TAPERED ROLLER BEARING AND WIND TURBINE

Abstract

A tapered roller bearing may comprise an inner ring, an outer ring, and two rows of tapered rollers that are arranged in an O-arrangement between the inner ring and the outer ring. The inner ring may extend in an axial direction over a greater length than the outer ring, and a gap between the inner ring and the outer ring on at least one side of the tapered roller bearing may be sealed by a sealing assembly. The sealing assembly may comprise a main seal that is attached to the inner ring in a rotationally fixed manner, as well as a seal race ring that is attached to the outer ring in a rotationally fixed manner. The seal race ring may form a seal raceway for the main seal.

Claims

1.-13. (canceled)

14. A tapered roller bearing comprising: an inner ring; an outer ring, wherein the inner ring extends in an axial direction over a greater length than the outer ring; two rows of tapered rollers that are arranged in an O-arrangement between the inner ring and the outer ring; and a sealing assembly that seals a gap between the inner ring and the outer ring on at least one side, wherein the sealing assembly comprises: a main seal that is attached to the inner ring in a rotationally-fixed manner, and a seal race ring that is attached to the outer ring in a rotationally-fixed manner, wherein the seal race ring forms a seal raceway for the main seal.

15. The tapered roller bearing of claim 14 wherein the main seal is inserted into a groove on a front side of the inner ring.

16. The tapered roller bearing of claim 14 wherein the main seal is held on an associated front side of the inner ring by a clamping ring or clamping segments distributed around a circumference.

17. The tapered roller bearing of claim 14 wherein the seal race ring is screwed to the outer ring.

18. The tapered roller bearing of claim 14 comprising a labyrinth formed by moldings, which are complementary to one another, on the inner ring and on the seal race ring.

19. The tapered roller bearing of claim 14 wherein the sealing assembly comprises a secondary seal that is separate from the main seal.

20. The tapered roller bearing of claim 19 comprising a joint clamping connection that holds the main seal and the secondary seal.

21. The tapered roller bearing of claim 14 wherein the main seal is comprised of elastic plastic, wherein the main seal comprises a sealing foot and a sealing leg that adjoins the sealing foot, wherein the sealing leg lies against the seal raceway.

22. The tapered roller bearing of claim 21 wherein the sealing leg is supported by a spring.

23. The tapered roller bearing of claim 14 wherein the seal raceway is hardened.

24. The tapered roller bearing of claim 14 wherein the seal raceway is provided with a coating.

25. The tapered roller bearing of claim 14 wherein the main seal is mounted with a spacer ring.

26. A wind turbine comprising: a machine housing disposed on a tower; and a rotor supporting rotor blades, wherein the rotor is rotationally supported with respect to the machine housing by way of a tapered roller bearing, wherein the tapered roller bearing comprises: an inner ring; an outer ring, wherein the inner ring extends in an axial direction over a greater length than the outer ring; two rows of tapered rollers that are arranged in an O-arrangement between the inner ring and the outer ring; and a sealing assembly that seals a gap between the inner ring and the outer ring on at least one side, wherein the sealing assembly comprises: a main seal that is attached to the inner ring in a rotationally-fixed manner, and a seal race ring that is attached to the outer ring in a rotationally-fixed manner, wherein the seal race ring forms a seal raceway for the main seal.

27. The wind turbine of claim 26 wherein the main seal is inserted into a groove on a front side of the inner ring.

28. The wind turbine of claim 26 wherein the main seal is held on an associated front side of the inner ring by a clamping ring or clamping segments distributed around a circumference.

29. The wind turbine of claim 26 wherein the seal race ring is screwed to the outer ring.

30. The wind turbine of claim 26 comprising a labyrinth formed by moldings, which are complementary to one another, on the inner ring and on the seal race ring.

31. The wind turbine of claim 26 wherein the sealing assembly comprises a secondary seal that is separate from the main seal.

32. The wind turbine of claim 31 comprising a joint clamping connection that holds the main seal and the secondary seal.

33. The wind turbine of claim 26 wherein the main seal is comprised of elastic plastic, wherein the main seal comprises a sealing foot and a sealing leg that adjoins the sealing foot, wherein the sealing leg lies against the seal raceway.

Description

[0050] The invention will be described below on the basis of a drawing, which represents only an exemplary embodiment, in which

[0051] FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 show different embodiments of a tapered roller bearing according to the invention in a sectional illustration

[0052] FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 show a tapered roller bearing according to the invention, which is embodied as large-diameter tapered roller bearing comprising a race diameter of more than 500 mm, in particular of more than 1000 mm.

[0053] The tapered roller bearing comprises an inner ring 1, which is divided in the axial direction X, an outer ring 2, as well as two rows of tapered rollers 3, which are arranged in an O-arrangement between the inner ring 1 and the outer ring 2. According to the O-arrangement, the central axes M of the tapered rollers 3 of the two rows are arranged in a V-shaped manner, wherein the central axes M intersect with an offset in the direction of the inner ring 1.

[0054] For improved clarity, only an upper section of the tapered roller bearing is illustrated in the figures. A lower section of the tapered roller bearing follows from a mirroring of the illustrated section about the horizontally arranged axis of rotation of the tapered roller bearing. With regard to the entire tapered roller bearing, the pressure curves D delineated in FIG. 1 form an O-shape in the broadest sense, from which the name O-arrangement results.

[0055] Due to the inclination of the tapered rollers 3 in the O-arrangement, the raceways on the outer ring 1 are offset with respect to the raceways of the outer ring 2 along the axial direction X towards a middle region. This alone results in that a larger length along the axial direction X as compared to the outer ring 2 is necessary on the inner ring 1 for the embodiment of the raceways. To save material and weight, the outer ring 2 is manufactured as narrowly as possible.

[0056] A gap between inner ring 1 and outer ring 2 is sealed on both front sides of the tapered roller bearing in each case by a sealing assembly. According to the invention, each sealing assembly comprises a main seal 4, which is attached to the inner ring 1 in a rotationally fixed manner, as well as a seal race ring 5, which is attached to the outer ring 2 in a rotationally fixed manner and which forms a seal raceway 6 for the main seal 4.

[0057] According to the invention, the seal raceway 6 is thus formed on a separate element in the form of the seal race ring 5, so that a replacement or a maintenance, respectively, is possible in the case of damage to the seal raceway 6. The seal raceway 6 can be adversely affected, for example by wear. The seal raceway 6 can furthermore also be damaged, for example scratched, in response to the assembly, whereby such damage can then be remedied comparatively easily in the context of the invention.

[0058] Even in the case of an assembled tapered roller bearing, the sealing assembly comprising the seal race ring 5 and the main seal 4 can be removed at least in the case of the illustrated embodiment, without having to remove or disassemble, respectively, the entire tapered roller bearing.

[0059] This also results in the advantage that the seal race ring 5 can be formed as separate element of an adapted material. Unlike in the case of the raceways of the inner ring 1 as well as of the outer ring 2, no high punctual mechanical loads appear, although a low sliding friction between the seal raceway 6 and the associated main seal 4 is strived for, especially on a long-term basis.

[0060] It can also be seen from FIG. 1 that the seal race ring 5 is comparatively small and light as compared to the inner ring 1 and outer ring 2, and can thus also be handled more easily in response to the production, assembly and maintenance. It is in particular possible to subject the seal raceway 6 to a surface treatment or surface coating with less effort. The seal raceway 6 can, for example, be hardened, in particular edge zone hardened and/or can be provided with a suitable sliding layer.

[0061] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the main seal 4 is embodied in the manner of a rotary shaft seal. The main seal 4 accordingly comprises a sealing foot 7 as well as sealing leg 8, which adjoins the sealing foot 7 and which lies against the seal raceway 6 with its end. The seal race ring 5 is attached to the outer ring 2 in a rotationally fixed, yet releasable manner by screws 9a, wherein a static seal 10, for example an O-ring, is arranged in an associated groove between the outer ring 2 and the seal race ring 5. The groove for the static seal 10 can optionally be formed in the outer ring 2 or the associated contact surface of the seal race ring 5.

[0062] For receiving the main seal 4, the inner ring 1 comprises a groove 11 on the front side, wherein the main seal 4 is held in the groove 11 on the front side by a clamping ring 12 or clamping segments. The clamping ring 12 is fastened to the inner ring 1 by means of screws 9b, wherein the screws 9b engage with associated blind holes.

[0063] The clamping ring 12 also supports a dust protection seal 13, which protects the main seal 4 against contaminations from the outside.

[0064] The described features have been realized so as to coincide with one another in the case of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 3, wherein the different embodiments differ in the concrete design of the sealing assembly.

[0065] According to FIG. 1, the seal raceway 6 is located on a stepped region of the seal race ring 5, in order to provide for an adaptation to the geometry of the main seal 4.

[0066] According to FIG. 2, a labyrinth 14 is formed by moldings, which are complementary to one another, on the inner ring 1 on the one hand and the seal race ring 5 on the other hand. To embody the labyrinth 14, a protrusion facing to the outside is arranged on the inner ring 1, and a protrusion facing to the inside is arranged on the seal race ring 5 with an axial offset relative to one another.

[0067] It is furthermore illustrated in FIG. 2 as a variant that a spacer ring 15 can be provided for clamping the main seal 4 in the axial direction X by means of the clamping ring 12 also for the longitudinal adaptation.

[0068] According to the embodiments according to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the sealing assemblies provided on both front sides of the tapered roller bearing each have a main seal 4 and a secondary seal in the form of a dust protection seal 13. Such a combination of seals is only exemplary. Two main seals 4 can generally also be arranged one behind the other in the axial direction.

[0069] FIG. 3 shows a further possible variant, in the case of which a felt ring 16 is provided for an improved sealing. The felt ring 16 engages with a depression 17 of the seal race ring 5, which is adjacent to the seal raceway 6, wherein the felt ring 16 is attached to the inner ring 1 in a rotationally fixed manner. The felt ring 16 is concretely clamped by the clamping ring 12 in the axial direction X via an intermediate ring 18, together with the main seal 4.