Bearing cage and rolling element bearing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9677617-B2
Application number	US-201314433070-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2013
Priority date	Oct 4, 2012
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

A bearing cage for retaining rolling elements of a rolling element bearing, the bearing cage having at least one first ring structure to which at least one first cage bar is connected. The bearing cage also comprises a second ring structure to which at least one second cage bar is connected, whereby the at least one second ring structure is arranged to be located radially inwards of the at least one first ring structure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bearing cage for retaining rolling elements of a rolling element bearing, the bearing cage having:
at least one first ring structure comprising at least one first cage bar and first and second axially opposed, annular rings, the at least one first cage bar extending between the first and second axially opposed, annular rings;
a second ring structure comprising at least one second cage bar and a third annular ring, the at least one second cage bar extending axially from the third annular ring and forming a free end such that the second ring structure only has a single annular ring;
whereby the at least one second cage bar is configured to be aligned in a radial direction with the at least one first cage bar, wherein the at least one second cage bar is located radially inwards of the at least one first cage bar, and such that both of the at least one first cage bar and the at least one second cage bar are configured to contact a rolling surface of one of the rolling elements.

2. The bearing cage according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one second cage bar is constructed so that a diameter of the second ring structure is largest at one of a point and a region along a length of the at least one second cage bar so as to improve lubricant flow towards the rotational center of rolling elements when the bearing cage is in use.

3. The bearing cage according to claim 1 , wherein the free end of the at least one second cage bar comprises a radially outwardly extending portion, the radially outwardly extending portion forming a reservoir for the accommodation of lubricant when the bearing cage is in use.

4. The bearing cage according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one first ring structure is integrally formed with the at least one second ring structure.

5. The bearing cage according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one first ring structure is arranged to be connected to the at least one second ring structure.

6. The bearing cage according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one first cage bar is constructed so that a diameter of the bearing cage is largest at one of a point and a region along the length of the at least one first cage bar so as to improve lubricant flow towards the rotational center of rolling elements when the bearing cage is in use.

7. The bearing cage according to claim 6 , wherein the one of the point or the region is arranged to be located at a position above a center of a rolling surface of at least one rolling element when it is in use.

8. The bearing cage according to claim 6 , wherein the point/region is provided halfway between the first and second axially opposed, annular rings.

9. The bearing cage according to claim 1 , the at least one first cage bar of the at least one first ring structure further comprising end portions that follow the rolling element diameter profile and a central portion, the end portions being configured to contact the rolling surface of the rolling elements and the central portion configured to be spaced from the rolling surface of the rolling elements.

10. The bearing cage according to claim 9 , wherein the end portions extend over 10-20% of the length of the at least one first cage bar.

11. The bearing cage according to claim 1 , the at least one first cage bar further comprising a side surface that is arranged to extend along the rolling surface of a rolling element when the bearing cage is in use,
the side surface further comprising a radially outer edge and a radially inner edge, and
whereby a distance between the radially outer edges of two adjacent first cage bars between which a rolling element is located when the bearing cage is in use is greater than a distance between two adjacent radially inner edges of the two adjacent first cage bars.

12. The bearing cage according to claim 11 , the side surface of the at least one first cage bar further comprising at least one chamfered edge.

13. The bearing cage according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one chamfered edge is provided at the radially inner edge of the first cage bar.

14. A rolling element bearing structure, comprising at least one bearing cage, the at least one bearing cage comprising:
at least one first ring structure comprising at least one first cage bar and first and second axially opposed, annular rings, the at least one first cage bar extending between the first and second axially opposed, annular rings;
a second ring structure comprising at least one second cage bar and a third annular ring, the at least one second cage bar extending axially from the third annular ring and forming a free end such that the second ring structure only has a single annular ring; and
whereby the at least one second cage bar is configured to be aligned in a radial direction with the at least one first cage bar, wherein the at least one second cage bar is located radially inwards of the at least one first cage bar, and such that both of the at least one first cage bar and the at least one second cage bar are configured to contact a rolling surface of one of the rolling elements,
wherein the at least one bearing cage is included in the rolling element bearing structure.

Assignees

• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Karlsson Mikael R
• Lindgren Håkan

Classifications

• F16C33/6614 Primary

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

• F16C33/543

  from a single part · CPC title

• F16C23/086

  forming a track for rolling elements · CPC title

• F16C19/38

  with two or more rows of rollers · CPC title

• F16C33/541

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