Bearing assembly

Abstract

A bearing assembly is configured to rotatably support a first machine part in a second machine part and includes first and second rolling-element bearings. The rolling-element bearings are installed in the bearing assembly with an axial preload or an axial clearance. The second machine part includes a first conical abutment surface, and the first rolling-element bearing includes a bearing ring having a second conical abutment surface facing the first conical abutment surface of the second machine part. An intermediate ring is disposed between and abuts the first and second conical abutment surfaces. The bearing ring and the second machine part are metal, and the intermediate ring is formed from a material that has a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than that of the bearing ring and second machine part.

Claims

1. A bearing assembly configured to rotatably support a first machine part in a second machine part, the bearing assembly comprising: a first rolling-element bearing; and a second rolling-element bearing, wherein the first rolling-element bearing and the second rolling-element bearing are installed in the bearing assembly with an axial preload or an axial clearance, wherein the second machine part includes a first conical abutment surface and the first rolling-element bearing includes a bearing ring having a second conical abutment surface facing the first conical abutment surface of the second machine part, wherein an intermediate ring is disposed between the first conical abutment surface and the second conical abutment surface in abutment with the first and second conical abutment surfaces, wherein the bearing ring comprises a first metal and the second machine part comprises a second metal, wherein the intermediate ring comprises a material having a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the first metal and higher than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the second metal, and wherein a cone angle (.sub.1) of the first conical abutment surface is greater than a cone angle (.sub.2) of the second conical abutment surface.

2. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate ring comprises a plastic.

3. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate ring comprises a fluorinated rubber.

4. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first and second rolling-element bearings are tapered rolling-element bearings.

5. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein a cone angle (.sub.1) of the first conical abutment surface is from 15 to 55.

6. The bearing assembly according to claim 5, wherein a cone angle (.sub.2) of the second conical abutment surface is from 10 to 50.

7. The bearing assembly according to claim 5, wherein a cone angle (.sub.1) of the first conical abutment surface is equal to a cone angle (.sub.2) of the second conical abutment surface.

8. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein a cone angle (.sub.1) of the first conical abutment surface is from 15 to 30.

9. The bearing assembly according to claim 8, wherein a cone angle (.sub.2) of the second conical abutment surface is from 10 to 25.

10. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second conical abutment surface face in a same direction with respect to an axial direction.

11. A bearing assembly configured to rotatably support a first machine part in a second machine part, the bearing assembly comprising: a first rolling-element bearing; and a second rolling-element bearing, wherein the first rolling-element bearing and the second rolling-element bearing are installed in the bearing assembly with an axial preload or an axial clearance, wherein the second machine part includes a first conical abutment surface and the first rolling-element bearing includes a bearing ring having a second conical abutment surface facing the first conical abutment surface of the second machine part, wherein an intermediate ring is disposed between the first conical abutment surface and the second conical abutment surface in abutment with the first and second conical abutment surfaces, wherein the bearing ring comprises a first metal and the second machine part comprises a second metal, wherein the intermediate ring comprises a material having a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the first metal and higher than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the second metal, wherein the first conical abutment surface is formed on an abutment ring mounted to the second machine part, and wherein the abutment ring comprises metal, and wherein the bearing assembly further comprises a means for preventing rotation of the abutment ring relative to the bearing ring.

12. The bearing assembly according to claim 11, wherein the intermediate ring is configured to maintain the axial preload or to maintain the axial clearance over a range of operating temperatures.

13. The assembly according to claim 11, wherein the first machine part is a shaft and the second machine part is a housing.

14. A bearing assembly configured to rotatably support a first machine part in a second machine part, the bearing assembly comprising: a first rolling-element bearing; and a second rolling-element bearing, wherein the first rolling-element bearing and the second rolling-element bearing are installed in the bearing assembly with an axial preload or an axial clearance, wherein the second machine part includes a first conical abutment surface and the first rolling-element bearing includes a bearing ring having a second conical abutment surface facing the first conical abutment surface of the second machine part, wherein an intermediate ring is disposed between the first conical abutment surface and the second conical abutment surface in abutment with the first and second conical abutment surfaces, wherein the bearing ring comprises a first metal and the second machine part comprises a second metal, wherein the intermediate ring comprises a material having a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the first metal and higher than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the second metal, wherein the intermediate ring comprises a fluorinated rubber, wherein the first and second rolling-element bearings are tapered rolling-element bearings, wherein a cone angle (.sub.1) of the first conical abutment surface is from 15 to 30, wherein a cone angle (.sub.2) of the second conical abutment surface is from 10 to 25, and wherein the first rolling-element bearing and the second rolling-element bearing are installed in the bearing assembly with an axial preload.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) An exemplary embodiment of the disclosure is depicted in the drawing. The single FIGURE shows a radial section through a part of a bearing assembly, wherein a shaft is supported in a housing by two axially preloaded tapered roller bearings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(2) In the FIGURE a bearing assembly 1 is depicted, using which a first machine part 2 in the form of a shaft is supported in a second machine part 3 in the form of a housing. The support is effected using a first rolling-element bearing 4 and a second rolling-element bearing 5 (depicted schematically) that are spaced from each other in the direction of the axis a of the bearing assembly 1. In this case the two rolling-element bearings 4 and 5 are tapered roller bearings (here in face-to-face arrangement). The two rolling-element bearings 4, 5 are preloaded axially, i.e., in the direction of the axis a.

(3) The bearing outer ring 7 of the rolling-element bearing 4 is not directly axially disposed in the housing 3; rather it is fixed axially thereon via an abutment ring 10 in the housing.

(4) As can be seen, the housing 3, or in the present case the abutment ring 10 abutting thereon, includes a first conical abutment surface 6. This has a cone angle .sub.1.

(5) However, the bearing ring 7 includes a second conical abutment surface 8 that has a cone angle .sub.2.

(6) An intermediate ring 9 is disposed between the first conical abutment surface 6 and the second conical abutment surface 8. This abuts on both conical abutment surfaces 6 and 8, i.e., it includes corresponding congruent seat surfaces in order to abut on said conical abutment surfaces.

(7) The bearing ring 7, which includes the conical abutment surface 8, is comprised of rolling-element bearing steel; the housing 3 as well as the abutment ring 10 are comprised of steel or cast steel (the housing 3 can also be comprised of light metal). Accordingly both the bearing ring and the housing or the abutment ring have a low thermal expansion coefficient that lies at a first, low level.

(8) However, the intermediate ring 9 is comprised of a material that lies at a second, higher level compared to the material of the bearing ring and of the housing or of the abutment ring. In this case the material of the intermediate ring 9 is plastic, and specifically fluorinated rubber. Its thermal expansion coefficient falls in the range of 3- to 6-times that of the metal of the bearing ring or housing/abutment ring.

(9) The intermediate ring 9 can have a constant thickness in radial direction r, however, it can also be so embodied as the FIGURE shows. Hereinafter the intermediate ring 9 has a radial spacing L.sub.1 in its left axial end region, while it has a larger radial spacing L.sub.2 in its right axial end region.

(10) In order to prevent wear due to relative movements, and namely relative rotation about the axis a, means 11 for preventing a rotation are provided that ensure that a relative rotation between the bearing ring 7 and the abutment ring 10 is prevented. These means are an anti-creeping ring that acts between the two components 7 and 10. This ring can develop a clamping force that clamps the components 7 and 10 to each other such that they rotate together and also to the housing 3 such that it rotates together with the components 7 and 10.

(11) 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.

(12) 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.

(13) 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

(14) 1 Bearing assembly

(15) 2 First machine part (shaft)

(16) 3 Second machine part (housing)

(17) 4 First rolling-element bearing (tapered roller bearing)

(18) 5 Second rolling-element bearing (tapered roller bearing)

(19) 6 First conical abutment surface

(20) 7 Bearing ring

(21) 8 Second conical abutment surface

(22) 9 Intermediate ring

(23) 10 Abutment ring

(24) 11 Means for preventing a rotation

(25) 1 Cone angle

(26) 2 Cone angle

(27) L1 Radial spacing

(28) L2 Radial spacing

(29) a Axis of the bearing assembly

(30) r Radial direction of the bearing assembly