# US 10,871,193 B2 · Needle roller thrust bearing

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- Number: US 10,871,193 B2
- Document ID: US10871193B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/426,765
- Filed: 2019-05-30
- Published: 2019-12-05
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-05
- Assignees: Jtekt Corporation
- Applicants: Jtekt Corporation
- Inventors: Yuki Shishihara; Shigeo Kamamoto; Junji Murata
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871193B2

## CPC

- F16C 33/6681: {Details of distribution or circulation inside the bearing, e.g. grooves on the cage or passages in the rolling elements}
- F16C 19/30: for axial load mainly
- F16C 19/305: {consisting of rollers held in a cage}
- F16C 19/46: with one row or needles
- F16C 33/4629: {made from metal, e.g. cast or machined window cages}
- F16C 33/4635: {made from plastic, e.g. injection moulded window cages}
- F16C 33/467: {Details of individual pockets, e.g. shape or roller retaining means}
- F16C 33/6685: {Details of collecting or draining, e.g. returning the liquid to a sump}
- F16C 2361/65: Gear shifting, change speed gear, gear box
- F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS

## Abstract

A needle roller thrust bearing includes an annular cage and a plurality of rollers. The cage includes a plurality of cage pockets that is radially disposed. The plurality of rollers is housed in the cage pockets and disposed between a first raceway surface and a second raceway surface that axially face each other. Lubricating oil flows from a radially inner side to a radially outer side in an annular space in which the cage and the rollers are provided. The cage includes inner grooves and drainage grooves. Each of the inner grooves connects a circumferentially adjacent pair of the cage pockets by connecting radially inner areas of the pair of cage pockets. Each of the drainage grooves has an opening at an outer circumferential surface of the cage to drain lubricating oil in a circumferential area including radially outer areas of the cage pockets.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A needle roller thrust bearing comprising:
an annular cage having a plurality of cage pockets radially around the annular cage; and
a plurality of rollers respectively housed in the plurality of cage pockets, the plurality of rollers being disposed between a first raceway surface and a second raceway surface of the thrust bearing that axially face each other, the cage and the plurality of rollers being provided in an annular space defined between the first raceway surface and the second raceway surface such that lubricating oil flows in the annular space from a radially inner side to a radially outer side, wherein:
the cage includes:
a plurality of inner grooves, each of the plurality of inner grooves connecting a circumferentially adjacent pair of the plurality of cage pockets by connecting radially inner areas of the pair of cage pockets,
a plurality of drainage grooves, each of the plurality of drainage grooves extending in a radial direction of the cage to an outer circumferential surface of the cage and opening at the outer circumferential surface of the cage to drain lubricating oil radially outward in a circumferential area including radially outer areas of the plurality of cage pockets, and
a plurality of middle grooves respectively located between and separating each of the plurality of inner grooves and each of the plurality of drainage grooves.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The needle roller thrust bearing according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of drainage grooves are provided both in a first side surface facing the first raceway surface and in a second side surface facing the second raceway surface of the thrust bearing.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The needle roller thrust bearing according to claim 1, wherein:
the cage includes an inner annular portion located in a radially inner portion of the cage, an outer annular portion located in a radially outer portion of the cage, and a plurality of cage bars that each connects the inner annular portion and the outer annular portion,
each of the cage pockets is formed by a space between a circumferentially adjacent pair of the cage bars in a region between the inner annular portion and the outer annular portion,
the outer annular portion includes first arcuate portions located radially outside the cage pockets and second arcuate portions located radially outside the cage bars, the first arcuate portions and the second arcuate portions being alternately arranged along a circumferential direction, and
the plurality of drainage grooves are provided in the second arcuate portions.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The needle roller thrust bearing according to claim 3,
wherein the cage further includes connecting grooves that connect the cage pockets and the plurality of drainage grooves.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The needle roller thrust bearing according to claim 1, wherein the cage includes:
a first guide surface that contacts the first raceway surface when the cage is displaced toward the first raceway surface, and
a second guide surface that contacts the second raceway surface when the cage is displaced toward the second raceway surface.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The needle roller thrust bearing according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of middle grooves connect the pair of cage pockets and the respective drainage groove of the plurality of drainage grooves.