Bearing assembly

Abstract

A bearing assembly includes first and second rolling-element bearings each having first and second bearing rings, a raceway and a flange element at both ends of the raceways. Two of the flange elements are formed on a common flange body, and the flange body is axially pressed onto cylindrical mounting surfaces of the first bearing rings of the first and second rolling-element bearings and held in place by a press fit.

Claims

1. A bearing assembly comprising: a first rolling-element bearing including a first bearing ring and a second bearing ring, the first bearing ring of the first rolling-element bearing including a raceway axially delimited by a first flange element and a second flange element, a second rolling-element bearing disposed axially adjacent to the first rolling-element bearing, the second rolling-element bearing including a first bearing ring and a second bearing ring, the first bearing ring of the second rolling-element bearing including a raceway axially delimited by a first flange element and a second flange element, wherein the first flange element of the first bearing ring of the first rolling-element bearing and the first flange element of the first bearing ring of the second rolling-element bearing are formed on a common flange body, the common flange body being mounted on the first bearing ring of the first rolling-element bearing and on the first bearing ring of the second rolling-element bearing, and wherein the first bearing ring directly contacts the second bearing ring at a joint.

2. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the common body is pressed onto a cylindrical mounting surface of the first bearing ring of the first rolling-element bearing and onto a cylindrical mounting surface of the first bearing ring of the second rolling-element bearing.

3. The bearing assembly according to claim 2, wherein the common body is thermally shrunk onto the cylindrical mounting surface of the first bearing ring of the first rolling-element bearing and onto the cylindrical mounting surface of the first bearing ring of the second rolling-element bearing.

4. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first bearing ring of the first rolling-element bearing and the first bearing ring of the second rolling-element bearing each includes a radially extending stop surface in axial contact with the common flange body.

5. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the common flange body is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of rolling-element bearing steel, quenched and tempered steel, spring steel, and unalloyed steel.

6. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the common flange body includes a plurality of securing elements configured to secure the common flange body to the first bearing ring of the first rolling-element bearing and to the first bearing ring of the second rolling-element bearing.

7. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first bearing rings of the first and second rolling-element bearings each comprise an inner bearing ring.

8. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 wherein the common flange body is pressed or thermally shrunk onto a cylindrical mounting surface the first bearing ring of the first rolling-element bearing and onto a cylindrical mounting surface of the first bearing ring of the second rolling-element bearing, wherein the common flange body is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of rolling-element bearing steel, quenched and tempered steel, spring steel, and unalloyed steel, wherein the common flange body includes a plurality of securing elements configured to secure the common flange body to the first bearing ring of the first rolling-element bearing and the first bearing ring of the second rolling-element bearing, and wherein the first bearing rings of the first and second rolling-element bearings each comprise an inner bearing ring.

9. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the common flange body includes a radially outer surface having a first radially outward projection at a first axial end and a second radially outward projection at a second axial end spaced from the first radially outward projection, and wherein the first flange element is formed on an axially outer side of the first radially outward projection and the second flange element is formed on an axially outer side of the second radially outward projection.

10. The bearing assembly according to claim 9, wherein the radially outer surface is substantially cylindrical.

11. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the common flange body is pressed onto the cylindrical mounting surface of the first bearing ring of the first rolling-element bearing and wherein the common flange body has a clearance with respect to the cylindrical mounting surface of the first bearing ring of the second rolling-element bearing.

12. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first bearing ring of the first rolling-element bearing and the first bearing ring of the second rolling-element bearing each includes a conical seat for receiving the common flange body.

13. A bearing assembly comprising: a first rolling-element bearing including a first bearing ring and a second bearing ring, the first bearing ring of the first rolling-element bearing including a raceway axially delimited by a first flange element and a second flange element, a second rolling-element bearing disposed axially adjacent to the first rolling-element bearing, the second rolling-element bearing including a first bearing ring and a second bearing ring, the first bearing ring of the second rolling-element bearing including a raceway axially delimited by a first flange element and a second flange element, wherein the first flange element of the first bearing ring of the first rolling-element bearing and the first flange element of the first bearing ring of the second rolling-element bearing are formed on a common flange body, the common flange body being mounted on the first bearing ring of the first rolling-element bearing and on the first bearing ring of the second rolling-element bearing, and wherein the common flange body is pressed onto the cylindrical mounting surface of the first bearing ring of the first rolling-element bearing and wherein the common flange body has a clearance with respect to the cylindrical mounting surface of the first bearing ring of the second rolling-element bearing.

14. A bearing assembly comprising: a first rolling-element bearing including a first bearing ring and a second bearing ring, the first bearing ring of the first rolling-element bearing including a raceway axially delimited by a first flange element and a second flange element, a second rolling-element bearing disposed axially adjacent to the first rolling-element bearing, the second rolling-element bearing including a first bearing ring and a second bearing ring, the first bearing ring of the second rolling-element bearing including a raceway axially delimited by a first flange element and a second flange element, wherein the first flange element of the first bearing ring of the first rolling-element bearing and the first flange element of the first bearing ring of the second rolling-element bearing are formed on a common flange body, the common flange body being mounted on the first bearing ring of the first rolling-element bearing and on the first bearing ring of the second rolling-element bearing, and wherein the first bearing ring of the first rolling-element bearing and the first bearing ring of the second rolling-element bearing each includes a conical seat for receiving the common flange body.

15. A method for manufacturing a bearing assembly comprising: providing a first bearing ring having a raceway, a first flange element at a first end of the raceway and a cylindrical mounting surface at a second end of the raceway, providing a second bearing ring having a raceway, a first flange element at a first end of the raceway of the second bearing ring and a cylindrical mounting surface at a second end of the raceway of the second bearing ring, pressing an annular common flange body axially onto the cylindrical mounting surface of the first bearing ring to form a press fit; pressing the cylindrical mounting surface of the second bearing ring axially into the annular common flange body until the second bearing ring abuts the first bearing ring, forming a second flange element of the first bearing ring at a first axial side of the common flange body and forming a second flange element of the second bearing ring at a second axial side of the common flange body, and post-processing the common flange body and the first bearing ring and the second bearing ring.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first bearing ring has a radially extending stop wall and the second bearing ring has a radially extending stop wall and wherein pressing the common flange body axially onto the cylindrical mounting surface of the first bearing ring includes pressing the common flange body into abutment with the radially extending stop wall of the first bearing ring and wherein pressing the cylindrical mounting surface of the second bearing ring axially into the common flange body comprises pressing the common flange body into abutment with the radially extending stop wall of the second bearing ring.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the press fit is formed by thermally shrinking the common flange body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a bearing assembly including two rolling-element bearings and a common flange member in a first configuration.

(2) FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the bearing assembly of FIG. 1 with the common flange member processed to include a first flange and a second flange

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

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

(4) FIG. 1 shows a bearing assembly 1 in a first processing step. Here the bearing assembly is comprised of a first and a second rolling-element bearing 2, 4. The rolling-element bearings 2, 4 are configured as a double row bearing assembly and disposed axially adjacent to each other. In FIG. 1 a back-to-back arrangement is shown with the bearing rings that are rotatable about a bearing axis A. However, the rolling-element bearings 2, 4 can also be disposed analogously in a face-to-face arrangement.

(5) The bearing rings each include a rolling-element raceway 14, 16 that is axially delimited in one direction by a guide flange 6, 8. In operation, rolling elements, in particular tapered rollers, can roll on the rolling-element raceways 14, 16. In order to not only guide the rolling elements by the guide flanges 6, 8, but also to support them on the other side, a retaining flange is attached.

(6) For this purpose a common flange element 18 is first pushed onto the bearing rings of the first and second rolling-element bearing 2, 4. For this purpose the bearing rings each include a bearing surface 24, 26 onto which the common flange element 18 is pushed on. Here the common flange element 18 is first pushed onto the bearing surface 24 of the bearing ring of the first rolling-element bearing 2. The bearing ring of the second rolling-element bearing 4 is then pushed-in with its bearing surface 26 into the common flange element.

(7) The common flange element 18 can be secured by interference fit on the bearing rings by a stop 20, 22 on each of the rolling-element bearings 2, 4, which stop extends radially and is offset axially inward toward the raceways 14, 16. The common flange element 18 is thus disposed on a cylindrical shoulder that is formed by the bearing surfaces 24, 26 and the stops 20, 22. Here the common flange element 18 is clamped firmly between the stops 20, 22.

(8) Alternatively to the cylindrical shoulder, the bearing rings can also include a conical seat (not shown) onto which the common flange element 18 is pushed on. In this case the two bearing rings have no step as a continuation of the raceways 14, 16, but rather a conical section.

(9) After the common flange element 18 has been pushed on, it can be pressed on or thermally shrunk on. The bearing rings as well as the common flange element 18 can then be post-processed. The common flange element 18 is preferably post-processed together with the bearing rings. For example, the end contour of the flanges 6, 8, 10, 12 and of the raceways 14, 16 is applied by machining to the combination of bearing rings and common flange element 18.

(10) The bearing assembly 1 after the post-processing is shown in FIG. 2. After the post-processing step the bearing assembly 1 shows a retaining flange 10, 12 for each rolling-element bearing 2, 4. Depending on the arrangement of the rolling-element bearings 2, 4, the common flange element 18 assumes on both sides, that is for the first rolling-element bearing 2 and the second rolling-element bearing 4, the function of either the retaining flange 10, 12 (as shown in FIG. 2) or of the guide flange (not shown). A displacing of the common flange element can be prevented by the rolling-element bearings 2, 4, or rings of the rolling-element bearings 2, 4, positioned against each other, since the common flange element is secured from both sides by a rolling-element bearing 2, 4 against an axial displacing.

(11) In summary, a bearing assembly including a separately manufactured retaining flange or guide flange is provided. A simple and secure positioning of the respective flange is ensured by the arrangement of two rolling-element bearings that include the retaining flange or guide flange as a common flange element. Here the common flange element is secured against axial displacement by the rolling-element bearings placed against each other.

(12) 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 assemblies.

(13) 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.

(14) 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

(15) 1 Bearing assembly 2 First rolling-element bearing 4 Second rolling-element bearing 6, 8 Guide flange 10, 12 Retaining flange 14, 16 Raceway 18 Common flange element 20, 22 Stop 24, 26 Bearing surface A Axis of rotation