DE102005032886B4 - Storage arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

Bearing arrangement for supporting a rotating part of a machine, comprising
- a rolling bearing (10),
- a support body (20) with a first hollow cylindrical section, the inner shell of which substantially encloses an outer shell of the rolling bearing (10), and with a second section different from the first, wherein the support body (20) comprises a pot-like area (22) with a closed bottom for forming said inner shell, and
- a plastic body (30) which extends between the outer shell of the rolling bearing (10) and the inner shell of the support body (20) and which, in order to effect a predefinable positioning of the bearing arrangement within its installation environment (50), at least partially covers a surface of the second section, wherein the bottom of the pot-shaped area (22) is free of the plastic body (30).

Description

The invention relates to a bearing arrangement for supporting a rotating part of a machine.

From the WO 2001/036103 A1 A centrifuge rotor of a gas purification device is known, which is supported by means of two rolling bearings, one of which is arranged in a bearing holder. The bearing holder together with the rolling bearing is arranged in the gas inlet opening of the gas purification device and is provided with through-openings so that the gas to be purified can pass through the bearing holder into the actual purification chamber.

From the DE 19 17 623 U An angle-shaped tolerance ring for fastening rolling bearings is known, in which the outer circumference, inner circumference and the inner side of the radial leg of an angle-shaped hard material ring are coated with a rubber-elastic material.

From the DE 203 06 508 U1 A bearing arrangement is known in which a bearing is attached in a bearing support such that a sleeve-shaped section of the bearing support surrounding the bearing, in which the bearing is arranged with radial spacing, together with a partial area of the bearing opposite the bearing support, are embedded in a rigid plastic body.

One object of the invention is to create a bearing arrangement comprising a support body and a rolling bearing, in which a predefinable position of the rolling bearing is set via a contact surface of the bearing arrangement, in such a way that exact positioning can be achieved in the simplest and most cost-effective way possible.

The problem is solved by the subject matter of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

Because the plastic body determines the predetermined positioning of the bearing assembly within its installation environment, and because the plastic body also determines the installation position of the rolling bearing within the support body, it is possible to design the bearing assembly such that, for example, a principal axis of the opening of an inner ring of the rolling bearing is identical to a principal axis of an outer diameter of the bearing assembly in the area that determines the positioning of the bearing within its installation environment. This allows the support body to be manufactured with comparatively large tolerances, making it simple and cost-effective to produce, since the precise positioning and centering of the rolling bearing relative to the installation environment, as described above, is achieved by the plastic body.

In an advantageous embodiment, the plastic body extends in layers over parts of the support body that are intended for sealing contact. Advantageously, in addition to its positioning and centering function, the plastic body also simultaneously performs a sealing function.

In an advantageous embodiment, the plastic body is manufactured by an injection molding process. For the precise positioning described above, it is only necessary to ensure the exact positioning of the rolling bearing relative to a boundary surface of an injection mold in the area that defines the surface responsible for positioning the bearing arrangement.

Further advantages, features and details of the invention will become apparent from the exemplary embodiment of the invention described below with reference to the figure.

The figure shows, as an embodiment of the invention, a longitudinal section through a bearing arrangement comprising a rolling bearing 10, a support body 20, and a plastic body 30. The bearing arrangement can be connected to a housing 50 of a gas purification device, in particular a centrifugal oil separator. The rolling bearing 10 is designed, for example, to receive a hollow shaft of a centrifuge rotor of the gas purification device.

The support body 20 is, for example, manufactured in one piece from a sheet of steel. The support body 20 comprises a pot-shaped area 22 with a closed bottom for receiving the rolling bearing 10. The bottom is bulged in such a way that an end face of an outer ring of the rolling bearing 10 rests directly against the bottom, while the corresponding end face of an inner ring of the rolling bearing 10 is free from contact.

The support body 20 further comprises a perforated disc-like area 23 adjoining the edge of the pot-shaped region 22 and extending substantially radially outwards. The perforated disc-like area 23 has three through-openings 27, which may be arcuate, and three substantially circular mounting openings 28, wherein the through-openings 27 and the mounting openings 28 alternate circumferentially and are uniformly distributed circumferentially. The three through-openings gen 27 are provided for the passage of the fluid flow to be cleaned, whereas the three fastening openings 28 are provided for fastening the bearing arrangement to three correspondingly arranged, bore-provided lugs 52 of the housing 50.

Finally, the support body 20 comprises a hollow cylindrical area 24 extending from the outer edge of the perforated disc-like area 23 towards the cup-like area 22. The bearing arrangement is centered within the housing 50 by a defined contact between an outer shell of the bearing arrangement in the area of the hollow cylindrical area 24 and a correspondingly shaped cylindrical surface of the housing 50. To ensure precise centering of a main axis 12 of the rolling bearing 10 with respect to the housing 50, the plastic body 30 extends, on the one hand, between an outer shell of the rolling bearing 10 and the inner shell of the cup-like area 22 of the support body 20, and on the other hand, in a layered fashion onto the outer shell of the hollow cylindrical area 24 of the support body 20. The rolling bearing 10 is thus simultaneously fixed within the support body 20 by the plastic body 30.

The plastic body 30 is manufactured by an injection molding process, so that for the precise centering described above, it is only necessary to ensure the exact positioning of the main axis 12 of the rolling bearing 10 relative to an inner surface of an injection mold in the area of the hollow cylindrical region 24. This allows the support body 20 to be manufactured with comparatively large tolerances, making it simple and cost-effective to produce, since the plastic body 30, and in particular its presence at the two locations described above, ensures the precise positioning of the rolling bearing 10 in the housing 50.

In this process, the sections of the plastic body 30 extending on both sides of the outer surfaces of the hollow cylindrical subsection of the pot-shaped section 22 are manufactured together in a single injection molding operation, extending over the edge of the through-opening 27. The same applies to the hollow cylindrical section 24 of the support body 20. This ensures that during injection molding, which takes place under considerable pressure of, for example, ≥ 600 bar, equal forces act on both outer surfaces of each of the aforementioned hollow cylindrical sections of the support body 20. This prevents deformation of said hollow cylindrical sections of the support body 20 during injection molding, thus preventing the risk of these hollow cylindrical sections of the support element 20 springing back after the injection molding process is complete. This ensures that even after the injection molding process is complete, for example the central axis of the opening of the inner ring of the rolling bearing 10 remains identical to a central axis of an outer diameter of the bearing arrangement, and that, due to the exclusion of springback, no subsequent out-of-roundness occurs which could be adversely transferred to the rolling bearing 10, among other things.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the plastic body 30 extends over further surface areas of the support body 20. Particular attention should be drawn to the outer edge region of the perforated disc-like area 23, which abuts the radially extending surface of the housing 50. The presence of the plastic body 30 in this area simultaneously provides a sealing function between the housing 50 and the bearing arrangement.

Unlike the embodiment of the invention shown in the figure, in a further embodiment a hollow cylindrical area adjoining the perforated disc-like region of a bearing arrangement extends axially on both sides of the perforated disc-like region. For this purpose, the support body in said hollow cylindrical area can emerge from a perforated disc-like region whose circumferential edge is formed with a series of tabs, separated from one another, for example, by incisions, of which one is then alternately bent upwards and the next downwards. The remainder of the hollow cylindrical area is then formed by the plastic body.

In yet another embodiment, the area adjoining the outer surface of the perforated disc-like area can also extend exclusively in an axial direction away from the pot-like area.

Reference symbol list

10

rolling bearings

12

Main axis

20

Supporting body

22

pot-shaped area

23

perforated disc-like area

24

hollow cylindrical area

27

Passage opening

28

Mounting opening

30

plastic body

50

Housing

52

Nose

Claims (18)

Bearing arrangement for supporting a rotating part of a machine, comprising: - a rolling bearing (10), - a support body (20) with a first hollow cylindrical section, the inner shell of which substantially encloses an outer shell of the rolling bearing (10), and with a second section distinct from the first, wherein the support body (20) comprises a pot-shaped area (22) with a closed bottom for forming said inner shell, and - a plastic body (30) extending between the outer shell of the rolling bearing (10) and the inner shell of the support body (20), and which at least partially covers a surface of the second section to effect a predefinable positioning of the bearing arrangement within its installation environment (50), wherein the bottom of the pot-shaped area (22) is free of the plastic body (30). Storage arrangement according to Claim 1 , wherein the plastic body (30) is arranged extending over an area of a surface of the support body (20), which is intended to perform a sealing function vis-à-vis the installation environment (50). Storage arrangement according to one of the Claims 1 or 2 , wherein the plastic body (30) is designed for fastening the rolling bearing (10) in the support body (20). Storage arrangement according to one of the Claims 1 until 3 , wherein the surface covered for positioning is a cylindrical outer shell of the support body (20). Storage arrangement according to one of the Claims 1 until 4 , wherein the support body (20) comprises a perforated disc-like area (23) adjoining the edge of the pot-like area (22) and extending substantially radially outwards, and a hollow cylinder-like area (24) adjoining the outer edge of the perforated disc-like area (23), which has said surface for positioning. Storage arrangement according to Claim 5 , wherein the perforated disc-like area (23) comprises at least one passage opening (27) provided for the passage of a fluid. Storage arrangement according to one of the Claims 5 or 6 , wherein the perforated disc-like area (23) comprises at least one substantially circular fastening opening (28) for fastening the bearing arrangement. Storage arrangement according to one of the Claims 6 or 7 , wherein three of the openings (27, 28) are provided evenly distributed in the circumferential direction. Storage arrangement according to one of the Claims 6 until 8 , wherein the passage openings (27) and the fastening openings (28) are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction. Storage arrangement according to one of the Claims 6 until 9 , wherein the surface of the perforated disc-like area (23) is free of a coating with the plastic body (30) on one side in the area of one of the openings (27, 28). Storage arrangement according to one of the Claims 6 until 10 , wherein an axially extending surface area of one of the openings (27, 28) is free of a coating with the plastic body (30). Storage arrangement according to one of the Claims 1 until 11 , wherein the bottom of the pot-like area (22) is bulged out in a central area. Storage arrangement according to Claim 12 , wherein the bulge is designed such that, when the outer ring of the rolling bearing (10) rests against the end face of the bottom of the pot-shaped area (22), the corresponding end face of an inner ring of the rolling bearing (10) is free from contact. Storage arrangement according to one of the Claims 1 until 13 , wherein the plastic body (30) is produced by an injection molding process. Storage arrangement according to one of the Claims 1 until 14 , wherein the support body (20) and/or the plastic body (30) are formed in one piece. Storage arrangement according to one of the Claims 1 until 15 , wherein the support body (20) is made of a sheet metal. Storage arrangement according to Claim 16 , where the sheet metal is a steel sheet. Storage arrangement according to one of the Claims 1 until 17 , where the part of the machine is a shaft of a centrifugal oil separator.