PLAIN BEARING RING AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A PLAIN BEARING RING

Abstract

A plain bearing ring is formed from a metallic base material and a laser-clad sliding layer on the base material, the base material having a higher elastic limit than a material of the sliding layer. Also a plain bearing including at least one such plain bearing ring and a method of forming the plain bearing ring.

Claims

1. A plain bearing ring comprising: a metallic base material; and a sliding layer laser-clad onto the base material, wherein the base material has a higher elastic limit than a material of the sliding layer.

2. The plain bearing ring according to claim 1, wherein the material of the sliding layer is a friction-reducing material, a corrosion protection material and/or a wear protection material.

3. The plain bearing ring according to claim 1, wherein the sliding layer includes friction-reducing and/or wear-reducing fillers.

4. The plain bearing ring according to claim 1, wherein the base material is boron-alloyed steel.

5. The plain bearing ring according to claim 4, wherein the base material has a carbon content of less than 0.37 mass %.

6. The plain bearing ring according to claim 1, wherein the sliding layer comprises bronze.

7. The plain bearing ring according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the sliding layer is less than or equal to 10 mm.

8. The plain bearing ring according to claim 1, wherein an entire surface of the plain bearing ring is covered by the sliding layer.

9. A plain bearing comprising: a plain bearing first ring having a sliding surface, and a plain bearing second ring having a sliding surface configured to slide against the sliding surface of the plain bearing first ring, wherein the plain bearing first ring comprises a metallic base material and a laser-clad sliding layer on the base material, the sliding forming the sliding surface of the plain bearing first ring, and wherein the base material has a higher elastic limit than a material of the sliding layer.

10. The plain bearing according to claim 9, wherein the base material is boron-alloyed steel having a carbon content of less than 0.37 mass %, wherein the sliding layer comprises bronze, and wherein a thickness of the sliding layer is less than or equal to 10 mm.

11. A method of forming a first plain bearing ring comprising: providing a metal ring formed from a base material; and laser-cladding a sliding layer onto the base material, wherein the base material has a higher elastic limit than a material of the sliding layer.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the base material is boron-alloyed steel, and wherein the sliding layer comprises bronze.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the base material has a carbon content of less than 0.37 mass %, and wherein a thickness of the sliding layer is less than or equal to 10 mm.

14. A method of forming a plain bearing comprising: providing a first plain bearing ring according to claim 11, and mounting a second plain bearing ring to the first plain bearing ring to form the plain bearing, wherein the sliding layer forms a sliding surface of the first plain bearing ring.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a plain bearing according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a plain bearing according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a plain bearing according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a plain bearing according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In the following, identical or functionally equivalent elements are identified by the same reference signs.

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a plain bearing 1, which is formed of a plain bearing inner ring 2 and a plain bearing outer ring 4. The two plain bearing rings 2, 4 are each configured as single-piece rings. Alternatively, the plain bearing rings 2, 4 may also be configured as radially split rings or axially split rings. It should also be noted that a plain bearing 1 is described here by way of example. However, the plain bearing ring described here in conjunction with the plain bearing 1 can also be used in other applications, such as, for example, as a shaft or bushing, as is also defined above.

[0033] In order to provide a cost-effective, but at the same time efficient plain bearing 1, at least one of the plain bearing rings 2, 4 has a laser-clad sliding layer 6 (not drawn to scale) that forms a sliding surface of the at least one of the plain bearing rings 2, 4. The laser-clad layer 6 is preferably formed from a sliding material, such as, for example, a copper alloy, such as bronze or aluminium-bronze. As shown in FIG. 1, the laser-clad layer 6 is applied as a sliding layer on the sliding surface of the plain bearing outer ring 4.

[0034] In order, in addition to the required sliding property, also to provide a high load rating or load-bearing capacity of the plain bearing 1, the plain bearing outer ring 4 includes a base material 8 on which the sliding layer 6 is applied by means of laser cladding. The base material 8 is a metallic material, such as boron steel or rolling bearing steel, which permits a high load rating. In particular, the base material 8 has a higher elastic limit than the material of the laser-clad layer 6. Optional lubrication bores 9, 11 can be introduced into the base material 8, 10 of the plain bearing outer ring 4 and the plain bearing inner ring 2.

[0035] The sliding layer 6 is applied to this base material 8 as a thin laser-clad layer and provides the slidability of the plain bearing outer ring 4 required for the plain bearing 1. The combination of base material 8 with a high or higher elastic limit and sliding layer 6 made of sliding material makes it possible to maintain a high load rating with good sliding properties at the same time.

[0036] In contrast to previous plain bearings, in which the rings were formed exclusively of a sliding material, the combination of base material 8 with a high elastic limit (an elastic limit higher than the elastic limit of the base material) and a sliding layer 6 provides both a high load rating and the slidability required for sliding bearings. Furthermore, a good connection between the base material 8 and the sliding layer 6 is made possible by the deposition-welded sliding layer 6. Laser cladding permits a flat, stable and durable metal connection between the two materials and thus a long-lasting plain bearing 1.

[0037] In a further embodiment, which is shown in FIG. 2, the plain bearing outer ring 4, 4 may also be completely surrounded by the laser-clad layer 6. In the case of a split outer ring 4, 4 as is shown in FIG. 2, the laser-clad layer 6 is applied to both halves of the split outer ring 4, 4. Since the plain bearing outer ring 4, 4 is completely surrounded by the laser-clad layer 6, this not only constitutes a sliding layer, but can also realize corrosion protection of the base material 8 in addition to the sliding property.

[0038] Instead of a radially divided outer ring 4, 4, an axially divided outer ring 4 may also be provided with such a laser-clad layer 6, as is shown in FIG. 3. In this case, the plain bearing inner ring 2 is provided in the form of an undivided ring.

[0039] In the embodiment shown here, the laser-clad layer 6 in turn is applied only to the sliding surface of the plain bearing outer ring 4. Since the base material 8 of the plain bearing outer ring 4, 4 is a material with a high elastic limit (an elastic limit higher than that of the material of the laser-clad layer 6), the plain bearing outer ring 4, 4 can be connected with screw connections 12, 12. Such screw connections 12, 12 would not be possible if the plain bearing outer ring 4, 4 is completely made of a sliding material, since the sliding material does not have sufficient strength to be able to securely attach such a screw connection.

[0040] As is shown in FIG. 3, the laser-clad layer 6 can be provided on the sliding surface of the plain bearing outer ring 4 between two seals 14, 14. The sliding layer 6 can also extend beyond the seals 14, 14, or, as in FIG. 2, can surround the entire plain bearing outer ring 4, 4.

[0041] Instead of applying the laser-clad layer 6 to the plain bearing outer ring 4, 4, it is also possible to provide the laser-clad layer 6 on the plain bearing inner ring 2, as is shown in FIG. 4. In this case, the plain bearing outer ring 4 may also be formed from a material with an elastic limit as high as or higher than the elastic limit of the material of the laser-clad layer 6 or from another standard material, and the plain bearing inner ring 2, like the plain bearing outer ring 4, 4 described above with reference to FIGS. 1-3, is provided with a laser-clad layer 6 as the sliding layer, which provides the required slidability. The base material 10 of the plain bearing inner ring 2 in turn is also formed from a material with a high or higher elastic limit, in order to enable the advantage of the combination of load rating and slidability.

[0042] The laser-clad layers or sliding layers 6 described above can be equipped with additional functionalities by introducing further fillers into the material of the laser-clad layer 6, which serve to reduce friction and/or wear. Furthermore, it should be noted that the embodiments shown above apply to both the plain bearing inner ring 2 and the plain bearing outer ring 4, 4 and are used in each case on at least one of the plain bearing rings 2, 2, 4, 4. Alternatively, it is also possible to provide the laser-clad layer 6 both on the plain bearing inner ring 2 and on the plain bearing outer ring 4, 4, wherein the sliding layer 6 can be applied in each case only partially, in particular on the sliding surface, or completely around the respective ring.

[0043] By means of the above-described plain bearing or the described plain bearing rings, it is possible to provide a plain bearing ring, which can ensure a high load rating and at the same time shows no losses in terms of slidability.

[0044] 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 plain bearings.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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 NUMERAL LIST

[0047] 1 plain bearing [0048] 2, 2 plain bearing inner ring [0049] 4, 4 plain bearing outer ring [0050] 6 deposition-welded layer [0051] 8 base material [0052] 9 lubrication groove [0053] 10 base material [0054] 11 lubrication bore [0055] 12, 12 screw connection [0056] 14, 14 seal