Bearing configuration with two-row polygonal bearing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9551376-B2
Application number	US-201414338810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2014
Priority date	Aug 12, 2013
Publication date	Jan 24, 2017
Grant date	Jan 24, 2017

Abstract

A bearing configuration for the purpose of mounting a shaft or axle in a housing in a manner allowing rotation. The bearing configuration has a rolling bearing designed as a roller bearing with at least one bearing ring which is functionally assigned to the housing, said bearing ring forming an outer race facing inward radially, wherein rolling elements are guided on said outer race, working together on the opposite side with a shaft which forms an inner race. The roller bearing of the bearing configuration is a combination of at least two joined polygonal bearings, wherein each polygonal bearing on the bearing ring includes at least one elastic segment which forms a convex, transversely rounded race curvature. This configuration ensures that at least one rolling element is radially pretensioned and supported on the outer race of the shaft, and the shaft is guided in the housing with no radial play.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bearing configuration for the purpose of mounting a shaft or axle in a housing in a manner allowing rotation, the bearing configuration comprising:
a first polygonal bearing comprising:
an outer bearing ring which is functionally assigned to the housing, the outer bearing ring forming a first outer race facing inward radially, the outer bearing ring including an elastic segment oriented along an axis of rotation and forming a convex transversely rounded race curvature;
a second outer race facing outward radially of the shaft or of an inner bearing ring;
a plurality of rolling elements guidable on the first outer race and working together on an opposite side with the second outer race, the plurality of rolling elements including at least one rolling element arranged to be radially pretensioned and elastically supported on the first or second outer race with no radial play, via the elastic segment; and,
a first polygonal shape; and,

a second polygonal bearing joinable with the first polygonal bearing, the second polygonal bearing comprising a second polygonal shape which is the same as the first polygonal shape having a multi-cornered form and arranged with an angular offset relative to the first polygonal bearing when the polygonal bearings are correctly positioned.

2. The bearing configuration recited in claim 1 , wherein the outer bearing ring of the first polygonal bearing has at least one segment with a radially elastic design, which runs around a periphery and which forms a longitudinal convexity.

3. The bearing configuration recited in claim 2 , wherein a first wall thickness of the elastic segment and a second wall thickness of the at least one segment are different from other wall segments of the outer bearing ring.

4. The bearing configuration recited in claim 1 , wherein the outer bearing ring forms a fixed skirt, an opposite flanged skirt, and a conicity of the outer bearing ring produces an outer diameter on the flanged skirt which exceeds an outer diameter on the fixed skirt.

5. The bearing configuration recited in claim 1 , wherein the second polygonal bearing is fixed to the first polygonal bearing by means of a positive-fitting retainer.

6. The bearing configuration recited in claim 1 , wherein:
a skirt of the outer bearing ring has a notch; and,
the second polygonal bearing includes a second outer bearing ring including an axial extension that engages in the notch with a positive fit;
wherein at least one skirt of the bearing configuration has a profiling on a radial inside thereof.

7. The bearing configuration recited in claim 1 , wherein the outer bearing ring has a roundness deviation ≧0.2 mm prior to assembly, and a roundness deviation ≧0.025 mm when assembled, wherein a race straightness of a convex transversely rounded race curvature of the outer bearing ring prior to assembly is ≧0.015 mm, and wherein a value of ≧0.01 mm is reached at a load release point and a value of ≧0.02 mm is reached at the load point when assembled in a press-fit position.

8. A steering mount for a vehicle comprising the bearing configuration recited in claim 1 .

9. A torque converter having a pump wheel connected to a converter neck mounted in a housing by means of the bearing configuration recited in claim 1 .

10. A bearing configuration for the purpose of mounting a shaft or axle in a housing in a manner allowing rotation, the bearing configuration comprising:
a first polygonal bearing comprising:
an outer bearing ring which is functionally assigned to the housing, the outer bearing ring forming a first outer race facing inward radially, the outer bearing ring including:
an elastic segment oriented along an axis of rotation and forming a convex transversely rounded race curvature, the elastic segment including a first wall thickness;
at least one segment with a radially elastic design, which runs around a periphery and which forms a longitudinal convexity, the at least one segment including a second wall thickness; and,
the first and second wall thicknesses are different from other wall segments of the outer bearing ring;

a second outer race facing outward radially of the shaft or of an inner bearing ring; and,
a plurality of rolling elements guidable on the first outer race and working together on an opposite side with the second outer race, the plurality of rolling elements including at least one rolling element arranged to be radially pretensioned and elastically supported on the first or second outer race with no radial play, via the elastic segment; and,

a second polygonal bearing joinable with the first polygonal bearing.

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Gmbh & Co Kg
• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Pabst Alexander
• Schoenstein Frank

Classifications

• F16C19/466

  comprising needle rollers and an outer ring, i.e. subunit without inner ring · CPC title

• Y10T29/4968

  Assembling of race, cage, and rolling anti-friction members · CPC title

• F16C35/067

  Fixing them in a housing (with interposition of an element F16C35/07) · CPC title

• F16C43/065

  in cages · CPC title

• F16C33/588

  Races of sheet metal · CPC title