ROLLING-ELEMENT BEARING UNIT, CAGE, AND INSTALLATION METHOD

Abstract

A rolling-element bearing unit includes at least one outer ring, at least one inner ring, at least one cage, and a plurality of rolling elements between the outer ring and the inner ring and disposed in pockets of the cage. At least one auxiliary ring is disposed axially adjacent to the outer ring, and the cage includes connecting elements, such as radially outwardly extending lugs, for captively connecting the auxiliary ring to the cage.

Claims

1. A rolling-element bearing unit comprising: at least one outer ring, at least one inner ring, at least one cage, a plurality of rolling elements between the outer ring and the inner ring and disposed in pockets of the cage, and at least one auxiliary ring that is disposed axially adjacent to the outer ring, wherein the cage includes connecting means for captively connecting the auxiliary ring to the cage.

2. The rolling-element bearing unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one auxiliary ring and the connecting means are configured such that the cage is rotatable relative to the auxiliary ring.

3. The rolling-element bearing unit according to claim 1, wherein the connecting means connects the auxiliary ring to the cage in an interference-fit manner.

4. The rolling-element bearing unit according to claim 1, wherein the connecting means includes retaining elements that engage behind at least one projection of the auxiliary ring.

5. The rolling-element bearing according to claim 1, wherein the connecting means comprise a plurality of radially outwardly extending lugs at a first axial end of the cage.

6. The rolling-element bearing according to claim 5, wherein the auxiliary ring includes a radially inwardly projecting flange located axially between the plurality of lugs and the at least one outer ring.

7. The rolling-element bearing according to claim 6, wherein an axial space between the lugs and the at least one outer ring is greater that an axial thickness of the flange.

8. The rolling-element bearing according to claim 7, wherein the lugs are evenly circumferentially spaced.

9. The rolling-element bearing unit according to claim 1, including a seal pressed into the auxiliary ring.

10. The rolling-element bearing unit according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary ring comprises a fiberglass-reinforced plastic.

11. A truck including the rolling-element bearing unit according to claim 1.

12. The rolling-element bearing unit according to claim 1, wherein the cage comprises: a first side ring having a first diameter; a second side ring axially spaced from the first side ring and having a second diameter less than the first diameter; a plurality of bridges connecting the first side ring to the second side ring; and a plurality of radially outwardly extending lugs on the first side ring.

13. A rolling-element bearing cage comprising: a first side ring having a first diameter; a second side ring axially spaced from the first side ring and having a second diameter less than the first diameter; a plurality of bridges connecting the first side ring to the second side ring; and a plurality of radially outwardly extending lugs on the first side ring.

14. The rolling-element bearing according to claim 1, wherein the lugs are evenly circumferentially spaced.

15. A rolling-element bearing unit comprising: at least one outer ring, at least one inner ring, at least one cage, a plurality of rolling elements between the outer ring and the inner ring and disposed in pockets of the cage, at least one auxiliary ring that is disposed axially adjacent to the outer ring, and a seal element having a first end in contact with the auxiliary ring and a second end in contact with the inner ring, wherein the cage includes a plurality of radially outwardly extending lugs at a first axial end of the cage, wherein the auxiliary ring includes a radially inwardly projecting flange located axially between the plurality of lugs and the at least one outer ring, and wherein an axial space between the lugs and the at least one outer ring is greater that an axial thickness of the flange.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] FIG. 1 is an axial section through an rolling-element bearing unit according to the present disclosure.

[0009] FIG. 2 is an enlarged axial end region of FIG. 1.

[0010] FIG. 3 is a perspective view, partly in section, of the rolling-element bearing unit of FIG. 1.

[0011] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cage of the rolling-element bearing unit of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] FIG. 1 is an axial section through A rolling-element bearing unit according to the present disclosure that is configured as a wheel-bearing unit of a truck and that includes an outer ring 10, an inner ring 12, a cage 14, and a number of rolling elements 16 that form a first rolling-element bearing. In addition to the first rolling-element bearing, the rolling-element bearing unit also includes a second rolling-element bearing that, like the first rolling-element bearing, is configured as a tapered roller bearing. The rolling elements contact the outer ring and the inner ring and are disposed in intermediate spaces (pockets) 18 of the cage (FIGS. 3 and 4). The rolling-element bearing unit includes a component 20 (an auxiliary ring) that is disposed axially adjacent to the outer ring at an axial end region 22 of the rolling-element bearing unit (FIGS. 1 to 3). The cage comprises a connecting unit 24 that connects the component to the cage in an interference-fit and captive manner. The component 20 is configured rotationally symmetrical with respect to an axis of rotation of the rolling-element bearing unit. It includes a region 34 that is configured essentially hollow-cylindrical. The region 34 includes a radially inwardly directed projection (flange) 28 at an axial end that faces the outer ring. Retaining elements 26 of the connecting unit engage behind the projection 28 and thus connect the component captively to the first rolling-element bearing. The projection 28 has clearance in an intermediate space between the retaining elements and the outer ring so that in an installed state, for example, in a truck, the rolling-element bearing unit allows a rotational movement of the cage 14 relative to the component and the outer ring.

[0013] The retaining elements 26 are formed as lugs 32 that extend radially outward from an essentially annular region 36 of the cage 14, which annular region 36 forms an axial boundary of the intermediate spaces 18. The lugs 32 are disposed uniformly spaced in the circumferential direction of the region 36. The cage has its largest diameter at the annular region 36.

[0014] A seal 30 is pressed-in into the component. The component is made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic. The connecting unit, the projection 28, and the property of the seal 30 of being pressed-in into the component effect a certain centering of the component relative to the outer ring 10.

[0015] At a further axial end region that opposes the axial end region 22, the rolling-element bearing unit includes a further component (auxiliary ring) that is identical to the component 20 and is attached in the same manner to the second rolling-element bearing.

[0016] In the state described, the rolling-element bearing unit is transportable and is directly installed into a hub, without the need of further tools, by a pressing that is effected by exerting a pressure on the component 20. The component 20 is then attached in the hub by a press-fit, and specifically such that, as described above, the cage can rotate relative to the outer ring 10.

[0017] Due to a certain selection of an axial length of the component 20, the same type of outer ring can respectively be used for different required axial extension lengths of the rolling-element bearing unit, which saves costs. In particular, a standard outer ring can be used here.

[0018] 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 rolling-element bearing units.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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.

REFERENCE NUMBER LIST

[0021] 10 Outer ring

[0022] 12 Inner ring

[0023] 14 Cage

[0024] 16 Rolling element

[0025] 18 Intermediate space

[0026] 20 Component

[0027] 22 End region

[0028] 24 Connecting unit

[0029] 26 Retaining element

[0030] 28 Projection

[0031] 30 Seal

[0032] 32 Lug

[0033] 34 Region

[0034] 36 Region