ROLLER BEARING

Abstract

A roller bearing (2) having a sleeve (5), by which a rolling element raceway is formed, and a lid (1) held to the sleeve by a snap-on connection, wherein the lid has securing projections (17), which are directed outward, which protrude beyond the sleeve (5) in the radial direction and are provided for axially fixing the lid in a housing (4) surrounding the sleeve.

Claims

1. A roller bearing comprising: a sleeve which forms a rolling element raceway; and a lid held to the sleeve by a snap-on connection, the lid including securing protrusions which are directed outward and protrude beyond the sleeve in a radial direction and are adapted to axially fix the lid in a housing surrounding the sleeve.

2. The roller bearing according to claim 1, wherein the securing protrusions are integrally formed at a transition between an annular disc-shaped section and a rim of the lid.

3. The roller bearing according to claim 2, wherein each of the securing protrusions is arranged within a closed wall of the lid.

4. The roller bearing according to claim 2, wherein each of the securing protrusions borders an opening in the lid.

5. The roller bearing according to claim 1, wherein the lid further comprises a plurality of snap-on locking elements held on the sleeve, and the securing protrusions and the snap-on locking elements are arranged alternately about a circumference of the lid.

6. A method for producing a lid of a roller bearing, comprising: providing an annular disc-shaped blank, forming a rim on an outer edge of the blank, forming radially inwardly directed snap-on locking elements on an edge of the rim that are adapted for a snap-on connection with a sleeve of the roller bearing, and forming radially outwardly directed securing protrusions that protrude from the rim and are adapted for fixing the lid in a housing bore.

7. The method for producing a lid according to claim 6, further comprising forming the securing protrusions without breaking through a surface of the blank at a transition between an annular disc-shaped section of the blank and the rim.

8. The method for producing a lid according to claim 6, further comprising creating the securing protrusions by creating an opening in a surface of the blank at a transition between an annular disc-shaped section of the blank and the rim.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising forming the openings by punching and embossing.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising forming of the openings by punching and cutting bending.

11. A roller bearing comprising: a sleeve that forms a rolling element raceway; rolling elements located in the raceway; and a lid held to the sleeve by a snap-on connection, the lid including radially outwardly directed securing protrusions that protrude beyond the sleeve, the securing protrusions being adapted to axially fix the lid in a housing surrounding the sleeve.

12. The roller bearing of claim 11, wherein the snap-on connection includes a plurality of radially inwardly extending projections on the lid that engage in a groove in an outer surface of the sleeve.

13. The roller bearing of claim 12, wherein the lid includes an annular disc-shaped section and an axially extending rim, the plurality of radially inwardly extending projections are located on the rim, and the radially outwardly directed securing projections are located at a transition between the disc-shaped section and the rim.

14. The roller bearing of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings in the lid in the disc-shaped section, and the radially outwardly directed securing projections are located adjacent to the openings.

15. The roller bearing of claim 13, wherein the radially outwardly directed securing projections are integrally formed of displaced material from the disc-shaped section.

16. The roller bearing of claim 13, wherein the plurality of radially inwardly extending projections and the radially outwardly directed securing projections are arranged alternately in a circumferential direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The roller bearing designed according to the invention is explained in more detail below in three preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the figures:

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a lid of a roller bearing in an end view,

[0027] FIG. 2 shows the lid according to FIG. 1 in a sectional view,

[0028] FIG. 3 shows a detail from FIG. 2,

[0029] FIG. 4 shows another end view of the lid according to FIG. 1,

[0030] FIG. 5 shows a further sectional view of the lid according to FIG. 1,

[0031] FIG. 6 shows a detail from FIG. 5,

[0032] FIG. 7 shows the lid according to FIG. 1 in a perspective view,

[0033] FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of a lid of a roller bearing in an end view,

[0034] FIG. 9 shows the lid according to FIG. 8 in a sectional view,

[0035] FIG. 10 shows a detail from FIG. 9,

[0036] FIG. 11 shows the lid according to FIG. 8 in a view analogous to FIG. 4,

[0037] FIG. 12 shows a detail from FIG. 11,

[0038] FIG. 13 shows a detail view of the lid according to FIG. 8,

[0039] FIG. 14 shows a further detail view of the lid according to FIG. 8,

[0040] FIG. 15 shows the lid according to FIG. 8 in a perspective view,

[0041] FIG. 16 shows a third embodiment of a lid for a roller bearing in an end view,

[0042] FIG. 17 shows the lid according to FIG. 16 in a sectional view,

[0043] FIG. 18 shows a detail from FIG. 17,

[0044] FIG. 19 shows the lid according to FIG. 16 in a view analogous to FIG. 4,

[0045] FIG. 20 shows a detail view of the lid according to FIG. 16,

[0046] FIG. 21 shows a further detail view of the lid according to FIG. 16,

[0047] FIG. 22 shows the lid according to FIG. 16 in a perspective view,

[0048] FIG. 23 shows a sectional view of a bearing arrangement section, which comprises a roller bearing having a sleeve and a lid according to FIG. 1 held there by means of a snap-on connection.

[0049] FIG. 24 shows a sectional view of a further bearing arrangement section, which comprises a roller bearing having a sleeve and a lid according to FIG. 1 held there by means of a snap-on connection.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] Unless otherwise stated, the following explanations relate to all exemplary embodiments. Parts or contours that correspond to each other or have basically the same effect are marked with the same reference symbols in all figures.

[0051] A lid 1 manufactured as a sheet metal part, which is shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, is used in a roller bearing 2 shown in FIGS. 23 and 24. Likewise, the lid 1 shown in FIGS. 8 to 15 and the lid 1 shown in FIGS. 16 to 22 is suitable for use in the roller bearing 2. The roller bearing 2 is part of a bearing arrangement that is identified overall by the reference numeral 3. In addition to the roller bearing 2, the bearing arrangement 3 comprises a housing 4 in which the roller bearing 2 is accommodated, wherein the roller bearing 2 is secured in relation to the housing 4 in the axial direction.

[0052] The roller bearing 2 is designed as a radial bearing and comprises a sleeve 5, in which rollers 6, namely cylindrical rollers, roll as rolling elements. The rolling elements 6 roll in a cylindrical section 7 of the sleeve 5. At exactly one end face of the sleeve 5, the cylindrical section 7 is followed by a radially inwardly directed rim 8, on which the rolling elements 6 can run with their end faces. The rolling elements 6 are guided in a cage 9 made of plastic and designed as a window cage. The cage 9 has two cage rings 10, 11, which are connected to one another by webs with the formation of pockets for receiving a respective rolling element 6. The cage ring 10, which is arranged radially directly inside the rim 8 and is referred to as a cage ring close to the rim, has a smaller diameter than the second cage ring 11 arranged on the opposite end face of the roller bearing 2. The disc 1 is located radially outside of said cage ring 11. This is connected to the cylindrical section 7 of the sleeve 5 by means of a snap-on connection 12. For this purpose, the cylindrical section 7 has a circumferential groove 13. Snap-on locking means 14, which are formed by the lid 1 and are located on a cylindrical section 15 of the lid 1, engage in the groove 13. The cylindrical section 15, which is also referred to as a rim, is adjoined by a radially inwardly directed annular disc-shaped disc section 16, i.e., disc section, of the lid 1. The lid 1 thus describes an overall flat, non-closed pot shape.

[0053] The disc section 16 lies in a plane oriented normal to the axis of rotation of the roller bearing 2, i.e., to the central axis of the bearing arrangement 3. In the transition area between the disc section 16 and the cylindrical section 15, distributed around the circumference of the lid 1, there are multiple securing means 17, which are also referred to as securing lugs. The securing means 17 engage in a groove 18 in the housing 4. Alternatively, the securing means could be clawed into the housing 4. In any case, the securing means 17 protrude beyond the sleeve 5 in the radial direction. The securing means 17 not only secure the lid 1, but the entire roller bearing 2 within the housing 4 in the axial direction. A shaft on which the rolling elements 6 roll is not shown in the figures. Instead of directly on a shaft, the rolling elements 6 could also roll on an inner bearing ring connected to a further rotating component. The assembly of the sleeve 5, the lid 1 fastened thereto by means of a snap-on connection 12, and the rollers 6 guided in the cage 9 is referred to as roller sleeve 19.

[0054] The lid 1 has a corresponding number of snap-on locking means 14 and securing elements 17, wherein the snap-on locking means 14 and the securing means 17 are arranged alternately on the circumference of the lid 1. In the exemplary embodiments, the lid has six snap-on locking means 14, which can be attributed to the snap-on connection 12, and securing means 17. The snap-on locking means 14, like the securing means 17, are non-cutting contours of the lid 1. The lid 1 is more thin-walled than the sleeve 5.

[0055] In the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 7, the securing means 17, i.e., the securing lugs, are produced as embossings on the base. During the embossing process, material of the disc section 16 is mainly displaced radially outward, so that the securing lugs 17 thus created, which are located in the transition region between the disc section 16 and the cylindrical section 15, project radially outward beyond the remaining cylindrical section 15. In the case illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 7, the securing means 17 are completely surrounded by the material of the lid 1. This means that no openings in the lid 1 border on a securing lug 15.

[0056] In contrast to this, in the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 8 to 15, as in the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 16 to 22, there is an opening 20 next to each securing means 17 in the disc section 16 of the lid 1. In the case of FIGS. 8 to 15, the disc section 16, i.e., the base, of the lid 1 is first perforated to produce the securing means 17. This is followed by an embossing process with a conical stamp in order to bend the securing means 17 outward. Also in the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 16 to 22, the disc section 16 is first perforated at locations at which the securing means 17 are to be formed. In this case, the final shaping of the securing means 17 takes place by cutting bending.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0057] 1 Lid [0058] 2 Roller bearing [0059] 3 Bearing arrangement [0060] 4 Housing [0061] 5 Sleeve [0062] 6 Rolling element [0063] 7 Cylindrical section of the sleeve [0064] 8 Rim [0065] 9 Cage [0066] 10 Cage ring [0067] 11 Cage ring [0068] 12 Snap-on connection [0069] 13 Groove in the sleeve [0070] 14 Snap-on locking means [0071] 15 Cylindrical section of the lid, rim [0072] 16 Disc section [0073] 17 Securing means [0074] 18 Groove in the housing [0075] 19 Roller sleeve [0076] 20 Opening