METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING A TAPERED ROLLER BEARING, AND ASSEMBLY UNIT FOR THIS PURPOSE

Abstract

A method for assembling a tapered roller bearing includes providing a first rolled-on surface element having a raceway and an axial end surface and mounting a plurality of tapered rollers separated by a plurality of bearing cage segments or by a plurality of roller spacers on the raceway, where each of the plurality of tapered rollers has a frustoconical rolling surface and a circular end surface meeting at a junction. Also placing at least one assembly ring around the plurality of tapered rollers to hold the plurality of tapered rollers against the first rolled-on surface element, and moving a second rolled-on surface element coaxially toward the first rolled-on surface element such that a portion of the second rolled-on surface element contacts the at least one assembly ring and pushes the at least one assembly ring axially off the plurality of tapered rollers.

Claims

1. A method for assembling a tapered roller bearing, comprising: providing a first rolled-on surface element having a raceway and an axial end surface, mounting a plurality of tapered rollers separated by a plurality of bearing cage segments or by a plurality of roller spacers on the raceway, each of the plurality of tapered rollers having a frustoconical rolling surface and a circular end surface meeting the frustoconical rolling surface at a junction, placing at least one assembly ring around the plurality of tapered rollers to hold the plurality of tapered rollers against the first rolled-on surface element, and moving a second rolled-on surface element coaxially toward the first rolled-on surface element such that a portion of the second rolled-on surface element contacts the at least one assembly ring and pushes the at least one assembly ring axially off the plurality of tapered rollers.

2. The method according to claim 1, including continuing to move the second rolled-on surface element axially toward the first rolled-on surface element until a raceway of the second rolled-on surface element contacts the plurality of tapered rollers.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the at least one assembly ring overlies the junction and includes a first portion in contact with the frustoconical rolling surface and a second portion in contact with the circular end surface.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first-rolled on surface element includes a flange at an end of the raceway, and wherein mounting the plurality of tapered rollers on the raceway comprises mounting the circular end surfaces of the rollers against the flange.

5. The method according to claim 2, including placing the axial end surface on a support surface before mounting the plurality of tapered rollers on the raceway of the first rolled-on surface element.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the at least one ring comprises a split inner ring and an outer ring separate from the inner ring, the outer ring being configured to secure the split inner ring to the plurality of tapered rollers.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the split inner ring is formed from an elastomer or a plastic.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the outer ring comprises a tape.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of bearing cage segments or the plurality of roller spacers are formed from PEEK reinforced with glass or carbon fibers, and wherein the plurality of bearing cage segments are not in mutual contact or the plurality of roller spacers are not in mutual contact.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first rolled-on surface element is mounted on a shaft before the plurality of tapered rollers are placed on the raceway of the first rolled-on surface element, and including cutting the at least one ring after it has been pushed off the plurality of tapered rollers to remove it from around the shaft.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first rolled-on surface element is mounted on a shaft before the plurality of tapered rollers are placed on the raceway of the first rolled-on surface element, and including cutting the outer ring after the at least one ring has been pushed off the plurality of tapered rollers and spreading the split inner ring to remove it from around the shaft.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the shaft is configured as a main shaft bearing of a wind turbine.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein an inner diameter of the first rolled-on surface element is greater than or equal to one meter.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first rolled-on surface element is a bearing inner ring and the second rolled-on surface element is a bearing outer ring.

15. An assembly unit comprising: a first rolled-on surface element having a raceway and an axial end surface, a plurality of tapered rollers separated by a plurality of bearing cage segments or by a plurality of roller spacers mounted on the raceway, each of the plurality of tapered rollers having a frustoconical rolling surface and a circular end surface meeting the frustoconical rolling surface at an annular junction, and at least one assembly ring around the plurality of tapered rollers and holding the plurality of tapered rollers against the first rolled-on surface element, the at least one assembly ring comprising a split inner ring and an outer ring separate from the split inner ring, the outer ring securing the split inner ring to the plurality of tapered rollers, wherein the at least one assembly ring is configured such that the at least one assembly ring will be pushed axially off the plurality of tapered rollers when a raceway of a second rolled-on surface element is moved coaxially into contact with the plurality of rollers.

16. The assembly unit according to claim 15, including the second rolled-on surface element.

17. The assembly unit according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of tapered rollers are separated by a plurality of bearing cage segments or by a plurality of roller spacers.

18. The assembly unit according to claim 15, wherein the first rolled-on surface element includes a flange, and where the circular end surfaces of the plurality of tapered rollers contact the flange.

19. The assembly unit according to claim 15, wherein the first rolled-on surface element is a bearing inner ring and the second rolled-on surface element is a bearing outer ring.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] FIG. 1 is a perspective sectional view of an assembly unit including a rolled-on surface element for tapered rollers of a tapered roller bearing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first rolled-on surface element of a tapered roller bearing including tapered rollers.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a perspective sectional view of a tapered roller bearing in a first assembly step.

[0031] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the tapered roller bearing in a second assembly step.

[0032] FIG. 5 is a perspective sectional view of the tapered roller bearing in a third assembly step.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In the following, identical or functionally equivalent elements are designated by the same reference numbers.

[0034] FIG. 1 shows an assembly unit 1 including a first rolled-on surface element 2. The rolled-on surface element 2 can be, for example, an inner ring of a tapered roller bearing. The first rolled-on surface element 2 includes a flange 4 on which tapered rollers 6 are supported. The jacket portion of the tapered rollers 6 abut against the first rolled-on surface element 2, and the end sides of the tapered rollers 6 abut against the flange 4.

[0035] The tapered rollers 6 can be provided with cage segments 8. As is shown here, every second tapered roller 6 is received in such a cage segment 8, and the remaining tapered rollers 6 is free of such a cage segment 8.

[0036] In order to simplify the assembling of the tapered roller bearing and in order to ensure that the tapered rollers 6 do not tip out of the assembly unit 1 during assembly, an assembly aid 10 is provided. This assembly aid 10 includes an inner ring 12 and an outer ring 14. The inner ring 12 includes a contact surface 16 that contacts the tapered rollers 6 at a transition region between the jacket and the end surface. The inner ring 12 is preferably not closed, that is, it includes a break, so that it can easily be deformed and disposed around the tapered rollers 6.

[0037] In order to close the inner ring 12 and fix it against the tapered rollers 6, the outer ring 14 is placed around the inner ring 12. The outer ring 14 can be, for example, a PET tape that is stable and can be easily placed around the inner ring 12. As soon as the assembly aid 10 is attached, a counter-force is exerted by it against the rollers so that they do not fall out during assembly.

[0038] As is shown in FIG. 2, after applying the assembly aid 10, the assembly unit 1 is comprised of the first rolled-on surface element 2, tapered rollers 6 disposed on the first rolled-on surface element 2, which tapered rollers 6 are received at least partially in cage segments 8, and the assembly aid 10 that is placed around the tapered rollers 6.

[0039] FIG. 3 shows a first assembly step of the tapered roller bearing. Here the first rolled-on surface element 2 is first placed onto a shaft 18. For this purpose the first rolled-on surface element 2 is heated and subsequently pushed onto the shaft. A second rolled-on surface element 20 is subsequently disposed around the tapered rollers 6. Here a contact surface 22 of the second rolled-on surface element 20 abuts against the assembly aid 10 or the contact surface 22 presses on the assembly aid 10. The second rolled-on surface element 20 can be, for example, an outer ring that is installed in a housing 24, or can be an element of the housing 24.

[0040] In a second assembly step of the tapered roller bearing, as is shown in FIG. 4, the second rolled-on surface element 20 is completely pushed onto the tapered rollers 6. Here the assembly aid 10 is pushed down from the tapered rollers by the second rolled-on surface element 20. In order to now remove the assembly aid 10, the outer ring 14 is first removed, for example, by cutting it.

[0041] As is shown in FIG. 5, in this assembly step the inner ring 12 opens after the removal or cutting of the outer ring 14, and the assembly aid can thus be removed in a simple manner from the tapered roller bearing.

[0042] Due to the assembly unit or the assembly method described here, it is possible to assemble a tapered roller bearing in a simple manner, without the tapered rollers running the risk of tipping out during the assembly. This is particularly advantageous in tapered roller bearings wherein the center of gravity of the tapered rollers lies radially outside the flange of the tapered roller bearing inner ring, since without the assembly aid used the tapered rollers would fall out of the tapered roller bearing assembly due to the force of gravity alone.

[0043] 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 assembly aids and associated methods.

[0044] 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.

[0045] 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.