Pre-mounting of a gap-optimized clip ring between inner rings of an anti-friction bearing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9677619-B2
Application number	US-201414914409-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2014
Priority date	Oct 14, 2013
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

An anti-friction bearing unit ( 1 ), configured at least as a two-row anti-friction bearing with at least one outer ring ( 4 a, 4 b ) and at least two inner rings ( 5 a, 5 b ), between which rolling bodies ( 6 a, 6 b ) are guided on raceways of the bearing rings ( 4 a, 4 b; 5 a, 5 b ). A clip ring ( 14 ) that engages into annular grooves ( 12 a, 12 b ) of axially extended sections ( 8 a, 8 b ) of the adjacent inner rings ( 5 a, 5 b ) is provided for securing an axial position of the inner rings ( 5 a, 5 b ). The radially pre-stressed clip ring ( 14 ) of U-shaped design is arranged in a non-positive manner on an intermediate step ( 13 ) of the inner ring ( 5 a ) in a pre-mounting position and can be pushed from there into an end position. In matching positions of the flanks ( 15 a, 15 b ) of the clip ring ( 14 ) and corresponding annular grooves ( 12 a, 12 b ) of the extended sections ( 8 a, 8 b ), the clip ring ( 14 ) latches in a positively locking manner and brings about an axial connection of both inner rings ( 5 a, 5 b ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An anti-friction bearing unit constructed at least as a multiple-row anti-friction bearing, comprising at least one outer ring and at least two inner rings, rolling bodies guided between the at least one outer ring and the at least two inner rings on raceways of the bearing rings the inner rings including annular grooves, a fixing element engageable in the annular grooves of the inner rings, the inner rings enclose axially extended sections on facing sides thereof, and the fixing element comprises a U-shaped and radially pre-stressed clip ring configured to hold the inner rings together and border projections of the inner rings stepped on an inside, and the clip ring is arranged in a pre-mounting position with a non-positive fit on an intermediate step of a first one of the inner rings and is movable from the pre-mounting position into an end position in which flanks of the clip ring automatically lock in corresponding ones of the annular grooves that are located on the extended sections for the axial connection of the inner rings.

2. The anti-friction bearing unit according to claim 1 , wherein in a pre-mounting position free ends of the clip rings are arranged in a spiral shape, which sets an overlap between 1 to 20° axially in an aligned plane of the clip ring bordering the intermediate step of the inner ring.

3. The anti-friction bearing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate step of the first inner ring is bounded by an axial contact surface and the annular groove of the second one of the inner rings is bounded by a shoulder.

4. The anti-friction bearing unit according to claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the intermediate step of the first inner ring is selected so that the clip ring contacts the contact surface of the inner ring with a contact angle α between ≧180° to ≦360°.

5. The anti-friction bearing unit according to claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the projections of the inner rings stepped on the inside and bounded by end walls exceeds a diameter of the intermediate step of the first inner ring.

6. The anti-friction bearing unit according to claim 1 , wherein outer radii (R 1 ) between the annular grooves and end walls of the inner rings exceed inner radii (R 2 ) of the clip ring.

7. The anti-friction bearing unit according to claim 1 , wherein a geometrical ratio between a clip ring width C and a groove spacing N of the annular grooves in the inner rings is between 0.9 to 0.995.

8. The anti-friction bearing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate step of the first inner ring exceeds a width of the clip ring and the clip ring engages in the pre-mounting position with a positive fit in holding grooves of the intermediate step.

9. The anti-bearing bearing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the clip ring is supported with a non-positive fit in the pre-mounting position with one flank on the intermediate step and with the other flank on a bevel of the axially extended section of the first inner ring.

10. A method for mounting the clip ring between the two inner rings of the anti-friction bearing unit of the anti-friction bearing according to claim 1 comprising:
pushing the clip ring which is spiral-shaped, radially pressed-together, on the inside on the intermediate step of the first inner ring into the pre-mounting position of contact on an axial contact surface,
joining the two inner rings which are supported together by the extended sections,
moving the clip ring up to positional alignment in which flanks of the clip ring automatically lock in the annular grooves of the projections of the inner rings stepped on an inside for a positive-fit, axial connection of the inner rings.

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Schafer Marc-Andre
• Sturzenberger Martin

Classifications

• F16C19/386

  in O-arrangement · CPC title

• F16C33/60

  divided {or split, e.g. comprising two juxtaposed rings} · CPC title

• F16C2226/74

  with snap-fit, e.g. by clips · CPC title

• F16C35/061 Primary

  mounting a plurality of bearings side by side · CPC title

• F16C43/04

  Assembling rolling-contact bearings · CPC title