EP1861630A1 - Tapered roller bearing having cage segments which are guided on the inner ring - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a roller bearing having an inner ring (I)5 which has an inner raceway (5) which is configured frustoconically and is delimited laterally by a first rim (7) and a second rim (10), an outer ring (2) which has an outer raceway (6) which is configured frustoconically, rolling bodies (3) which roll between the inner raceway (5) and the outer raceway (6), and cage segments (4) which are in a row next to one another in the circumferential direction and are fitted with the rolling bodies (3). The cage segments (4) which are fitted with the rolling bodies (3) are fixed captively on the inner ring (1) by the cage segments (4) in the region of the first rim (7) and by the rolling bodies (3) in the region of the second rim (10).

Description

 Description

KEGELROLLENLAGER WITH INNER RING GUIDED CAGE SEGMENTS

The invention relates to a rolling bearing and a mounting unit for a rolling bearing.

Rolling bearings are often equipped with cages for receiving the rolling elements. Especially with rolling bearings of large dimensions and cages are used which have a plurality of cage segments.

A rolling bearing with a segmented cage is known for example from US 2 071 797. There is a tapered roller bearing with an inner ring, an outer ring, a series of tapered rollers and spacers between the tapered rollers known. The inner ring has at the ends of its conical raceway rings with annular grooves, wherein one of the rings is removable. The spacers are concave in shape at their sides and have at their ends projections which extend into the grooves of the rings and are slidably guided there.

From DE 34 04 200 Al a tapered roller bearing with a one-piece cage is known in which no shoulder is provided on the side of the small diameter of the inner ring. At an outer peripheral portion on the side of the larger diameter, a shoulder is formed. The cage has radially inwardly bent and tapered projections, which with a Engages engagement portion of the shoulder so that takes place during rotation of the bearing no contact with the shoulder.

DE 37 23 168 C2 also discloses a tapered roller bearing with a one-piece cage. The cage has on the side of its smaller diameter elastic projections. The projections engage with bias behind the small board of the inner ring and support the cage axially.

From DE 102 46 825 Al a cage for a rolling bearing is known, which has a plurality of circumferentially juxtaposed segments. The segments are made of plastic and each have two circumferentially extending circumferential webs and at least two connecting webs, which connect the two circumferential webs together and form together with the peripheral webs at least one pocket for receiving a rolling element.

The invention is based on the invention, a roller bearing with a segmented cage in such a way that the equipped with rolling elements cage segments are captively fixed to the inner ring of the bearing.

This object is achieved by the combination of features of claim 1.

The rolling bearing according to the invention has an inner ring with a frustoconical inner race, which is bounded laterally by a first board and a second board. Furthermore, the rolling bearing according to the invention, an outer ring with a frustoconical outer raceway. Rolling elements roll off between the inner raceway and the outer raceway. In addition, the rolling bearing according to the invention has cage segments, which are lined up in the circumferential direction and equipped with the rolling elements. The equipped with the rolling elements cage segments are fixed in the region of the first board by the cage segments and in the region of the second board by the rolling elements captive on the inner ring. The rolling bearing according to the invention has the advantage that the assembly of the rolling bearing is considerably facilitated with a reasonable effort. It is particularly advantageous that the fixation by the Käfϊgsegmente takes place only in the region of one of the two shelves.

In a preferred embodiment of the rolling bearing according to the invention, the inner raceway has its maximum diameter in an area adjoining the first board and its maximum diameter in an area adjoining the second board. This has the advantage that the first board in the operation of the bearing is not exposed to high loads and thus there is no problem fixing the Käfϊgsegmente possible.

The first board and the second board can be integrally formed with the inner ring, since it is not necessary in the invention to make the shelves removable.

The cage segments and the inner ring may engage each other in the area of the first shelf of the inner ring. This has the advantage that a reliable fixation of the cage segments is ensured on the inner ring. It is particularly advantageous if the cage segments do not touch the inner ring with mounted outer ring in the region of the engagement. In this way, negative effects on the operation of the rolling bearing according to the invention can be avoided. In particular, the inner ring in the region of the first board has a recess extending in the circumferential direction, engage in the projections of the cage segments. The recess is preferably open to the rolling elements. Accordingly, the projections of the cage segments preferably extend parallel to the axial direction of the rolling elements. Such a geometry can be realized with relatively little effort. In order to facilitate the attachment of Käfϊgsegmente on the inner ring, it is advantageous if at least one matched to the projections of the cage segments recess opens into the recess. About this recess, the projections of the cage segments can be easily inserted into the recess. The projections are preferably formed on circumferentially extending webs of the cage segments.

Preferably, the cage segments are not connected to each other and thus displaced relative to each other, so that a deformation and a resulting increased friction and increased wear can be avoided. In order not to let the number of cage segments be too large, they can each be equipped with several rolling elements. The handling of the fitted with rolling cage segments can be facilitated by the rolling elements are held captive by the cage segments. In particular, the rolling elements can be arranged in receiving pockets of the cage segments. The receiving pockets allow a secure mounting of the rolling elements and a reliable guidance of the cage segments on the rolling elements. In the receiving pockets guide surfaces for guiding the cage segments may be formed on the rolling elements. Using these guide surfaces, the guiding conditions can be specified precisely, thereby meeting high quality requirements and achieving a long service life. It is particularly cost effective if the cage segments are made of plastic. This further has the advantage of a relatively low weight of the cage segments and allows a large variety of shapes.

The rolling bearing according to the invention may be formed multi-row. In particular, it is designed as a tapered roller bearing.

The invention further relates to a mounting unit for a rolling bearing. The mounting unit according to the invention has an inner ring with a truncated cone-shaped inner raceway, the side by a first board and a second board is limited. Furthermore, the assembly unit according to the invention has rolling elements which roll on the inner raceway and cage segments, which are lined up in Urnfangsrichtung and equipped with the rolling elements. The equipped with the rolling elements cage segments are fixed in the region of the first board by the cage segments and in the region of the second board by the rolling elements captive on the inner ring.

The invention will be explained below with reference to the embodiment shown in the drawing.

Show it:

1 shows an embodiment of the rolling bearing according to the invention fragmentary in section,

Figure 2 shows an embodiment of a cage segment in perspective and

3 shows the embodiment of the cage segment of Figure 2 in a sectional view.

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the rolling bearing according to the invention fragmentary in section. The rolling bearing is designed as a double-row tapered roller bearing and serves, for example, the rotatable mounting of a rotor of a wind turbine. The rolling bearing has two axially juxtaposed inner rings 1, an outer ring 2, 3 rolling elements and cage segments 4. In FIG. 1, only one of the two inner rings 1 is shown completely, so that the description below refers in each case to this inner ring 1. For the other inner ring 1, which is shown only in part, mutatis mutandis, the same applies. The inner ring 1 has a frustoconical inner raceway 5, on which the rolling elements 3 roll. In a similar way, the Outer ring 2 via a truncated cone-shaped outer raceway 6, so that the rolling elements 3 roll between the inner race 5 and the outer race 6.

In the region of its minimum diameter, a holding board 7 is integrally formed laterally next to the inner race 5 with the inner ring 1, which projects beyond the inner race 5 and thus constitutes a stop for the rolling elements 3. The truncated cone-shaped rolling elements 3 rest with their small end faces 8 on a contact surface 9 of the holding board 7, which is oriented perpendicular to the inner race 5. The holding board 7 is relevant only when the rolling bearing is stationary, since the rolling elements 3 are displaced in a rotational movement toward the region of the maximum diameter of the inner raceway 5. There, in addition to the inner race 5, a starting board 10 is formed integrally with the inner ring 1. The rolling elements 3 run with their large end face 11 against a contact surface 12 of the infeed board 10. The contact surface 12 is oriented perpendicular to the inner race 5. The contact surface 12 may also have a slightly convex shape, so that the orientation to the raceway 5 varies over the contact surface 12. The distance between the contact surface 9 of the holding board 7 and the contact surface 12 of the inrun board 10 is only slightly larger than the longitudinal extent of the rolling elements 3 in this area, so that the rolling elements 3 are installed with a very small clearance parallel to their axial direction in the rolling bearing , Since in the rolling bearing no continuous cage, but the cage segments 4 are used, the small game alone is not enough to fix the equipped with the rolling elements 3 cage segments 4 with disassembled outer ring 2 on the inner ring 1. It thus requires further measures so that the inner ring 1 and the assembled cage segments 4 can be handled as a unit.

For this purpose, in the region of the holding board 7, a circumferential groove 13 with inner surfaces 14 is embedded in the inner ring 1, which is oriented parallel to the axial direction of the rolling elements 3 and open to the rolling elements 3. In the groove 13 access as well oriented projections 15 of the cage segments 4 a. In the state shown in FIG. 1, in which the outer ring 2 is mounted, the projections 15 of the cage segments 4 do not touch the inner surfaces 14 of the groove 13. When the outer ring 2 is mounted, the engagement of the projections 15 of the cage segments 4 in the groove 13 of the inner ring 1 thus has no effect on the operation of the rolling bearing.

If the outer ring 2 is dismantled, the rolling bearing is no longer held together by the outer ring 2. Except in the circumferential direction of the inner ring 1, however, the cage segments 4 in the region of the holding board 7 can then move only slightly, since they abut with their projections 15 on the inner surfaces 14 of the groove 13. In the area of the starting board 10, there is no such positive guidance of the cage segments 4, so that they can be pivoted outwardly about the projections 15 engaging in the groove 13 or can also be pulled out of the groove 13. However, these movements are only possible if the Käfϊgsegmente 4 are not equipped with rolling elements 3. As will be explained in more detail with reference to Figure 2, the rolling bearing 3 are secured after insertion into the cage segments 4 in all directions against falling out. The stocked cage segments 4 can therefore only be moved together with the rolling elements 3. According to FIG. 1, however, the rolling elements 3, with their large end faces 11, strike the start-up surface 12 of the in-board shelf 10 in an attempt to pull the cage segments 4 out of the groove 13 and thus prevent such a movement of the cage segments 4. A pivot movement of the cage segments 4 of FIG The inner raceway 5 away is also prevented by the fact that the large end faces 11 of the rolling elements 3 abut against the contact surface 12 of the infeed board 10. Consequently, the fitted with rolling elements 3 cage segments 4 are fixed captive with disassembled outer ring 2 on the inner ring 1 and together with this form a unit that can be handled as a whole and in particular also installed. Figure 2 shows an embodiment of a Käfϊgsegment 4 in a perspective view. Several of these cage segments 4 are strung together in the circumferential direction without firm connection in the rolling bearing shown in Figure 1. Each cage segment 4 is made of a plastic, for example of poly-phenyl-Sulfϊd or poly-ether-ether-ketone, and has a first Unifangssteg 16 and a second circumferential ridge 17, which extend at a distance parallel to each other. The peripheral webs 16 and 17 are slightly curved or have a polygonal shape that follows a slight bend. In this case, the curvature of the first peripheral ridge 16 has a smaller radius of curvature than the curvature of the second circumferential ridge 17. At the opposite ends of the first circumferential ridge 16, the projections 15 are formed so that the cage segment 4 has two projections 15. The projections 15 have their greatest extent in each case in the longitudinal direction of the first peripheral ridge 16.

Between the peripheral webs 16 and 17 extending connecting webs 18, which are oriented approximately perpendicular to the peripheral webs 16 and 17. Overall, a plurality of receiving pockets 19 are formed by the peripheral webs 16 and 17 and the connecting webs 18, which serve to receive the rolling elements 3. To guide the cage segment 4 to the rolling elements 3, the connecting webs 18 each have laterally molded guide surfaces 20. The guide surfaces 20 are particularly pronounced in the region of the connecting webs 18 which is located closer to the second peripheral web 17 than to the first peripheral web 16.

The connecting webs 18 extend in a direction perpendicular to the plane in which the receiving pockets 19 are arranged, so far that during operation of the

Rolling only slightly behind the rolling elements 3 back and thus the

Do not touch raceways 5 and 6 of the rolling bearing. This causes the cage segments 4 at standstill of the rolling bearing on the raceways 5 and

Supported 6 and such support is also at an excessive wear to the then no longer existing Wälzkörperführung the

To replace cage segments 4. For this purpose, on the connecting webs 18th Elevations 21 formed. The elevations 21 are formed not only on the visible in Figure 2 top of Käfϊgsegments 4, but also on the bottom.

The first and the last connecting web 18 of the cage segment 4 each have no guide surfaces 20 on their outwardly directed end faces 22, since in this area no rolling body 3 is arranged, but the next cage segment 4. Furthermore, the end faces 22 of the connecting webs 18 between the Circumferential webs 16 and 17 concave. This ensures that adjacent cage segments 4 touch each other in the region of the circumferential webs 16 and 17. In this way it can be avoided that by the action of adjacent cage segments 4 on each other to a deformation of the connecting webs 18 and thus to a jamming of the rolling elements 3, which are arranged in the receiving pockets 19 between the connecting webs 18.

Figure 3 shows the embodiment of the cage segment 4 of Figure 2 in a sectional view. The section is guided transversely to the connecting webs 18. For better understanding, the outline of a rolling element 3 within the sectional plane is shown in one of the receiving pockets 19. The rolling element 3 abuts against the guide surfaces 20 of the connecting webs 18 and projects slightly beyond the connecting webs 18. As a result, on the one hand given a good rolling element guide of the cage segment 4 and on the other hand, the possibility of a raceway guide provided with increasing wear. In the illustration of Figure 3, the elevations 21 on the top and on the underside of the cage segment 4 can be seen.

Due to the concave shape of the guide surfaces 20 of the connecting webs 18 are the

Rolling elements 3 enclosed in the receiving pockets 19 of the cage segment 4 and can not fall out in any direction. Accordingly, a certain amount of force is required for the assembly of the cage segment 4, with which the Rolling elements 3 are pressed into the receiving pockets 19. The equipping of the cage segment 4 is preferably carried out before the attachment of the cage segment 4 to the inner ring 1. In order to facilitate the attachment of the populated cage segment 4 on the inner ring 1, the edge of the groove 13 of the inner ring 1 has two recesses not shown figuratively, which are slightly larger than the projections 15 of the cage segment 4 and are arranged at the same distance from each other as the projections 15 of the cage segment 4. This makes it possible to introduce the projections 15 of the cage segment 4 via the recesses into the groove 13. If all the cage segments 4 are attached to the inner ring 1 in this way, the recesses are closed again. This can be done, for example, with the material that has been eroded out of the edge of the groove 13 in the production of the recesses. This can be done, for example, with the material that has been eroded out of the edge of the groove 13 in the production of the recesses. The recesses can also be designed so that the cage segment 4 equipped with rolling elements 3 can be pressed in by elastic deformation of the projections 15. Closing the recesses is thus not required in this case.

Alternatively to the described embodiment, the rolling bearing according to the invention may for example also be formed single row. Likewise, it is also possible, the rolling elements 3 cylindrical or barrel-shaped, ie with a convexly curved lateral surface, form.

reference numeral

1 inner ring

2 outer ring

3 rolling elements

4 cage egment

5 inner raceway

6 outer raceway

7 holding board

8 small face

9 contact surface

10 inboard board

11 large face

12 contact surface

13 groove

14 inner surface

15 advantage

16 first peripheral ridge

17 second circumferential ridge

18 connecting bridge

19 Receiving pocket 0 Guide surface 1 Elevation 2 End face

Claims

P atent claims for a roller bearing A rolling bearing having an inner ring (1) having a truncated cone-shaped inner raceway (5) laterally bounded by a first board (7) and a second board (10), an outer ring (2) having a truncated cone shape outer raceway (6), rolling elements (3) which roll between the inner raceway (5) and the outer raceway (6) and cage segments (4), which are lined up in the circumferential direction and equipped with the rolling elements (3), wherein in the region of the first board (7) by the cage segments (4) and in the region of the second board (10) by the rolling elements (3) are fixed captive on the inner ring (1) with the cage elements (4) equipped with the rolling elements (3). 2. Rolling bearing according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner raceway (5) in a region adjacent to the first board (7) has its minimum area and in a region adjacent to the second board (10) has its maximum diameter. 3. Rolling bearing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first board (7) and the second board (10) are formed integrally with the inner ring (1). 4. Rolling bearing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the Käfϊgsegmente (4) and the inner ring (1) in the region of the first board (7) of the inner ring (1) engage with each other. 5. Rolling bearing according to claim 4, characterized in that the Käfϊgsegmente (4) do not touch the inner ring (1) with mounted outer ring (2) in the region of the engagement. 6. Rolling bearing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner ring (1) in the region of the first board (7) has an in Circumferentially extending recess (13), engage in the projections (15) of the cage segments (4). 7. Rolling bearing according to claim 6, characterized in that the recess (13) to the rolling elements (3) is open. 8. Rolling bearing according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that at least one of the projections (15) of the cage segments (4) tuned recess opens into the recess (13). 9. Rolling bearing according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the projections (15) are formed on circumferentially extending webs (16) of the cage segments (4). 10. Rolling bearing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cage segments (4) are not interconnected. 11. Rolling bearing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cage segments (4) are each equipped with a plurality of rolling elements (3). 12. Rolling bearing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rolling elements (3) of the cage segments (4) are held captive. 13. Rolling bearing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rolling elements (3) in receiving pockets (19) of the cage segments (4) are arranged. 14. Cage according to claim 12, characterized in that in the receiving pockets (19) guide surfaces (20) for guiding the cage segments (4) are formed on the rolling elements (3). 15. Rolling bearing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cage segments (4) are made of plastic. 16. Rolling bearing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is designed multi-row. 17. Rolling bearing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is designed as a tapered roller bearing. 18. Mounting unit for a rolling bearing, comprising an inner ring (1) having a frustoconical inner raceway (5) laterally bounded by a first board (7) and a second board (10), rolling elements (3) Roll on the inner raceway (5) and cage segments (4) in The circumferential direction are lined up and equipped with the rolling elements (3), wherein the with the rolling elements (3) equipped cage segments (4) in the region of the first board (7) through the cage segments (4) and in the region of the second board (10) the rolling elements (3) captive on the inner ring (1) are fixed.