Method for non-cutting manufacturing of a bearing ring for a rolling bearing and rolling bearing comprising the bearing ring

Abstract

A method of creating a roller bearing, comprising re-shaping a bearing ring blank utilizing cold impact intrusion, wherein the bearing ring blank includes a surface profile that forms at least one contour section within a contact side of the bearing ring upon the re-shaping, and wherein the contact side is configured to contact a support structure.

Claims

1. A bearing ring for a roller bearing comprising: an inner ring; a track side of the inner ring, wherein the track side includes at least one track; a contact side of the inner ring contacting a support structure; and a main axis of the bearing ring that defines the roller bearing, wherein the main axis is defined by a rotational axis of the inner ring, wherein the bearing ring is formed from a bearing ring blank, wherein the bearing ring includes a surface profile, wherein the surface profile forms an inner ring contour section within the contact side of the bearing ring, wherein the inner ring contour section includes a groove that circulates the main axis defined by the bearing ring, wherein the groove circulates around the main axis and encloses the main axis in a circumferential direction, wherein one or more surfaces of the bearing ring are not made in a metal-cutting manner, and wherein the inner ring contour section forms a profile that circulates around the main axis, wherein the profile is formed from a bearing ring blank, wherein the roller includes an outer ring that includes an outer ring contour section on an outer ring contact side, wherein the outer ring further includes an outer ring track side, wherein the outer ring is arranged coaxially and concentrically towards the inner ring, wherein the outer ring contour section is offset from the inner ring contour section with respect to the main axis, wherein the outer ring contour section is an elevation contour with reference to an axial direction of the main axis.

2. The bearing ring of claim 1, wherein the inner ring contour section forms a profile that circulates around the main axis partially, sectionally, or completely.

3. The bearing ring of claim 1, wherein the elevation contour includes at least one circulating bulge, one elevation, or one array of elevations.

4. The bearing ring of claim 1, wherein the elevation contour of the contour section includes a contour height of at least 0.5 mm.

5. The bearing ring of claim 4, wherein an additional surface profile is formed onto a second end face of the ring disc, wherein the additional surface profile forms the track.

6. The bearing ring of claim 5, wherein the additional surface profile is formed as at least one additional undercut contour and that the at least one track is formed by the at least one additional undercut contour.

7. The bearing ring of claim 1, wherein a final shape of the inner ring contour section is configured to be formed onto by the surface profile by re-shaping.

8. A roller bearing comprising: a bearing ring, wherein the bearing ring includes an inner ring with a track side with at least one rolling body track; and a contact side of the inner ring, wherein the contact side is configured to contact the bearing ring to a support structure and comprises at a first contour section on the contact side, wherein the contour section is made by using a surface profile formed within a bearing ring blank, wherein the contour section includes a groove that circulates the main axis defined by the bearing ring, wherein the groove circulates around the main axis and encloses the main axis in a circumferential direction, wherein the roller bearing includes an outer ring that includes an outer ring contour section on an outer ring contact side, wherein the outer ring further includes an outer ring track side, wherein the outer ring is arranged coaxially and concentrically towards the inner ring, wherein the outer ring contour section is always radially and axially offset from the inner ring contour section with respect to the main axis, wherein the outer ring contour section is an elevation contour with reference to an axial direction of the main axis.

9. The roller of claim 1, wherein the contour section is formed as an elevation contour that protrudes beyond the contact side.

10. The roller of claim 1, wherein the inner ring contour section and the outer ring contour section are not axially and radially aligned.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 a schematic longitudinal sectional depiction of the roller bearing as an embodiment of the disclosure;

(2) FIG. 2 a schematic longitudinal sectional depiction of a method for the manufacturing of a bearing ring, wherein the bearing ring is designed as an outer ring;

(3) FIG. 3 a schematic longitudinal sectional depiction of a method for the manufacturing of a bearing ring, wherein the bearing ring is designed as an inner ring;

(4) FIGS. 4a, b, c, d include four different embodiments of the disclosure for a bearing ring as well as the underlying bearing ring blank, wherein a top view on a bearing ring blank is depicted on each respective left side, and a cross-sectional cut through the bearing ring, that is formed thereof, is shown on the right side of each depiction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) FIG. 1 shows a roller bearing 1 as an embodiment of the disclosure in a schematic longitudinal sectional depiction. The roller bearing 1 features an inner ring 2 and an outer ring 3, wherein the outer ring 3 is arranged coaxially and concentrically towards the inner ring 2. The inner ring 2 and the outer ring 3 form a respective bearing ring of the roller bearing 1. The roller bearing 1 features a main axis H, which is defined by means of the rotational axis of the inner ring 2 and/or of the outer ring 3.

(6) The roller bearing 1 may be designed as a deep groove ball bearing with a groove 4 for balls as rolling bodies. However, the depiction of the rolling bodies has been omitted in this case. The roller bearing 1 is implemented as a radial roller bearing. In principle, it is possible that—as shown—the roller bearing 1 is designed in a single row, but the roller bearing 1 can alternatively also be designed to have several rows.

(7) The inner ring 2 features a contact side 21 as well as a track side 22. The contact side 21 is facing radially towards the inner side and is designed in its basic shape as an even cylinder barrel surface, which is aligned coaxially and concentrically to the main axis H. The track side 22 is aligned coaxially and concentrically towards the contact side 21 and is designed in its basic shape as an even cylinder barrel surface. The contact side 21 serves for contacting a support structure, as e.g. to an axis or to a shaft.

(8) The outer ring 3 features a contact side 31 as well as a track side 32. In their basic shape, the contact side 31 and the track side 32 are arranged as cylinder barrel surfaces, respectively, which are aligned coaxially and/or concentrically towards each other and/or towards the main axis H. The contact side 31 serves for contacting a support structure, as e.g. a recess or bore hole within a housing.

(9) On the track side 22 of the inner ring 2 and on the track side 32 of the outer ring 3, a respective track 23 and 33 is formed, which both form the groove 4 together. The tracks 23 and 33 form depressions in the cylinder barrel surface of the track side 22 of the inner ring 2 or in the track side 32 of the outer ring 3.

(10) A contour section 24 is formed as a circumferential groove on the contact side 21 of the inner ring 2. The circumferential groove is formed in relation to one or both axial directions towards the main axis H as an undercut contour. The circumferential groove is particularly located in an inner section of the contact side 21 of the inner ring 2.

(11) Alternatively or additionally, a further groove is introduced as a contour section 34 into the contact side 31 of the outer ring 3. The additional groove is also arranged within an inner area of the contact side 31 of the outer ring 3. The additional groove also forms the undercut contour in relation to the main axis in the axial directions. The contour section 24 and/or 34 can be designed as a groove for mounting or as an oil circulating groove.

(12) The manufacturing of the outer ring 3 as one of the bearing rings of the roller bearing 1 is depicted in FIG. 2 in various steps in longitudinal section.

(13) In a Step I, a circular blank 5 is separated from a metal sheet, it is particularly punched out of it. In a Step II, a center piece 6 is cut out, particularly punched out, from the circular blank 5, so that a ring disc 35 is formed out of the bearing ring blank 36.

(14) In a Step III, a surface profile 38 in form of a circumferential groove that is running all around the main axis H as a formed-on structure is introduced, in particular formed into, especially embossed onto a first end face 37, which is facing downwards in FIG. 2. For example at the same time or shortly afterwards, another surface profile 310 is introduced, in particular formed into, especially embossed onto a second end face 39, which is also designed as a circumferential groove. It can be intended that Step II and Step III are exchanged, so that the formation is already embossed into the circular blank 5 or even into the metal sheet as semi-finished product, before the circular blank 5 is cut out.

(15) In a Step IV, the bearing ring blank 36 is re-shaped, wherein the re-shaping is carried out as a cold forming, in particular a cold impact extrusion. The bearing ring blank 36 is particularly not heated and/or re-shaped at ambient or room temperature. It is particularly intended that the re-shaping is carried out at a temperature that is below the recrystallization temperature of the metal sheet.

(16) By utilizing the re-shaping process, the bearing ring blank 36, which is made in form of a ring disc 35, is re-shaped into a sleeve, into which the track 33 has been introduced on basis of the additional surface profile 310 and a contour section 34 in form of a groove has been introduced on basis of the surface profile 38, see also FIG. 1.

(17) It should be noted that the shape of track 33 and of the further groove is accomplished by utilizing the re-shaping that was performed in the previous step, in particular in Step III, and by utilizing the re-shaping that was done in Step IV and in particular without any further re-shaping measures. The surface of track 33 especially corresponds to the surface of the further surface profile 310, which was particularly not finished with any metal-cutting techniques and/or the surface of the additional groove corresponds to the surface of the surface profile 38.

(18) In a similar way, FIG. 3 depicts the method for the manufacturing of the inner ring 2 as bearing ring of the roller bearing 1 in longitudinal section.

(19) In a Step I, a circular blank 8 is cut out of a metal sheet 7. As an alternative to this, the center piece 6 from the previously described method is used as circular blank 8 in order to form the outer ring 3 according to FIG. 2. In this case it is possible that the inner ring 2 and the outer ring 3 are manufactured from the same area of a metal sheet 7 in a mother-child-production.

(20) In a Step II, a further ring disc 25 is produced out of the circular blank 8 and/or out of the center piece 6 by separating or punching out of a center piece 9. The ring disc 25 forms the base body for a bearing ring blank 26 for the inner ring 2.

(21) In a Step III, a surface profile 28 is formed, or particularly embossed, on a first end face 27 in the same way as it was done for the outer ring 3. Furthermore, another surface profile 210 is formed, or particularly embossed, on the second end face 29. The surface profile 28 will later form the contour section 24 in form of a groove, the further surface profile 210 will later form the track 23 of the inner ring 2. The surface profiles 28 and 210 are designed as circumferential grooves, respectively.

(22) In a Step IVa and IVb, a re-shaping procedure is carried out, which is performed as a cold forming procedure, in particular a cold impact extrusion, and wherein the ring disc 25 is formed or bent as the bearing ring blank 26 into the inner ring 2. Hereby, track 23 is formed on the track side 22 of the inner ring 2 and the contour section 24 on the contact side 21 of the inner ring 2. FIGS. 4a-d depict one respective bearing ring blank 26 or 36 with one surface profile 28 or 38 as well as bearing ring 2 or 3 with the contour section 24 or 34, that is resulting thereof. A top view on a bearing ring blank 26 or 36 is depicted on each respective left side, and a cross-sectional cut through the bearing ring 2 or 3, that is formed thereof, is shown on the right side of each depiction.

(23) Thus, FIG. 4a depicts on the right side an inner ring 2 with a contour section 24 on the contact side 21, wherein the contour section 24 is formed as a plurality of depressions 211 that are distributed in circumferential direction around the main rotational axis H, and is thus formed as an undercut contour. Herein, only the depressions 210 on the contact side 21 are shown within the depicted cross-sectional plane. A depiction of the further existing depressions 212 on the contact side 21 was omitted for reasons of clarity. A bearing ring blank 26 is depicted on the left side, wherein it features a surface profile 28 on the first end face 27, which is designed as a plurality of depressions 212 that are arranged within a concentric circle. The depressions 212 feature a contour depth h1 of more than 0.5 mm. The inner ring 2 is manufactured from the bearing ring blank 26 by using a cold forming, in particular by means of cold impact extrusion.

(24) FIG. 4b depicts—in the same manner as in FIG. 4a—on the right side an outer ring 3 with a contour section 34 on the contact side 31 wherein the contour section 34 is formed as a plurality of depressions 311 that are distributed in circumferential direction around the main rotational axis H, and is thus formed as an undercut contour. A bearing ring blank 36 is depicted on the left side, wherein it features a surface profile 38 on the first end face 37, which is designed as a plurality of depressions 312 that are arranged within a concentric circle. The depressions 312 feature a contour depth h1 of more than 0.5 mm. The outer ring 3 is manufactured from the bearing ring blank 36 by using cold forming, in particular by using cold impact extrusion.

(25) FIG. 4c depicts—in the same depiction as in the FIGS. 4a, 4b—an outer ring 3, which carries elevations 313 as contour section 34, in contrast to the embodiments in FIG. 4b and which thus realizes an elevation contour with a contour height h2 of at least 0.5 mm. In order to produce the elevations 313, bearing ring blank 36 features elevations 314 as surface profile 38, which are distributed concentrically with regards to the center of the bearing ring blank 36. The elevations 314 are particularly formed injection molding of plastic material onto the bearing ring blank 36. The outer ring 3 is manufactured from the bearing ring blank 36 by a cold forming, in particular by cold impact extrusion.

(26) In contrast to FIG. 4c, outer ring 3 in FIG. 4d carries a continuous bulge 315 as contour section 34 in form of an elevation contour with the contour height h2, which is formed by a bulge 316 as surface profile 38 on the bearing ring blank 36. The bulge 315 is particularly formed by injection molding of plastic material onto the bearing ring blank 36. The outer ring 3 is manufactured from the bearing ring blank 36 by cold forming, in particular by cold impact extrusion.

(27) In the FIGS. 4a-d, a separate depiction of the tracks of the bearing rings was omitted. But it is generally possible that tracks 23, 33 are formed on the track side 22, 32 (see FIG. 1) in order to house rolling bodies in form of balls, cylindrical rollers, tapered rollers, needles, ton-shaped rollers, wherein it is also possible to design multiple rows of roller bearings, in which rolling bodies are used in two or more rows of the same or of different kinds and/or of different sizes.

(28) In the four embodiments in the FIGS. 4a-d, the surface profile 28 or 38 is applied or introduced onto the bearing ring blank 26 or 36 and transferred into the contour section 24 or 34 by using the re-shaping of the bearing ring blank 26 or 36 into the inner ring 2 or outer ring 3.

REFERENCE SIGN LIST

(29) 1 Roller bearing 2 Inner ring 21 Contact side 22 Track side 23 Track 24 Contour section 25 Ring disc 26 Bearing ring blank 27 first end face 28 Surface profile 29 Second end face 210 Additional surface profile 211 Depressions 212 Depressions 3 Outer ring 31 Contact side 32 Track side 33 Track 34 Contour section 35 Ring disc 36 Bearing ring blank 37 First end face 38 Surface profile 39 Second end face 310 Additional surface profile 311 Depressions 312 Depressions 313 Elevations 314 Elevations 315 Bulge 316 Bulge 4 Deep groove 5 Circular blank 6 Center piece 7 Metal sheet 8 Circular blank 9 Center piece H Main axis H1 Contour depth H2 Contour height