow relative movement between supports thereof without ill effects  (special means compensating for misalignment of axes F16H1/26, F16H1/48) · CPC title

• F16C33/6614

  in recesses or cavities provided in retainers, races or rolling elements · CPC title

• F16C19/40

  with loose spacing bodies between the rollers · CPC title