Reshaped ring for rolling bearing

Abstract

Rings for a rolling bearing are disclosed, wherein the rings define a primary axis (A). The ring may include a ring formed as a hollow ring having a hollow chamber encircling the primary axis (A). A wall of the hollow ring may be of one-piece and/or seamless design in an axial section along the primary axis (A). The ring may be a bearing ring configured for rolling contact with rolling elements. In one example, the wall includes a raceway section in the wall for rolling contact with the rolling elements, a bearing bottom section for supporting the ring, two lateral supporting wall sections, and two connecting sections for connecting the two lateral supporting wall sections to the raceway section.

Claims

1. A ring for a rolling bearing, wherein the ring defines a primary axis (A), comprising: a ring formed as a hollow ring having a hollow chamber with two hollow chamber sections encircling the primary axis (A) and a planar stop face aligned perpendicularly to the primary axis (A) for a cage or a sealing washer, and a wall of the hollow ring is of one-piece or seamless design in an axial section along the primary axis (A), wherein the ring is a bearing ring configured for rolling contact with rolling elements, the wall has a raceway section for rolling contact with the rolling elements, and the raceway section is designed as a v-shaped groove comprising first and second groove walls for contacting the rolling elements with a groove base between the first and second groove walls that does not contact the rolling elements.

2. The ring as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wall has a bearing bottom section for supporting the ring, two lateral supporting wall sections, and two connecting sections for connecting the two lateral supporting wall sections to the raceway section.

3. The ring as claimed in claim 2, wherein the raceway section rests on the bearing bottom section, wherein the bearing bottom section supports the raceway section.

4. The ring as claimed in one claim 1, wherein the wall encloses the two hollow chamber sections.

5. A rolling bearing having at least one ring as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rolling bearing is designed as an axial rolling bearing.

6. A method for producing the ring as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ring is reshaped from a ring blank by a press tool.

7. The method for producing the ring as claimed in claim 6, wherein the ring blank is bent out of a straight tube forming a bent tube, wherein ends of the bent tube are thermally connected to form the ring blank.

8. A ring for a rolling bearing, wherein the ring defines a primary axis (A), comprising: a bearing ring formed as a hollow ring having a hollow chamber encircling the primary axis (A) and a planar stop face aligned perpendicularly to the primary axis (A) for a cage or a sealing washer; a wall of the hollow ring is of seamless design in an axial section along the primary axis (A); and wherein the wall includes a raceway section in the wall for rolling contact with rolling elements, a bearing bottom section for supporting the ring, two lateral supporting wall sections, and two connecting sections for connecting the two lateral supporting wall sections to the raceway section.

9. The ring as claimed in claim 8, wherein the raceway section is designed as a groove for a rolling element.

10. The ring as claimed in one claim 8, wherein the hollow chamber has two hollow chamber sections, wherein the wall encloses the two hollow chamber sections.

11. The ring as claimed in claim 8, wherein the raceway section rests on the bearing bottom section, wherein the bearing bottom section supports the raceway section.

12. A rolling bearing having at least one ring as claimed in claim 8, wherein the rolling bearing is designed as an axial rolling bearing.

13. A method for producing a ring for a rolling bearing, the ring comprising: a primary axis (A); and, a bearing ring formed as a hollow ring having a hollow chamber encircling the primary axis (A), wherein: a wall of the hollow ring is of seamless design in an axial section along the primary axis (A); the wall comprises: a raceway section in the wall for rolling contact with rolling elements; a bearing bottom section for supporting the ring; two lateral supporting wall sections; and, two connecting sections for connecting the two lateral supporting wall sections to the raceway section; the ring is reshaped from a ring blank by a press tool; and, after reshaping, the ring is stamped in order to form a stop face for a cage or a sealing washer.

14. The method for producing the ring as claimed in claim 13, wherein the ring blank is bent out of a straight tube forming a bent tube, wherein ends of the bent tube are thermally connected to form the ring blank.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further features, advantages and effects of the disclosure will emerge from the following description of illustrative embodiments of the disclosure and from the attached figures, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a profile of a bearing ring in axial section; and

(3) FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of the method steps for the production of a bearing ring.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) FIG. 1 shows the profile of a bearing ring 1 in an axial section along a primary axis A as one illustrative embodiment of the disclosure. A ball 2 is placed as a rolling element onto or into the bearing ring 1. The profile, in particular the profile in axial section, is of constant or uniform design around the primary axis A. The bearing ring 1 is thus designed as a body of revolution of the profile in axial section around the primary axis A.

(5) The bearing ring 1 has a raceway section 3 for rolling contact with the ball 2. The raceway section 3 is designed as a groove, in particular a slot, and is open in an axial direction relative to the primary axis A. The groove is designed as a guide for the ball. The groove is v-shaped and has a groove base 4 and two groove walls 5. The groove walls 5 are of slightly convex design. The groove base 4 is of a depth such that the ball 2 does not touch the groove base 4. This results in a small area of contact between the ball 2 and the groove of the raceway section 3, in particular the groove walls 5, thereby keeping friction low.

(6) The bearing ring 1 has a bearing bottom section 6. The bearing bottom section 6 is of planar design and is aligned perpendicularly to the primary axis A. The bearing bottom section 6 is used to support and/or fix the bearing ring 1 and hence the rolling bearing on a supporting structure and/or a bearing partner. The planar shape of the bearing bottom section 6 allows it to rest in a stable manner on the supporting structure and/or allows stable fixing.

(7) The bearing bottom section 6 is arranged axially opposite the raceway section 3. In particular, the raceway section 3 faces in one axial direction and the bearing bottom section 6 faces in the other axial direction. In this illustrative embodiment, the raceway section 3 rests on the bearing bottom section 6 and is supported by the bearing bottom section 6.

(8) The bearing ring 1 furthermore has two lateral supporting wall sections 7. The lateral supporting wall sections 7 are each connected to one side of the bearing bottom section 6. For this purpose, that end of the lateral wall sections 7 which connects to the bearing bottom 6 is of bent design. The lateral supporting wall sections 7 are arranged perpendicularly to the bearing bottom section 6 and/or coaxially with the primary axis A.

(9) The bearing ring 1 has two connecting sections 8. The two connecting sections 8 each connect one of the two lateral supporting wall sections 7 to one of the two ends of the raceway section 3. The connecting sections 8 are of right-angled design.

(10) The radially outer of the two connecting sections 8, which is further away from the primary axis A, has a stop face 9. The stop face 9 is shaped by stamping during the reshaping process, for example. As an alternative, the stop face 9 is shaped by stamping in a finishing operation. The stop face 9 is of planar design and forms a plane, wherein the plane is aligned perpendicularly to the primary axis A. With the stop face 9, the radially outer connecting section 8 forms an edge with a smaller edge radius than the radially inner connecting section 8. The stop face 9 is used to support or guide a cage for the balls 2 and/or a sealing ring for sealing the rolling bearing.

(11) The raceway section 3, the bearing bottom section 6, the two lateral supporting wall sections 7 and the two connecting sections 8 form a hollow chamber. The hollow chamber has two mutually separate hollow chamber sections 10. In particular, each one of the two hollow chamber sections 10 is enclosed by the raceway section 3, the bearing bottom section 6, one of the two lateral supporting wall sections 7 and one of the two connecting sections 8.

(12) The hollow chamber sections 10 are of triangular design in axial section and have partially rounded corners. The hollow chamber sections 10 are separated from one another by the raceway section 3, which rests on the bearing bottom section 6.

(13) By changing the shape of the hollow chamber sections 10, it is possible, for example, to cushion axial forces acting on the ball 2 and thus on the raceway section 3, in particular the groove walls 5. Moreover, the hollow chamber sections reduce the weight of the bearing ring 1 and hence the weight of the rolling bearing in comparison with a solid construction.

(14) FIG. 2 shows method steps during the production of the bearing ring 1 from a straight tube 11 in a flow diagram. This shows three method steps and one optional fourth method step. Starting from the straight tube 11, the straight tube 11 is bent into an open ring in a first method step 100. The deformation of the straight tube 11 into the open ring 12 is accomplished by a three-roller roll-bending machine, for example.

(15) In a second method step 200, the ends of the tube bent into the open ring 12 are connected to one another to form a ring blank 13. Connection is accomplished by means of thermal joining, for example, in particular by welding. The ring blank is designed as a toroidal or doughnut-shaped hollow ring.

(16) In a third method step 300, the ring blank 13 is reshaped. During this process, the upper ring wall of the ring blank 13 is pressed in axially until the upper ring wall of the ring blank is resting on the lower ring wall of the ring blank 13. The upper ring wall is reshaped to give a depression until the raceway section 3 with the groove is formed. The lateral ring walls remain and become the lateral supporting walls 7. The lower ring wall is reshaped to be somewhat broader and flatter until it forms the bearing bottom section 6. The ring blank 13 is reshaped in such a way that a profile as shown in FIG. 1 is obtained in axial section.

(17) For example, the ring blank is inserted into a female die and pressed in by means of a punch in such a way that the ring blank 13 is reshaped into the bearing ring 1 with a groove. In this process, it is possible to reshape the raceway section 3 of the bearing ring 1 in such a way that the raceway section 3 rests on the bearing bottom section 6. As an alternative, a distance can be maintained between the raceway section 3 and the bearing bottom section 6.

(18) Method steps 100 to 300 are suitable, in particular, for bearing rings 1 of rolling bearings with a diameter of more than 100 mm, preferably up to diameters of 1500 mm.

(19) In an optional fourth method step 400, the bearing ring 1 is subject to finishing. The bearing ring is finished by grinding, for example. As an optional additional feature, the bearing ring 1 has the stop face 9, wherein, in particular, the stop face 9 is formed by stamping. The stop face 9 is used, for example, to support a cage for the rolling elements, in particular for the balls, and/or to support a sealing ring for protecting the rolling elements from contamination.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(20) 1 bearing ring 2 ball 3 raceway section 4 groove base 5 groove wall 6 bearing bottom section 7 lateral supporting wall section 8 connecting section 9 stop face 10 hollow chamber section 11 straight tube 12 open ring 13 ring blank A primary axis