Bearing and installation aid device

Abstract

A bearing configured to be installed on a shaft or in a housing in an installation direction from a rear axial end of the bearing toward a front axial end of the bearing and an installation aid device mounted to the bearing for blocking the installation of the bearing in a direction opposite the installation direction. The bearing includes a first bearing ring having a radial installation surface, a front axial end surface and a rear axial end surface and a second bearing ring. The installation aid device has at least one radial leg overlying the rear axial end surface and at least partially protruding beyond the radial installation surface and/or at least one axial leg extending at least partially along the radial installation surface.

Claims

1. A bearing assembly comprising: an inner bearing ring having a radial inner installation surface and a front axial end surface and a rear axial end surface; an outer bearing ring; wherein the bearing is configured to be installed on a shaft in an installation direction, the installation direction being a direction from the rear axial end surface to the front axial end surface, the bearing assembly further comprising: an installation aid device having at least one radial leg overlying the rear axial end surface and at least partially protruding radially beyond the radial inner installation surface and at least one axial leg extending inside the inner bearing ring at least partially along the radial inner installation surface such that an installation of the bearing in a direction opposite the installation direction is blocked by the installation aid device.

2. The bearing according to claim 1, wherein the installation aid device is releasably attached to the bearing.

3. The bearing according to claim 1, wherein the at least one axial leg is directly connected to the at least one radial leg.

4. The bearing according to claim 1, wherein the at least one axial leg comprises two diametrically opposed axial legs.

5. The bearing according to claim 1, wherein the at least one radial leg is an annulus; and/or wherein the at least one axial leg is a tubular element.

6. The bearing according to claim 1, wherein the installation aid device comprises a plastic.

7. The bearing according to claim 1, wherein the installation aid device comprises a recycled plastic or a scrap-paper-based material.

8. The bearing according to claim 1, wherein the installation aid device comprises a biodegradable plastic or a cardboard or a paper-based material.

9. The bearing according to claim 1, wherein the bearing is an asymmetric bearing.

10. The bearing according to claim 1, wherein the installation aid device is attached to the bearing by a press fit.

11. The bearing according to claim 1, wherein the installation aid device is adhesively attached to the bearing.

12. The bearing according to claim 1, wherein the at least one radial leg comprises a disk.

13. The bearing according to claim 1, wherein the at least one radial leg comprises an annulus.

14. The bearing according to claim 1, wherein the at least one axial leg comprises a tubular member.

15. The bearing according to claim 1, wherein the at least one radial leg comprise an annulus and the at least one axial leg comprises a tubular member.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view through a bearing that includes an installation aid device according to a first exemplary embodiment.

(2) FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view through a bearing that includes an installation aid device according to a second exemplary embodiment.

(3) FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view through a bearing that includes an installation aid device according to a third exemplary embodiment.

(4) FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view through a bearing that includes an installation aid device according to a fourth exemplary embodiment.

(5) FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view through a bearing that includes an installation aid device according to a fifth exemplary embodiment.

(6) FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view through a bearing that includes an installation aid device according to a sixth exemplary embodiment.

(7) FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view through a bearing that includes an installation aid device according to a seventh exemplary embodiment.

(8) FIG. 8 is a schematic sectional view through a bearing that includes an installation aid device according to an eighth exemplary embodiment.

(9) FIGS. 9a-9h are perspective views of installation aid devices having different configurations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) In the following, identical or functionally equivalent elements are designated by the same reference numbers.

(11) FIGS. 1 to 8 each respectively show a sectional view of a bearing 1 configured to be installed onto a shaft 2. The bearing shown here is depicted, by way of example, as an asymmetric rolling-element bearing. Furthermore, various exemplary embodiments of a so-called installation aid device 4 are depicted in FIGS. 1 to 8, which exemplary embodiments include at least one radial leg 6 and at least one axial leg 8 (see FIGS. 4 to 8).

(12) Asymmetric rolling-element bearing 1, as depicted in FIGS. 1 to 8, has a predetermined installation position, and it must be ensured that the bearing 1 is installed onto the shaft 2 or into a housing (not depicted) in the correct installation direction (see arrow M).

(13) As usual, the rolling-element bearing 1 includes an outer ring 10, a pair of inner rings 12-1, 12-2, and rolling elements 14-1, 14-2 that are disposed in a radial space 16 between the inner rings 12-1, 12-2 and outer ring 10. In the exemplary embodiment depicted, the rolling-element bearing is configured as an asymmetric rolling-element bearing, wherein the diameter of the rolling elements (in this case balls) is different. Thus the rolling elements 14-1 are larger in diameter than the rolling elements 14-2. Furthermore, the exemplary embodiment shown does not include a single-part inner ring, but rather a two-part inner ring 12-1, 12-2, in order to correspondingly receive the differently sized rolling elements 14-1, 14-2. However, such an asymmetric rolling-element bearing cannot be installed in an arbitrary direction onto the shaft or into a housing, but rather must be installed along the installation direction M.

(14) However, this also means that in installation direction M the rolling-element bearing 1 includes an installation front side 18 and an installation rear side 20, wherein the bearing is first installed by its installation front side 18 onto the shaft 2 or into the housing. The installation rear side 20 is opposite the installation front side 18 and can, for example, be subjected to a force, for example, using a tool, in order to move the rolling-element bearing 1 in installation direction M.

(15) As can furthermore be seen from FIGS. 1 to 8, the inner ring 12-1 includes an axial end surface 22 on the installation front side 18, and the outer ring 10 includes an axial end surface 24 on the installation front side 18. Analogously, on the installation rear side 20, the inner ring 12-2 includes an axial end surface 26, and the outer ring 10 includes an axial end surface 28.

(16) The rolling-element bearing 1 furthermore comprises a radial inner surface 32 that is provided via the bore 34 in the inner rings 12-1, 12-2 and a radial outer surface 36 that represents the radial outer surface of the outer ring 10. These radial surfaces 32, 36 usually also comprise installation surfaces such that the radial inner surface 32 comes into contact with the shaft 2 or the radial outer surface comes into contact with the housing. However, it is also possible that only one of the radial surfaces 32, 26 is configured as an installation surface.

(17) In order to ensure that the installation rear side of the bearing is not first installed onto the shaft 2 or into the housing, the installation aid device 4 is disposed on the installation rear side 20 and configured such that its radial leg 6 extends along one or both axial end surfaces 26, 28 of the inner ring 12-2 or outer ring 10, and protrudes past one or both of the radial surfaces 32, 36. Here the radial surface past which the radial leg protrudes is also preferably the same as the installation surface. However, this is not necessarily necessary, since during installation other elements can also abut against the radial protrusion of the radial leg 6 and prevent an incorrect installation of the bearing 1.

(18) In the following, for the sake of simplicity, the principle of the installation aid device is explained using an exemplary embodiment wherein the radial leg 6 protrudes past the radial installation surface itself so that an installation from this side is prevented.

(19) In the simplest case, which is depicted in FIGS. 1 to 5, the installation aid device includes only the radial leg 6 (FIGS. 1-3) or the axial leg 8 (FIGS. 4-5). Here an exemplary embodiment is nevertheless depicted wherein the bearing 1 is to be mounted on the shaft 2, and thus the radial inner surface 32 is also the installation surface. As depicted in FIGS. 1 and 3, the radial leg 6 of the installation aid device 4 extends along the axial end surface 26 of the radial inner ring 12-2 and protrudes part way over the bore 34 of the inner ring 12-2. The radial leg thus also protrudes beyond the installation surface 32. This has the effect that attaching the bearing, i.e., by its inner ring, onto the shaft 2, is only possible via the installation front side 18, while the bore 34 on the installation rear side 20 is blocked by the radial leg 6.

(20) Alternatively insertion of the shaft 2 into the bore 34 can also be prevented by an installation aid device 4 that includes only one axial leg 8, and is configured, for example, as a hollow or solid cylinder and partially covers the installation surface 32. FIG. 4 shows such an exemplary embodiment.

(21) The same design can of course also be provided at the radial outer surface 36, as depicted for the radial leg in FIGS. 2 and 3, and for the axial leg in FIG. 5. This design is advantageous in particular in an installation aid device 4 that is not intended to block the installation on a shaft in a bore, but rather, for example, to block the installation into a housing.

(22) When positioned correctly, the bearing 1 is pushed onto the shaft 2 until, during the installation, the shaft 2 comes in contact with the radial leg 6 or the axial leg 8 of the installation aid device 4. In order then to completely attach the bearing to the shaft 2, the installation aid device must be removed from the bearing. This can be effected manually, for example, by an operator; however, it is preferred that the installation aid device be releasably attached to the bearing such that it automatically releases during installation of the bearing.

(23) In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1 to 3, the release can occur by the radial leg 6 of the installation aid device 4 being, for example, adhered to the bearing, and/or including an attachment device, for example, a clamp or a pin, using which the installation aid device is fixedly clamped in a specifically configured opening on the bearing ring. Instead of an opening provided specifically for this purpose, an already existing opening, such as, for example, screw holes, or the radial space 16 between the inner and outer ring, can also be used for interacting with the attachment device for the releasable attaching of the installation aid device.

(24) If no radial leg 8 is present as, for example, in the hollow cylinders of FIGS. 4 and 5, it is useful in particular that the installation aid device 4 abuts against the radial surfaces with sufficient frictional connection so that a displacing, for example, during a transport, is reliably prevented, but a releasing from the bearing, by overcoming a static frictional force, is possible. An adhesive can of course also be used here in which case sufficient force must be applied against the axial leg 6 to break the adhesive connection.

(25) Instead of attaching an extra attachment opening around the radial leg 6 of the installation aid device 4, or in the case of a bearing in which the shaft 2 or the housing is only partially attached onto the installation surface 32, 36, it can furthermore be advantageous that the installation aid device 4 includes both a radial leg 6 and an axial leg 8 that abuts against one or both radial surfaces 32, 36. Such exemplary embodiments are depicted in FIGS. 6 to 8.

(26) As used herein, the word “leg” refers to structures like the radial leg 6 and the axial leg 8 depicted in FIGS. 6-8 even when only one of the “legs” is present. Thus, for example, leg 6 in FIG. 1 comprises an annular disk (annulus) and leg 8 in FIG. 4 comprises a cylinder. Furthermore, the word “leg” refers both to discrete legs as illustrated for example, in FIGS. 9d, 9e, and 9f and to legs that take the form of cylinders as shown in FIGS. 9a and 9b. That is, the word “leg” is used as a convenient term that describes a structure with an axial extent overlying a radially facing surface and a structure with a radial extent overlying an axially facing surface.

(27) In such embodiments the shaft 2 can already come into abutment against the axial leg 8 significantly earlier during the installation and release the installation aid device 4 by pressing against the axial leg 8. At the same time the axial leg 8 allows for an easy attachment of the installation aid.

(28) Here the axial leg 8 can extend in the bore 34 along the radial inner surfaces 32 or along the radial outer surfaces 36 (see FIGS. 6 and 7), but it is also possible that both the radial inner surface and radial outer surface are enveloped by the axial legs 8 of the installation aid device 4 (see FIG. 8), so that the bearing is enveloped over its radial thickness. It is also possible that only one of the bearing rings is enveloped by the axial leg 8, i.e., for example, only the inner ring 12-2, so that the installation aid device is attached to the bearing inner ring 12-2 like a clip.

(29) Further exemplary embodiments for various designs of the installation aid device 4 are depicted in FIGS. 9a to 9g.

(30) Here it is shown that both the radial leg 6 and the axial leg 8 of the installation aid device can be configured as a one-piece element. This is preferred in particular when the radial leg 6 is configured as a disc that extends at least partially onto the axial end surfaces 26 and/or 28 (see FIGS. 9a-9f). Here the disc can be configured as a one-piece disc that covers the entire bore 24, (see FIGS. 9b, 9d, 9f) or as an annular disc (9a, 9c, 9e).

(31) Furthermore, the axial leg 8 can also be configured as a one-piece element, for example, in the shape of a tube (see FIGS. 9a, 9c, 9g) or in the shape of a disc, i.e., a solid-cylindrical element (see FIG. 9b), which is received in the bore 34 and completely closes it.

(32) Alternatively it is also possible that one or both legs 6, 8 represent discrete elements (see FIGS. 9d, 9e, 9f, 9g).

(33) The axial element can also be an elastic, axially projecting annular bead, such as bead 38 illustrated in FIG. 9h, that is configured to be inserted in an elastically deformed manner in an intermediate space between an inner ring and an outer ring of the bearing.

(34) The features shown can of course also be present combined in other ways, or further not-shown designs can be provided.

(35) Due to the radial leg 6 extending radially beyond the radial installation surface, or the axial leg 8 of the installation aid device 4 extending along the radial installation surface, installation of the bearing 1 in the direction opposite the installation direction M is prevented, since the installation opening or the installation surface is blocked.

(36) A second advantage of the present disclosure is that the installation aid device 4 is configured such that during a correct installation the installation aid device 4 is released directly from the bearing without an installer needing to intervene manually. This is achieved by the shaft 2 or the housing finally coming into abutment against the radial leg 6 or against the axial leg 8 during progressive installation, and with further movement in the installation direction the installation aid device 4 is released from the bearing 1 by the shaft 2 or the housing by overcoming friction, breaking an adhesive bond, etc.

(37) Due to this automatic releasing it is not necessary for the installation aid device to be removed prior to the installation, which reliably prevents an incorrect installation. A time- and cost-intensive marking of the bearing itself can also be omitted with the use of such an installation aid device 4.

(38) It is therefore preferred that installation aid device 4 is easily releasable. This can be achieved, for example, via the above-mentioned plug connections or via a jamming of the installation aid device 4 by the axially extending legs 8. However, it is also possible that the installation aid device 4 is attached to the bearing using an easily releasable adhesive.

(39) Furthermore, it is advantageous that the installation aid device 4 be comprised of a material that is easily recyclable and/or is comprised of a recycled material, since such installation aid devices 4 are usually configured as a disposable item and are discarded after installation of the bearing. Here it is advantageous in in particular when the installation aid device is formed from a recycled or a recyclable plastic material, and/or even made from a biodegradable plastic material so that the environment is not further burdened. Here plastic is also simple to bring into any desired shapes so that the manufacturing of the widest variety of installation aid devices is possible. Alternatively the installation aid device can also be produced from a paper-based material, such as, for example, cardboard. A recyclable device can also thereby also be provided.

(40) Representative, non-limiting examples of the present invention were described above in detail with reference to the attached drawings. This detailed description is merely intended to teach a person of skill in the art further details for practicing preferred aspects of the present teachings and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, each of the additional features and teachings disclosed above may be utilized separately or in conjunction with other features and teachings to provide improved bearing installation aids.

(41) Moreover, combinations of features and steps disclosed in the above detailed description may not be necessary to practice the invention in the broadest sense, and are instead taught merely to particularly describe representative examples of the invention. Furthermore, various features of the above-described representative examples, as well as the various independent and dependent claims below, may be combined in ways that are not specifically and explicitly enumerated in order to provide additional useful embodiments of the present teachings.

(42) All features disclosed in the description and/or the claims are intended to be disclosed separately and independently from each other for the purpose of original written disclosure, as well as for the purpose of restricting the claimed subject matter, independent of the compositions of the features in the embodiments and/or the claims. In addition, all value ranges or indications of groups of entities are intended to disclose every possible intermediate value or intermediate entity for the purpose of original written disclosure, as well as for the purpose of restricting the claimed subject matter.