Cage segment of a tapered roller bearing, and tapered roller bearing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9366293-B2
Application number	US-201113991593-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2011
Priority date	Dec 7, 2010
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

A tapered roller bearing includes cage segments each having a pocket that retains one conical rolling element. The pocket is formed by two mutually-opposing circumferential bridges, which each extend between first and second circumferential ends of the cage segment, and at least two mutually-opposing connecting bridges, which connect the two circumferential bridges. The circumferential and connecting bridges have pocket sides, which delimit the pocket. The connecting bridges disposed in the region of the first and second circumferential ends each have a concavely-shaped first guide surface on their pocket and circumferential sides that partially enclose one rolling element. When a rolling element is disposed between the first circumferential end of one cage segment and the second circumferential end of the adjacent cage segment, the circumferential bridges of the two adjacent cage segments do not touch during operation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tapered roller bearing configured to rotatably support a first machine part relative to a second machine part, the tapered roller bearing comprising:
a plurality of conical roller elements and
a plurality of cage segments, each having:
two mutually-opposing circumferential bridges, which each extend between a first circumferential end and a second circumferential end of the cage segment, and
at least two mutually-opposing connecting bridges, which connect the two circumferential bridges to each other and, together with the circumferential bridges, form a pocket that accommodates one of the conical rolling elements,
wherein:
the circumferential bridges and the connecting bridges respectively have pocket sides, which delimit the pocket,
the connecting bridges, which are disposed in the region of the first circumferential end and of the second circumferential end, and the circumferential bridges respectively have circumferential sides opposite of the pocket sides,
a concavely-shaped first guide surface and a concavely-shaped second guide surface is defined on the pocket side of each connecting bridge,
a concavely-shaped first guide surface configured to partially enclose one of the conical rolling elements in its circumferential direction is also defined on the circumferential side of each connecting bridge and is disposed in the region of the first circumferential end or of the second circumferential end,
the first guide surface and the second guide surface on the pocket side of each connecting bridge, which delimit the same pocket, secure the rolling element disposed in the pocket against falling out in a first direction, and secure the rolling element in an interference-fit manner in a second direction opposite to the first direction and thereby captively retain the rolling element in the pocket and
wherein the cage segments are roller element guided.

2. The tapered roller bearing according to claim 1 , wherein the first guide surface on the circumferential sides of the connecting bridges are formed in an analogous manner, with respect to shape and arrangement, to the first guide surface on the pocket sides of the connecting bridges.

3. The tapered roller bearing according to claim 2 , wherein the pocket sides of all connecting bridges are identically formed.

4. The tapered roller bearing according to claim 3 , wherein the circumferential bridges each begin on one of the connecting bridges and end on one of the connecting bridges.

5. The tapered roller bearing according to claim 4 , wherein the first guide surface and the second guide surface on the pocket side of the same connecting bridge enclose one rolling element disposed in the pocket indifferent circumferential regions and/or in different axial regions.

6. The tapered roller bearing according to claim 5 , wherein the connecting bridges have formed thereon:
first projections configured to support the cage segment on an inner rolling element raceway of the tapered roller bearing and/or
second projections configured to support the cage segment on an outer rolling element raceway of the tapered roller bearing.

7. The tapered roller bearing according to claim 6 , wherein a first region, within which the first projections extend between the two circumferential bridges, and a second region, within which the second projections extend between the two circumferential bridges, do not overlap with each other.

8. A tapered roller bearing configured to rotatably support a first machine part relative to a second machine part, the tapered roller bearing comprising:
a plurality of conical roller elements and
a plurality of cage segments, each having:
two mutually-opposing circumferential bridges, which each extend between a first circumferential end and a second circumferential end of the cage segment and
at least two mutually-opposing connecting bridges, which connect the two circumferential bridges to each other and, together with the circumferential bridges, form a pocket that accommodates one of the conical rolling elements,
wherein:
the circumferential bridges and the connecting bridges respectively have pocket sides, which delimit the pocket,
the connecting bridges, which are disposed in the region of the first circumferential end and of the second circumferential end, and the circumferential bridges respectively have circumferential sides opposite of the pocket sides,
a concavely-shaped first guide surface configured to partially enclose one conical rolling element in its circumferential direction is defined on the pocket side and on the circumferential side of each connecting bridge and is disposed in the region of the first circumferential end and of the second circumferential end,
roller elements are respectively disposed between the first circumferential ends of one of the cage segments and the second circumferential ends of another of the cage segments and the circumferential bridges of the adjacently-disposed cage segments do not touch, and
wherein the cage segments are roller element guided.

9. The tapered roller bearing according to claim 8 , wherein the pocket side of each connecting bridge has a concavely-shaped guide surface configured to partially enclose one conical rolling element in its circumferential direction.

10. The tapered roller bearing according to claim 8 , wherein the first guide surface on the circumferential sides of the connecting bridges are formed in an analogous manner, with respect to shape and arrangement, to the first guide surface on the pocket sides of the connecting bridges.

11. The tapered roller bearing according to claim 8 , wherein all connecting bridges are identically formed on their pocket sides.

12. The tapered roller bearing according to claim 8 , wherein the circumferential bridges each begin on one of the connecting bridges and end on one of the connecting bridges.

13. The tapered roller bearing according to claim 8 , wherein the first guide surface and a second guide surface on the pocket side of the same connecting bridge enclose one rolling element disposed in the pocket in different circumferential regions and/or in different axial regions.

14. The tapered roller bearing according to claim 8 , wherein the connecting bridges have formed thereon:
first projections configured to support the cage segment on an inner rolling element raceway of the tapered roller bearing and/or
second projections configured to support the cage segment on an outer rolling element raceway of the tapered roller bearing.

15. The tapered roller bearing according to claim 14 , wherein a first region, within which the first projections extend between the two circumferential bridges, and a second region, within which the second projections extend between the two circumferential bridges, do not overlap with each other.

16. A tapered roller bearing configured to rotatably support a first machine part relative to a second machine part, the tapered roller bearing comprising:
a plurality of conical roller elements, each having an axis of rotation,
a plurality of cage segments, each having a pocket that retains at least one of the conical rolling elements and each having a first circumferential end and a second circumferential end,
wherein:
the axes of rotation of all rolling elements are disposed on a common conical surface,
the cage segments are disposed in a row one after another in a circumferential direction such that, between each two adjacent cage segments, one rolling element is respectively disposed that is not retained by one of cage segments and that permanently

Assignees

• Gessendorfer Matthias
• Liang Baozhu
• Oestreicher Winfried
• Wahler Ralf
• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Gessendorfer Matthias
• Liang Baozhu
• Oestreicher Winfried
• Wahler Ralf

Classifications

• F16C2300/14

  Large applications, e.g. bearings having an inner diameter exceeding 500 mm · CPC title

• F16C33/4676

  of the stays separating adjacent cage pockets, e.g. guide means for the bearing-surface of the rollers · CPC title

• F16C33/467

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

• F16C33/4605

  Details of interaction of cage and race, e.g. retention or centring · CPC title

• F16C33/513

  formed of arcuate segments for carrying one or more rollers · CPC title