Rolling bearing cage or cage element

Abstract

A rolling-element bearing cage or cage element includes at least one axial bridge region having first and second guide surfaces, the first guide surface and the second guide surface each have a recessed region axially between first and second non-recessed regions, at least one V-shaped receiving space in a radial outer surface of the rolling-element bearing cage or cage element configured to receive lubricant, and first and second fluid channels extending from the at least one receiving space to the recessed regions of the first and second guide surfaces. The fluid channels have rectangular cross sections, are about as wide as a width of the recessed regions, and are angled at an acute angle to a radial direction, and the receiving space is approximately as wide as the recessed regions.

Claims

1. A rolling-element bearing-cage or -cage-element, comprising at least one bridge region extending in an axial direction (a), wherein the bridge region includes two guide surfaces for rolling elements on two sides facing away from each other, wherein at least one receiving space configured to receive lubricant is disposed in the rolling-element bearing-cage or -cage-element, wherein a single fluid channel extending in the interior of the rolling-element bearing-cage or -cage-element leads from the at least one receiving space to each guide surface, wherein the at least one receiving space is disposed in the radially outer bridge region and, seen in the axial direction (a), has a V-shaped cross-sectional shape, wherein the fluid channel opens in a region of the guide surface that is recessed with respect to the guide surface, wherein the fluid channel has a rectangular cross-section and extends over a width of the recessed region of the guide surface, wherein the fluid channel fall off from the receiving space at an acute angle to the radial direction and wherein an axial extension of the at least one receiving space corresponds to the axial extension of the recessed regions.

2. The rolling-element bearing-cage or -cage-element according to claim 1, wherein an offset amount (s) of the recessed region with respect to each guide surface, measured normal to the guide surface, is between 0.4% and 2.5% of a diameter (D) of the rolling elements.

3. The rolling-element bearing-cage or -cage-element according to claim 1, wherein single recessed region is disposed centrally between two axial end regions of the guide surfaces.

4. The rolling-element bearing-cage or -cage-element according to claim 1, wherein each recessed region ends before reaching a radially outer and/or a radially inner edge of the rolling-element bearing-cage or -cage-element.

5. The rolling-element bearing cage according to claim 1, further including two side rings, between which the at least one bridge region extends in order to form a number of receiving pockets, wherein the number corresponds to the number of rolling elements.

6. The rolling-element bearing cage-element according to claim 1 configured as a cage segment configured to be placed between two adjacent rolling elements with no connection to a side ring.

7. The rolling-element bearing-cage or -cage-element according to claim 1, wherein an offset amount of the recessed region with respect to each guide surface, measured normal to the guide surface, is between 0.4% and 2.5% of a diameter (D) of the rolling elements, wherein recessed region is disposed centrally between two axial end regions of the guide surfaces, wherein each recessed region ends before reaching a radially outer and/or a radially inner edge of the rolling-element bearing-cage or -cage-element, and further including two side rings, between which the at least one bridge region extends in order to form a number of receiving pockets.

8. A rolling-element bearing cage or cage element, comprising: at least one axial bridge region having a first guide surface and a second guide surface facing away from the first guide surface, the first guide surface and the second guide surface being configured to guide rolling elements, the first guide surface and the second guide surface each including a recessed region located axially between first and second non-recessed regions, at least one receiving space in a radial outer surface of the rolling-element bearing cage or cage element configured to receive lubricant, the at least one receiving space having a substantially V-shaped cross section, and a single first fluid channel having a first longitudinal axis extending from the at least one receiving space to the recessed region of the first guide surface and a single second fluid channel having a second longitudinal axis extending from the at least one receiving space to the recessed region of the second guide surface, wherein the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel each have a rectangular cross section, wherein the first fluid channel has an axial width substantially equal to an axial width of the recessed region of the first guide surface and the second fluid channel has an axial width substantially equal to an axial width of the recessed region of the second guide surface, wherein the first longitudinal axis makes a first acute angle with a radial direction and the second longitudinal axis makes a second acute angle with the radial direction, and wherein an axial width of the receiving space is substantially equal to an axial width of the recessed region of the first guide surface.

9. The rolling-element bearing cage or cage element according to claim 8, wherein the recessed portion of the first guide surface is recessed relative to the first and second non-recessed regions by 0.4% to 2.5% of a diameter of the rolling elements.

10. The rolling-element bearing cage or cage element according to claim 8, wherein the recessed region of the first guide surface is the only recessed region on the first guide surface and wherein the recessed region of the second guide surface is the only recessed region on the second guide surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) An exemplary embodiment of the invention is depicted in the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows two rolling elements of a rolling-element bearing in the form of a cylindrical roller bearing, wherein a cage bridge is disposed between the two rolling elements, seen in the axial direction of the bearing, and

(3) FIG. 2 shows the cage bridge according to FIG. 1 in perspective view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) In the Figures a part of a cylindrical roller bearing can be seen, wherein here a cage bridge is placed as a classical cage or a cage segment between two cylindrical rollers.

(5) In FIG. 1 two rolling elements 4 can be seen, wherein a cage segment 1 is placed between them. The cage segment 1 in the form of a cage bridgewhich is depicted isolated in FIG. 2includes two guide surfaces 2 and 3 that are disposed facing away from each other on the cage element 1 and each facing a rolling element 4. The cage element 1 extends in an axial direction a.

(6) Here the guide surfaces 2 and 3, as can best be seen from FIG. 2, are not configured continuous, but rather they include a recessed region 8 that is delimited or flanked by two axial end regions 9 and 10. The offset amount s, by which the region 8 is recessed with respect to the end regions 9, 10, is not large and is, for example, 1% of the diameter D of the rolling element 4.

(7) The end regions 9, 10 are configured identically-sized and have an extension in an axial direction a that preferably corresponds to between 15% and 30% of the total axial extension of the cage element 1.

(8) A receiving space 5 for lubricant is disposed in the cage element 1. Here viewed in axial direction a the receiving space 5 in the exemplary embodiment (see FIG. 1) has a V-shaped cross-sectional shape. The V-shaped design of the receiving space here corresponds with the also-generally-V-shaped design of the cage element 1 itself. From each receiving space 5 a fluid channel 6 and 7 leads to a guide surface 2 and 3 respectively. The fluid channel 6 or 7 discharges here in the recessed region 8.

(9) Recesses are thus providedformed as recessed regions 8on the guide surfaces 2, 3 of the cage bridge 1. The receiving space 5 serves as a lubricant reservoir and directs lubricant into the recessed regions 8 via the fluid channels 6, 7. The rolling contact between rolling element 4 and cage bridge 1 is thus optimally supplied with lubricant.

(10) Alternatively the recessed regions 8 can be not-continuously formed in the radial direction (perpendicular to the direction a), but provided with boundaries.

(11) The cage element 1 can be embodied as a casting made of plastic or made of a steel alloy, wherein the required geometry including the fluid channels 6, 7 can be realized cost-effectively in a known manner by slides in the injection mold.

(12) As can be seen overall, (at least) one receiving space 5 for the lubricant thus arises in the cage segment 1, wherein for each receiving space 5 only a single fluid channel extending in the interior of the cage element 1 leads from the receiving space 5 to each of the two guide surfaces 2 and 3. The receiving space 5 is disposed in the radially outer bridge region and hasseen in axial direction athe V-shaped cross-sectional shape. The fluid channels 6 and 7 open in the region 8 of the guide surface 2, 3 that is recessed with respect to the guide surfaces 2, 3; the two fluid channels 6 and 7 have a rectangular cross-section and extend over the width of the recessed region 8 of the guide surface 2, 3. As can further be seen the two fluid channels 6 and 7 fall off from the receiving space 5 at an acute anglewhich in the exemplary embodiment falls at approximately 30 (between 20 and 50 are preferred)towards the radial direction to its outlet on the guide surface 2, 3. What is meant here is the angle that arises between the longitudinal axis of the straight-configured fluid channel 6, 7 and the radial direction.

REFERENCE NUMBER LIST

(13) 1 Rolling-element bearing-cage or -cage-element 2 Guide surface 3 Guide surface 4 Rolling element 5 Receiving space (reservoir) 6 Fluid channel 7 Fluid channel 8 Recessed region 9 Axial end region of the guide surface 10 Axial end region of the guide surface a Axial direction s Offset amount D Diameter of the rolling element