Bearing assembly having a roller bearing connected to a bearing support by affixing plates and a spring element disposed between an affixing plate and bearing support

Abstract

A bearing assembly includes a roller bearing connected with a plate-shaped bearing support. The bearing support has a receiving bore for an outer ring of the roller bearing, and the outer ring of the roller bearing is affixed to the bearing support with two affixing plates that are fixed to first and second end sides of the bearing support. The two affixing plates clamp the outer ring at two clamping surfaces. An axial spacing of the first and second end sides of the bearing support is smaller than an axial spacing of the clamping surfaces of the outer ring, and a spring element configured to act in the axial direction is disposed between one of the two affixing plates and the bearing support.

Claims

1. A bearing assembly comprising at least one roller bearing connected with at least one bearing support that is plate-shaped at least in a section, wherein the bearing support has a receiving bore for an outer ring of the roller bearing, wherein the outer ring of the roller bearing is affixed to the bearing support with two affixing plates that are fixed to first and second end sides of the bearing support, wherein the two affixing plates clamp the outer ring at two clamping surfaces, wherein a spacing (X), measured in an axial direction (a), of the first and second end sides of the bearing support is smaller than a spacing (Y), measured in the axial direction (a), of the clamping surfaces of the outer ring, and wherein a spring element configured to act in the axial direction (a) is disposed between one of the two affixing plates and the bearing support.

2. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the spring element is an O-ring.

3. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the spring element is a disk spring or a disk spring assembly.

4. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the spring element comprises a portion of one of the two affixing plates.

5. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the spring element is composed of spring steel.

6. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the spring element is composed of plastic or rubber.

7. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the two affixing plates have a different mechanical strength.

8. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of the spacing (X) of the first and second end sides of the bearing support to the spacing (Y) of the clamping surfaces of the outer ring is from 0.90 to 0.995.

9. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the two affixing plates are affixed to the bearing support by bolts.

10. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein one of the two affixing plates is captively connected with the outer ring of the roller bearing and disposed in a groove in an end-side area of the outer ring.

11. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of the spacing (X) of the first and second end sides of the bearing support to the spacing (Y) of the clamping surfaces of the outer ring is from 0.975 to 0.995.

12. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the spring element comprises a plastic O-ring or a rubber O-ring, wherein the two affixing plates have a different mechanical strength, wherein a ratio of the spacing (X) of the first and second end sides of the bearing support to the spacing (Y) of the clamping surfaces of the outer ring is from 0.90 to 0.995, wherein the two affixing plates are affixed to the bearing support by bolts, and wherein one of the two affixing plates is captively connected with the outer ring of the roller bearing and disposed in a groove in an end-side area of the outer ring.

13. A bearing assembly comprising: a bearing support including a plate-shaped section and a receiving bore; a roller bearing having an outer ring having first and second clamping surfaces; first and second affixing plates fixing the first and second clamping surfaces of the roller bearing at the plate-shaped section of the bearing support; and a spring element disposed against the bearing support, and wherein an axial width of the plate-shaped section of the bearing support is less than an axial separation of the first and second clamping surfaces of the outer ring.

14. A bearing assembly comprising: a bearing support including a plate-shaped section and a receiving bore; a roller bearing having an outer ring having first and second clamping surfaces; first and second affixing plates fixing the first and second clamping surfaces of the roller bearing at the plate-shaped section of the bearing support; and a spring element disposed between the first affixing plate and the bearing support, and wherein an axial width of the plate-shaped section of the bearing support is less than an axial separation of the first and second clamping surfaces of the outer ring.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing. The sole FIGURE shows the radial cross-section through a bearing assembly, wherein a roller bearing is held by a bearing support.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(2) A bearing assembly 1 is illustrated in the FIGURE, which comprises a roller bearing 2 that is to be affixed in a bearing support 3. The final mounted state is illustrated, after which the bolts 12, of which only one is illustrated, are tightened.

(3) The illustrated bearing support 3 has at least the illustrated section, which is formed plate-shaped, with two end sides 8 and 9 that have a spacing X from each other in the axial direction a. The bearing support 3 can be a component that is fitted into a transmission housing; however it can also be a segment of a housing, e.g., of a transmission.

(4) The bearing support 3 has a receiving bore 4 for receiving the outer ring 5 of the roller bearing 2. The outer ring 5 of the roller bearing 2 is pushed into the receiving bore and axially fixed by affixing an affixing plate 6 and 7 to each of the two end sides 8, 9 of the bearing support 3.

(5) Clamping surfaces 10 and 11 are formed on the outer ring 5 in the area of the two end sides of the outer ring 5, which clamping surfaces 10, 11 can be formedas illustratedby grooves in the outer ring 5.

(6) It is important that the spacing X, measured in the axial direction a, of the end sides 8 and 9 of the bearing support 3 is smaller than the spacing Y, measured in the axial direction a, of the clamping surfaces 10 and 11 of the outer ring 5. Further, as an important feature, it is provided that a spring element 12 is disposed between one of the affixing platesnamely the right affixing plate 7and the bearing support 3; it is emphasized here that only a single spring element 12 is provided.

(7) The spring element 12 is only schematically illustrated in the FIGURE; a variety of embodiments therefore are conceivable.

(8) If the bolts 13 are inserted into the corresponding through-bores of the bearing support 3 and tightened (the mating thread for the bolts 13 is located in the left affixing plate 6), the composite composed of the outer ring 5, bearing support 3 and affixing plates 6, 7, including the spring element 12, is secured and the roller bearing 2 is thus attached to the bearing support 3.

(9) In that this is possible in a problem-free manner in a statically determined manner and in the presence of manufacturing tolerances, the above-described embodiment is provided, i.e. that the spacing X, measured in the axial direction a, of the end sides 8 and 9 of the bearing support 3 is smaller than the spacing Y, measured in the axial direction a, of the clamping surfaces 10 and 11 of the outer ring 5. Accordingly, an axial gap is initially presentbefore the tightening of the bolts 13 (not illustrated)between the end side 9 and the abutment surface of the affixing plate 7 on the bearing support 3.

(10) In that now a defined axial position of the outer ring 5 relative to the bearing support 3 results upon firmly tightening the bolts 13, the spring element 12 is provided. Upon tightening of the bolts 13, it acts such that manufacturing-necessitated tolerances are equalized by a greater- or lesser-sized deformation of the spring element 12 as well as the radially-inner-lying area of the right affixing plate 7, so that the outer ring 5 abuts with the clamping surface 10 on the left affixing plate 6, so that the relative position between the outer ring 5 and the bearing support 3 is defined.

(11) This procedure would be improved by forming the two affixing plates 6 and 7 differently and thus having a different mechanical strength. In this context, reference is made to the fact that the thickness d.sub.1 of the left affixing plate 6 is larger than the thickness d.sub.2 of the right affixing plate 7, so that the above-mentioned effect can be generated in an intentional manner; deformations occur primarily at the right affixing plate 7 so that the definition of the relative position between the outer ring 5 and the bearing support is provided by the left affixing plate 6. Upon tightening the bolts 13, the affixing plate 7 having the lower mechanical strength thus yields more than the other affixing plate 6, so that the final position of the outer ring 5 relative to the bearing support 3 is defined by the mechanically stronger affixing plate 6.

(12) In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, it isas was explained abovethe right affixing plate 7 that has a lesser mechanical strength as compared to the left affixing plate 6. Accordingly, the left affixing plate 6 defines the relative position of the outer ring 5 to the bearing support 3; the right bearing plate 7 yields accordingly (which is shown in an exaggerated manner in the FIGURE) upon tightening of the bolts 13, which occurs through plastic and/or elastic deformation.

(13) The smaller thickness d.sub.2 thus preferably amounts to at most 75%, preferably at most 60%, of the larger thickness d.sub.1.

(14) A reliable securing of the assembly is possible while eliminating the to-be-expected manufacturing tolerances when the ratio of the spacing X of the end sides 8 and 9 of the bearing support 3 to the spacing Y of the clamping surfaces 10 and 11 of the outer rings 5 amounts to between 0.90 and 0.995, which is selected in accordance with the dimensions of the spring element 12. Then it is possible, without expensive measures, to affix the necessary components and nevertheless to ensure in the assembly that a defined position of the outer ring 5 relative to the bearing support 3 is present when the mounting process is concluded.

(15) In the exemplary embodiment, it is provided that the thicker and thus stiffer affixing plate 6 is connected with the roller bearing 2 in a captive-manner. This can be effected by forming the grooves in the left end-side area of the outer ring 5 so that the affixing plate 6 snaps onto the outer ring 5 when axially slid and thus (up to a corresponding removing force) is firmly connected with the outer ring 5.

(16) Further, it is provided that the bolt head 14 of the bolts 13 abuts on the affixing plate 7 having the lower mechanical strength.

(17) Manufacturing tolerances play no large role more due to the initiallybefore the tightening of the boltspresent axial gap; these tolerances are compensated and/or absorbed upon tightening the bolts 13 and are specifically eliminated by elastic or also plastic deformation of the affixing plates 6, 7 and naturally of the spring element 12.

(18) When the bearing assembly is mounted, e.g., in a transmission, the roller bearing 2 having the affixing plate 6 captively disposed on it is preferably initially pressed onto the shaft 15 (as illustrated in the FIGURE) and axially fixed. The receiving bore 4 of the bearing support 3 is brought over the outer ring 5 of the roller bearing 2 and is mounted. At this time, the pre-mounted affixing plate 6 contacts the end side 8 of the bearing support 3 in a flush manner so that no axial gap is present here between the affixing plate 6 and the end side 8 of the bearing support 3.

(19) Then the annular-formed spring element 12 is set on the end side 9 of the bearing support 3 and subsequently the second affixing plate 7 is set into the corresponding groove in the outer ring 5, wherein the axial gap then initially results. Then the bolts 13 are screwed into the assembly and so that the bolt head 14 abuts on the end side of the mechanically weaker affixing plate 7 (as illustrated in the FIGURE).

(20) By tightening the bolts 13, a first axial pre-stressing initially builds up as a consequence of the spring element 12. This occurs until the affixing plate 7 abuts on the end side 9 of the bearing support 3 in a gap-free manner after corresponding tightening of the bolts 13. By further tightening the bolts 13, a further elasto-plastic deformation of the spring element 12 occurs, so that tolerances can be compensated.

(21) Upon simultaneously tightening all of the bolts 13, the fixed composite of the bearing assembly thus results through an elasto-plastic deformation, primarily of the affixing plate 7 having the lesser stiffness, as well as through elastic, if necessary also plastic, yielding of the spring element 12. An advantageous pre-stressing in the axial direction results from the elastic portion of the effect of the compression of the spring element 12. Accordingly, the position of the outer ring 5 relative to the bearing support 3 remains defined by the affixing plate 6.

REFERENCE NUMBER LIST

(22) 1 Bearing assembly 2 Roller bearing 3 Bearing support 4 Receiving bore 5 Outer ring 6 Affixing plate 7 Affixing plate 8 End side 9 End side 10 Clamping surface 11 Clamping surface 12 Spring element 13 Bolt 14 Bolt head 15 Shaft a Axial direction X Spacing of the end sides Y Spacing of the clamping surfaces d.sub.1 Thickness d.sub.2 Thickness