DEVICE FOR RETAINING OF LUBRICANTS IN ROLLING-ELEMENT BEARINGS, ROLLING-ELEMENT BEARING SUBASSEMBLIES, AND METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING A ROLLING-ELEMENT BEARING SUBASSEMBLY

Abstract

A rolling-element bearing subassembly includes a first bearing ring having an axial face lying in a plane and a plurality of rolling elements on a running surface of the first bearing ring. The first bearing ring is connectable to a second bearing ring to form a rolling-element bearing. An annular retaining body having a first leg connected to a second leg by a bridge, the first leg being shorter than the second leg, is mounted on an axial face of the first bearing ring with the first leg contacting the axial face so that the bridge is located on a first side of the plane and the second leg extends through the plane to define an annular gap between a portion of the first bearing ring and the bridge and a portion of the second leg for retaining a lubricant.

Claims

1-6. (canceled)

7. A rolling-element bearing subassembly including: a first bearing ring and a plurality of rolling elements that are disposed on a running surface of the bearing ring, the first bearing ring having an axial face lying in a plane, and a device for retaining a lubricant disposed on the first bearing ring, the device comprising an annular retaining body comprising a first leg connected to a second leg by a bridge, the first leg being shorter than the second leg, the first leg of the annular retaining body being mounted on the axial face of the first bearing ring, the bridge being located on a first side of the plane, and the second leg extending axially from the bridge through the plane and toward the plurality of rolling elements to form an annular gap delimited by a portion of the first bearing ring and by the bridge and by a portion of the second leg, the gap being configured to retain the lubricant.

8. The rolling-element bearing subassembly according to claim 7, wherein the device for retaining the lubricant is disposed in the first bearing ring such that with an assembling of the rolling-element bearing subassembly with a second bearing ring disposable on the rolling-element bearing subassembly, the device can remain on the bearing ring.

9. The rolling-element bearing subassembly according to claim 7, wherein the rolling-element bearing is a multi-row rolling-element bearing and a the device for retaining the lubricant is disposed at least between two rolling-element sets of the rolling-element bearing.

10. (canceled)

11. The rolling-element bearing subassembly according to claim 7, wherein the bridge connects a center portion of the first leg to a center portion of the second leg.

12. A rolling-element bearing comprising the rolling-element bearing subassembly according to claim 7 and a second bearing ring.

13. A rolling-element bearing subassembly comprising: a first bearing ring having an axial face lying in a plane and an opening in the axial face and a plurality of rolling elements disposed on a running surface of the first bearing ring, the first bearing ring being configured to be connected to a second bearing ring to form a rolling-element bearing, the subassembly not including the second bearing ring; an annular retaining body comprising a first leg connected to a second leg by a bridge, the first leg being shorter than the second leg, the first leg of the annular retaining body being mounted on the axial face of the first bearing ring, the bridge being located on a first side of the plane, and the second leg extending axially from the bridge through the plane and toward the plurality of rolling elements to define an annular gap between a portion of the first bearing ring and the bridge and a portion of the second leg configured to retain a lubricant.

14. The rolling-element bearing subassembly according to claim 13, wherein the bridge connects a center portion of the first leg to a center portion of the second leg.

15. A rolling-element bearing assembly comprising: a first roller-element bearing comprising the rolling-element bearing assembly according to claim 13 and the second bearing ring; and a second roller-element bearing assembly mounted axially adjacent the first roller-element bearing to form a double-row rolling-element bearing; wherein the first bearing ring comprises an outer ring; wherein the first bridge extends from the axial face of the outer ring of the first bearing to an axial face of an outer ring of the second bearing, and wherein a first end of the second bridge is located inside the first roller-element bearing and a second end of the second bridge is located inside the second roller-element bearing, and wherein the bridge is located in an axial gap between the first roller-element bearing and the second roller-element bearing.

16. A method comprising: providing a first bearing ring having an axial face lying in a plane and an opening in the axial face and a plurality of rolling elements disposed on a running surface of the first bearing ring; applying lubricant to the plurality of rolling elements; providing an annular retaining body comprising a first leg connected to a second leg by a bridge, the first leg being shorter than the second leg; and placing the first leg of the annular retaining body on the axial face of the first bearing ring such that the bridge is located on a first side of the plane and the second leg extends axially from the bridge through the plane and toward the plurality of rolling elements to define an annular gap between a portion of the first bearing ring and the bridge and a portion of the second leg to retain the lubricant on the plurality of rolling elements.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the bridge connects a center portion of the first leg to a center portion of the second leg.

18. The method according to claim 16 including: attaching a second bearing ring to the first bearing ring to form a first bearing assembly; providing a second bearing assembly; placing the second bearing assembly on the first bearing assembly such that the first leg contacts a first bearing ring of the second bearing assembly and the second leg extends into an interior of the second bearing.

Description

[0028] In the following the invention shall be explained in more detail with reference to an illustration.

[0029] FIG. 1 schematically shows a side view of a first embodiment of a device for the retaining of lubricants;

[0030] FIG. 2 schematically shows a side view of a second embodiment of a device for the retaining of lubricants;

[0031] FIG. 3 shows a side view of a double-row rolling-element bearing including the first embodiment of the device; and

[0032] FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of a method for assembling a rolling-element bearing subassembly.

[0033] The first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 of a device 1 for retaining of lubricants includes a retaining body 2 that is configured annular. A bridge 10 is formed in a center of an outside of the retaining body 2. A first end 11 of the bridge 10 is disposed on the retaining body 2. The bridge 10 extends radially outward from the retaining body 2. An annular holding body 14 is disposed on a second end 12 of the bridge. Between retaining body 2, bridge 10, and holding body 14, lubricant spaces 8 are formed on both sides of bridge 10 for the receiving of bearing lubricant, in particular bearing grease. This first embodiment of the device 1 is suited in particular for multi-row rolling-element bearing subassemblies 3 (see FIG. 3) that include an outer ring 4.

[0034] The second embodiment shown in FIG. 2 of a device 1 for retaining of lubricants includes a retaining body 2 that is configured annular. A bridge 10 is formed on one edge 13 of the retaining body 2. A first end 11 of the bridge 10 is disposed on the retaining body 2. The bridge 10 extends radially outward from the retaining body 2. An annular retaining body 14 is disposed on a second end 12 of the bridge. On one side of bridge 10 a lubricant space 8 is formed between retaining body 2, bridge 10, and holding body 14 for the receiving of bearing lubricant, in particular bearing grease. This second embodiment of the device 1 is suited in particular for single row rolling-element bearing subassemblies 3 that include an outer ring 4.

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a double-row rolling-element bearing 9 including two rolling-element sets 7, wherein a first embodiment of the device 1 is disposed between the rolling-element sets 7. The rolling-element bearing 9 includes four bearing rings 6, of which two are configured as outer rings 4 and two as inner rings 5. A holding body 14 of the device 1 is disposed between the two outer rings 4 and preferably clamped between them. On both sides of bridge 10 lubricant spaces 8 are formed between the device 1 and the outer rings 4 for the receiving of bearing lubricant, in particular bearing grease. Thus even with removal of the bearing inner rings 5 it is ensured by the device 1 that bearing lubricant flows out from the rolling-element bearing 9. Furthermore an exchange of bearing lubricant between the two rolling-element sets is prevented by the device 1.

[0036] In FIG. 4 a method for assembling a rolling-element bearing subassembly 3 is depicted in a flow diagram. In a first method step 100 a bearing ring 6 of a rolling-element bearing 9, preferably an outer ring 4, is provided. In a second method step 200 at least one rolling element set 7 is disposed on a running surface of the bearing ring 6. In a third method step 300 a device 1 for retaining of bearing lubricant is disposed on the bearing ring 6 such that a lubricant space 8 for a bearing lubricant is formed between the bearing ring 6 and the device 1. In a fourth method step 400 the lubricant space 8 for lubricating the rolling-element bearing subassembly 3 is filled with a bearing lubricant. Alternatively the fourth method step 400 is carried out prior to the third method step 300 or already prior to the second method step 200. In this alternative method the bearing lubricant is preferably introduced in the lubricant space 8 or in the lubricant spaces 8 of the device 1 that are formed between the retaining body 2, the bridge 10, and the retaining body 14. The sequence of method steps is changeable at the discretion of the person skilled in the art without thereby leaving the scope of the invention.

REFERENCE NUMBER LIST

[0037] 1 Device [0038] 2 Retaining body [0039] 3 Rolling-element bearing subassembly [0040] 4 Outer ring [0041] 5 Inner ring [0042] 6 Bearing ring [0043] 7 Rolling-element set [0044] 8 Lubricant space [0045] 9 Rolling-element bearing [0046] 10 Bridge [0047] 11 First end [0048] 12 Second end [0049] 13 Edge [0050] 14 Holding body [0051] 15 Rolling element [0052] 100 First method step [0053] 200 Second method step [0054] 300 Third method step [0055] 400 Fourth method step