A roller bearing includes an outer ring, an inner ring, at least one row of rollers arranged between the outer ring and the inner ring, and at least one optical fiber cable mounted to the outer ring or the inner ring, the optical fiber cable including at least one Bragg grating. The optical fiber cable is configured such that a signal in the optical fiber cable is usable to determine a preload or load on the roller bearing.

A bearing cage for large rolling-element bearings includes a first side part and a second side part and a plurality of bridge elements connecting the first and second side parts to form a plurality of cage pockets each configured to receive a rolling element. The at least one bridge element and/or the first side part and/or the second side part includes at least one opening, and an insert element is mounted in each of the at least one opening and configured to contact the rolling element.

Systems and methods are provided for a compound bearing assembly including an offset coupler supporting an inner bearing and an outer bearing for distributing a rotational loading of the compound bearing assembly. In some embodiments, at least one of the bearings comprises a bearing cage with a plurality of elongated openings for receiving a respective plurality of balls. The compound bearing assembly is configured to support a drive shaft of a supercharger system of a vehicle or some other rotational system.

A method of forming a bearing cage is generally disclosed herein. The method includes (i) forming a bearing cage from either titanium or a titanium alloy; and (ii) applying a plasma-nitriding treatment to at least one surface of the bearing cage to form a compound layer of titanium nitride including TiN and Ti.sub.2N on an outer region of the at least one surface. Step (ii) further forms a diffusion zone adjacent to the outer region, in one aspect. A surface hardness of the bearing cage that is treated by the plasma-nitriding step is at least 1000 HV. The bearing cage is configured to be used in a turbofan, turboprop, or turboshaft engine or in a helicopter gearbox, in one aspect.

A method of forming a bearing cage is generally disclosed herein. The method includes (i) forming a bearing cage from either titanium or a titanium alloy; and (ii) applying a plasma-nitriding treatment to at least one surface of the bearing cage to form a compound layer of titanium nitride including TiN and Ti.sub.2N on an outer region of the at least one surface. Step (ii) further forms a diffusion zone adjacent to the outer region, in one aspect. A surface hardness of the bearing cage that is treated by the plasma-nitriding step is at least 1000 HV. The bearing cage is configured to be used in a turbofan, turboprop, or turboshaft engine or in a helicopter gearbox, in one aspect.

A rolling bearing retainer which is formed by insert molding a resinous material together with a core member within a mold, in which the core member is embedded within a resin part made of the resinous material and a support area exposure part is provided at a plurality of locations of the resin part for exposing a support area of the core member supported within a cavity of the mold. The resin part includes a ring shaped body and a plurality of support column bodies extending axially from the ring shaped body and defining a pocket for retaining a rolling element therebetween, and the core member is provided with a ring shaped body embedded part and a plurality of support column body embedded parts extending from the ring shaped body embedded part.

An aluminum alloy cage and a method for producing the same. The aluminum alloy cage has a shot-peened aluminum alloy cage substrate and a coating formed on the surface of shot-peened aluminum alloy cage substrate, the coating including at least one nickel containing layer. The aluminum alloy cage has high fatigue strength, excellent corrosion resistance, high surface hardness and low surface friction coefficient, and exhibits excellent surface lubricity and wear resistance.

Systems and methods are provided for a compound bearing assembly including an offset coupler supporting an inner bearing and an outer bearing for distributing a rotational loading of the compound bearing assembly. In some embodiments, at least one of the bearings comprises a bearing cage with a plurality of elongated openings for receiving a respective plurality of balls. The compound bearing assembly is configured to support a drive shaft of a supercharger system of a vehicle or some other rotational system.

A bearing unit provided with a radially outer ring, a radially inner ring, a plurality of rolling bodies interposed between the radially outer ring and the radially inner ring, and a retention device for keeping in position the plurality of rolling bodies, having a circular base rib, a plurality of fingers circumferentially spaced and defining a plurality of cavities for holding respective rolling bodies of the plurality of rolling bodies which are in contact with the retention device by means of a contact surface, and a plurality of discontinuity elements which reduce the extent of the area of contact with the rolling bodies.

A cage for a ball bearing, including: a first annular flange; a second annular flange; a plurality of ball retention segments; and a plurality of spaces. Each ball retention segment includes: a first portion fixedly connected to the first annular flange; a second portion fixedly connected to the second annular flange; and, a middle portion connecting the first portion and the second portion. Each space is circumferentially bounded by a respective pair of circumferentially adjacent ball retention segments, and arranged to receive a ball of the ball bearing. A cross-section, including the first annular flange, the second annular flange, and a ball retention segment of the plurality of ball retention segments, is in a shape of an M.