A method is provided that forms a solid film on a bearing component of a rolling bearing. A solution containing a fluorine compound and a lubricant having no functional group is allowed to adhere to the bearing component as a liquid film, the fluorine compound containing 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate, hexafluoropropene, and methyl methacrylate as components. The solid film is formed on the at least one of the bearing components by hardening the adhering liquid film.

A rolling bearing that can easily achieve the higher lubricating characteristic including the smaller rotational torque while employing the existing bearing shape and lubricant is provided. A rolling bearing 1 includes: an inner ring 2 and an outer ring 3 as a race ring; a plurality of rolling elements 4 held between the inner and outer rings; a retainer 5 that retains the rolling elements 4; a sealing member 11 provided at openings on opposite ends in an axial direction of the inner ring 2 and the outer ring 3; and grease 12 to be enclosed in an in-bearing space. At least one member selected from the inner ring 2, the outer ring 3, the retainer 5, and the sealing member 11 is provided with a flocking part 6 formed by flocking fiber on a surface of the member which is in contact with the grease 12.

A large thrust ball bearing, retainer, and raceways, using a surface treatment such as hard anodize, lowers the friction and wear. The retainer, molded in synthetic resin with self-lubricated material reinforced with carbon fiber such as MoS.sub.2, and PTPE, eliminates the thermal viscosity. Multi-segment retainers, each with an inner race-guided configuration, an alternative ball pocket cross-section design with a slotted configuration, reduce the thermal effects, improve the producibility of the retainer, and reduce the manufacturing cost. The pocket design with an oval cross-section instead of a circular cross-section also reduces the localized thermal-induced effect which would otherwise result in a pinching condition between the ball and the retainer. The alternative slotted retainer pocket design increases the compliance between ball/pocket interfaces, which helps to reduce the dynamic effects. The ends of the retainer segments are designed to reduce the interactive transferring, circumferential force between two adjacent segments.

An expendable bearing and a method for making the same including an inner race defining an inner bearing diameter, an outer race defining an outer bearing diameter, a seal attached to the outer race and positioned adjacent and in contact with the inner race, where the inner race, the outer race, and the seal define a bearing cavity, a plurality of rolling elements positioned adjacent to the inner and outer races in the bearing cavity, a dry film lubricant on a surface of at least one of the inner race, the outer race, or the plurality of rolling elements, and a powder lubricant comprising carbon nanotubes disposed in the bearing cavity.

A rolling bearing that can easily achieve the higher lubricating characteristic including the smaller rotational torque while employing the existing bearing shape and lubricant is provided. A rolling bearing 1 includes: an inner ring 2 and an outer ring 3 as a race ring; a plurality of rolling elements 4 held between the inner and outer rings; a retainer 5 that retains the rolling elements 4; a sealing member 11 provided at openings on opposite ends in an axial direction of the inner ring 2 and the outer ring 3; and grease 12 to be enclosed in an in-bearing space. At least one member selected from the inner ring 2, the outer ring 3, the retainer 5, and the sealing member 11 is provided with a flocking part 6 formed by flocking fiber on a surface of the member which is in contact with the grease 12.

A cage includes: an annular body having pocket holes for receiving balls; and a resin portion formed through injection molding of a resin containing a solid lubricant with the body being set as an insert component. The resin portion includes: first parts formed along inner peripheral surfaces of the pocket holes of the body to form pocket surfaces to be held in sliding contact respectively with the balls; and a second part formed along an outer peripheral surface (or inner peripheral surface) of the body to form a guide surface to be held in sliding contact with an outer ring (or inner ring). The first parts and the second part are formed integrally with each other. Weld lines of the resin portion are formed at positions of avoiding exposure of the weld lines at both end portions of the pocket surfaces in a cage circumferential direction.

In a manufacturing process of a corrugated cage, an intermediate assembly 17a is configured by press-fitting each of press-fitting portions 24 and 24 respectively provided in base end portions of rod portions 13b and 13b of rivets 9b and 9b into each of through-holes 12a and 12a of a cage element 8a on one side, and nitriding treatment is performed on the intermediate assembly 17a. An axial dimension X of each of the press-fitting portions 24 and 24 is made smaller than an axial dimension Y of each of the through-holes 12a and 12a (X<Y). In this way, portions which do not come into close contact with each other are provided in axial portions of the inner peripheral surface of each of the through-holes 12a and 12a and the outer peripheral surface of each of the rod portions 13b and 13b, and thus a nitrided layer is formed on each of these portions which do not come into close contact with each other.

A cage for a bearing includes an annular body formed of a composite material and having a centerline, the body being sized to be disposed between the inner and outer rings of the bearing and having a first axial end, a second axial end, an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface. A plurality of pockets are spaced circumferentially about the centerline, disposed between the first and second axial ends and extend radially between the inner and outer circumferential surfaces. Each pocket is sized to receive one of the rolling elements. The composite material includes a mixture of a polymer base, reinforcing fibers and a lubricant. Preferably, the polymer base is ultrahigh weight polyethylene or polyetherimide, the reinforcing fibers are short strand carbon fibers and are between ten and thirty percent by weight, and the lubricant is molybdenum disulfide and is one half percent to ten percent by weight.