Method for operating a spinning machine of a rotor spinning machine, and spinning machine of a rotor spinning machine

A spinning device of a rotor spinning machine, comprising:

• a spinning rotor comprising a rotor cup and a rotor shaft, the rotor cup situated in a rotor housing to which vacuum is applied during a spinning process;
• a drive housing, and a drive within the drive housing and operatively connected to the rotor shaft;
• the rotor shaft extending between the drive housing and the rotor housing through a connection opening such that when a vacuum is drawn in the rotor housing during the spinning process, a vacuum is also drawn in the drive housing;
• the rotor shaft supported in the drive housing by a bearing wherein a bearing gap is defined between the rotor shaft and the bearing;
• an air inlet through which compressed air is fed into the drive housing at an end of the rotor shaft directly into the bearing gap so as to flow axially along the rotor shaft in the bearing gap, wherein feed of the compressed air is controlled so as to be fed at intervals into the drive housing;
• and
• wherein the air inlet is disposed such that the compressed air removes impurities from the bearing and the drive housing and is directed into the rotor housing for subsequent removal from the rotor housing.