Roller bearing cage and method for mounting a roller bearing cage
AssigneeAktiebolaget Skf
InventorsBerthold Beyfuss, Hans-Juergen Friedrich, Sabine Hofmann, Holger Kristandt, Alfred Radina, Jonas Schierling, Gerhard Wagner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A rolling-element bearing cage includes a first side ring and a second side ring connected to the first side ring by a plurality of bridges defining a plurality of pockets configured to receive a rolling-element. The first side ring includes a joint at which the first side ring is configured to be opened to increase a diameter of the first side ring, and the first side ring and the second side ring and the plurality of bridges are made of steel and an outer diameter of the second side ring is greater than 500 mm.
Claims16
A rolling-element bearing cage having at least one first side ring extending in a circumferential direction, which includes an opening point at which the first side ring is configured to be opened to expand a circumference of the first side ring, and
- a closure element,
- wherein the rolling-element bearing cage comprises steel and has an outer diameter greater than 500 mm, wherein the opening point includes:
- a first overlap surface formed on an L-shaped first end of the first side ring,
- a second overlap surface formed on an L-shaped second end of the first side ring,
- wherein the first overlap surface and the second overlap surface are arranged facing one another in an axial direction,
- wherein the first overlap surface and the second overlap surface engage with one another in an overlapping arrangement,
- wherein the opening point enables opening and closing in a circumferential direction, and
- wherein the closure element is configured to hold the opening point closed so that a circumference of the side ring is fixed.
A method for installing a rolling-element bearing cage comprising:
- a) opening a side ring of the rolling-element bearing cage at an opening point in a circumferential direction, wherein the opening point includes:
- a first overlap surface formed on an L-shaped first end of the first side ring,
- a second overlap surface formed on an L-shaped second end of the first side ring, and
- a closure element configured to hold the opening point in the first side ring closed,
- wherein the first overlap surface and the second overlap surface are arranged facing one another in
- an axial direction,
- wherein the first overlap surface and the second overlap surface engage with one another in an overlapping arrangement, and
- wherein the opening point enables opening and closing in a circumferential direction;
- b) installing the rolling-element bearing cage with the opened side ring onto a rolling-element bearing;
- and
- c) closing and securing the opening point by bringing the first end of the first side ring and the second end of the first side ring towards one another in a circumferential motion, overlapping the first overlap surface and the second overlap surface in an overlapping arrangement, and
- d) securing the first overlap surface and the second overlap surface in an overlapping arrangement and in a fixed arrangement using the closure element.
A rolling-element bearing cage comprising a first side ring and a second side ring connected to the first side ring by a plurality of bridges defining a plurality of pockets configured to receive a rolling-element, and
- a closure element,
- wherein the first side ring includes a joint at which the first side ring is configured to be opened to increase a diameter of the first side ring, and
- wherein the first side ring and the second side ring and the plurality of bridges are separate elements having a first end of each bridge assembled to the first side ring and a second end of each bridge assembled to the second side ring, the first side ring, the second side ring and the plurality of bridges comprise steel and wherein an outer diameter of the second side ring is greater than 500 mm,
- wherein the joint includes:
- a first overlap surface formed on an L-shaped first end of the first side ring,
- a second overlap surface formed on an L-shaped second end of the first side ring,
- wherein the first overlap surface and the second overlap surface are arranged facing one another in an axial direction,
- wherein the first overlap surface and the second overlap surface engage with one another in an overlapping arrangement,
- wherein the closure element is configured to hold the opening point closed so that a circumference of the side ring is fixed, and
- wherein the joint enables opening and closing in a circumferential direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.