Bearing assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9702403-B2
Application number	US-201314443186-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2013
Priority date	Nov 16, 2012
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A non-locating bearing assembly is configured to rotatably support a shaft relative to a housing while permitting relative axial displacement of the shaft relative to the housing. The bearing assembly includes a bearing having inner and outer rings and that is configured for transmitting radial and axial forces, and a bearing support attachable to the housing and including a support section having a partially cylindrical seat surface for receiving one of the inner and outer bearing rings and forming a sliding seat therefor. The sliding seat allows a relative axial displacement between the support section and one of the inner and outer bearing rings. A spring is disposed on or in the bearing support for generating a force in the axial direction between the bearing support and the one of the inner and outer bearing rings, and the spring element is formed from a segment of the bearing support.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bearing assembly having a non-locating-bearing function, and configured to rotatably support a first component relative to a second component while permitting relative axial displacement of the first and second components,
the bearing assembly comprising:
a bearing having an inner ring, an outer ring and rolling elements being configured for transmitting radial and axial forces, wherein at least one of the inner ring and the outer ring includes a first radially extending surface forming a first axial end of the at least one of the inner ring and outer ring, a second radially extending surface forming a second axial end of the at least one of the inner ring and the outer ring, and an at least partially cylindrical surface extending entirely between and connecting the first and second radially extending surfaces,
a bearing support, which includes a support section having an at least partially cylindrical seat surface configured for receiving the at least partially cylindrical surface of the at least one of the inner and outer bearing rings such that, in cross-section, the at least partially cylindrical seat extends entirely across and entirely overlaps the at least partially cylindrical surface, and forming a sliding seat for the at least one of the inner and outer bearing rings, which allows a relative displacing in the an axial direction between the support section and the at least one of the inner and outer bearing rings,
wherein the bearing support includes centering means for centering the bearing support relative to one of the first and second components,
wherein the bearing support is configured to be attached to one of the first and second components,
wherein a spring element is disposed on or in the bearing support, the spring element being configured for generating a spring force in the axial direction between the bearing support and the at least one of the inner and outer bearing rings, the spring element being formed from a segment of the bearing support, the spring element directly contacting the second radially extending surface of the at least one of the inner ring and the outer ring and applying the spring force thereto in a direction towards the first radially extending surface, and wherein the spring force applied by the spring element axially preloads the bearing such that no component of the bearing assembly is configured to apply an axial force, that is opposite in direction to the spring force applied by the spring element, directly to the first radially extending surface of the at least one of the inner ring and the outer ring or a portion of the at least partially cylindrical surface that extends in a direction having a radial dimension.

2. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing is a rolling-element bearing.

3. The bearing assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the bearing comprises a deep-groove ball bearing.

4. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 wherein the bearing support includes a radially extending attachment surface, using which it can be attached on the one of the first and second components using attachment means.

5. The bearing assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the attachment means are screws.

6. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 including a stop in an axial end region of the support section for limiting the axial movability of the at least one of the first and second bearing rings relative to the support section.

7. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the centering means are formed by a shoulder, which is formed in the bearing support and which engages into a congruent formation in the one of the first and second components.

8. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing support and the bearing together with the spring element are configured as a preassembled unit.

9. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing support is comprised of a continuously formed metal-plate part or includes a continuously formed metal-plate part.

10. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first component comprises a shaft and the second component comprises a housing.

11. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the bearing comprise a rolling-element bearing,
wherein the bearing support includes a radially extending attachment surface,
the bearing assembly including a stop in an axial end region of the support section, the stop configured for limiting axial movement of the at least one of the inner and outer bearing rings relative to the support section,
wherein the centering means comprise a shoulder on the bearing support, and
wherein the bearing support is comprised of a continuously formed metal-plate part or includes a continuously formed metal-plate part.

12. A bearing assembly having a non-locating-bearing function, and configured to rotatably support a shaft relative to a housing while permitting relative axial displacement of the shaft relative to the housing, the bearing assembly comprising:
a bearing having an inner ring, an outer ring and rolling elements being configured for transmitting radial and axial forces, one of the inner ring and the outer ring having a first radially extending surface forming a first axial end of the one of the inner ring and the outer ring, a second radially extending surface forming a second axial end of the one of the inner ring and the outer ring, and an at least partially cylindrical surface extending entirely between and connecting the first and second radially extending surfaces;
a bearing support attachable to the housing and including a support section having an at least partially cylindrical seat surface configured for receiving the at least partially cylindrical surface of the one of the inner and outer bearing rings such that, in cross-section, the at least partially cylindrical seat extends entirely across and entirely overlaps the at least partially cylindrical surface, and forming a sliding seat for the one of the inner and outer bearing rings, the sliding seat allowing a relative axial displacement between the support section and the one of the inner and outer bearing rings,
centering means for centering the bearing support relative to one of the housing; and
a spring element disposed on or in the bearing support, the spring element being configured for generating a spring force in an axial direction between the bearing support and the one of the inner and outer bearing rings, the spring element being formed from a segment of the bearing support, the spring element directly contacting the second radially extending surface of the at least one of the inner ring and the outer ring and applying the spring force thereto in a direction towards the first radially extending surface, and wherein the spring force applied by the spring element axially preloads the bearing such that no component of the bearing assembly is configured to apply an axial force, that is opposite in direction to the spring force applied by the spring element, directly to the first radially extending surface of the at least one of the inner ring and the outer ring or a portion of the at least partially cylindrical surface that extends in a direction having a radial dimension.

13. The bearing assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the spring element extends from a location radially outward of an outer surface of the outer ring to a location radially inward of the outer surface of the outer ring.

14. The bearing assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the spring comprising a circular trough at an axial end of the support section.

Assignees

• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Beck Burkard
• Dilje Alexander
• Friedrich Hans-Juergen
• Hauck Helmut

Classifications

• F16C19/06

  with a single row or balls · CPC title

• F16C35/077

  between housing and outer race ring · CPC title

• F16C27/04

  Ball or roller bearings, e.g. with resilient rolling bodies · CPC title

• F16C19/26

  with a single row of rollers · CPC title

• F16C2220/04

  by injection-moulding · CPC title