# US 11,028,875 B1 · Assembly with a housing and an outer bearing race that are formed of dissimilar metals, the assembly being configured to retain the outer bearing race to the housing over a range of temperatures > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,028,875 B1 - Document ID: US11028875B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/829,052 - Filed: 2020-03-25 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-25 - Assignees: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc. - Applicants: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc. - Inventors: Steven Chinitz; Brian McCormick - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11028875B1 ## CPC - F16C 19/386: {in O-arrangement} - F16C 19/525: {related to temperature and heat, e.g. insulation} - F16C 19/364: {with tapered rollers, i.e. rollers having essentially the shape of a truncated cone} - F16C 19/547: {with two angular contact rolling bearings} - F16C 33/605: {with a separate retaining member, e.g. flange, shoulder, guide ring, secured to a race ring, adjacent to the race surface, so as to abut the end of the rolling elements, e.g. rollers, or the cage} - F16C 35/04: in the case of ball or roller bearings - F16C 2202/22: Coefficient of expansion - F16C 2361/31: Axle - F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS ## Abstract An assembly with a housing, a bearing, which is received in a bearing bore formed in the housing, and an annular compensation member. The housing and the compensation member are formed of materials having a larger coefficient of linear thermal expansion than a material from which the outer bearing race is formed. The compensation member is fixedly coupled to the housing and mounted about an outer bearing race of the bearing. The compensation member is configured to grow in a radial direction into contact with an inside circumferential surface of the outer bearing race when a temperature of the assembly increases from a first predetermined temperature to a second predetermined temperature. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An assembly comprising: a housing defining a bore; a first bearing having a first outer bearing race, a first inner bearing race, and a plurality of first rolling elements that are disposed radially between the first outer and first inner bearing races, the first outer bearing race being received in the bore and defining an annular race on which the first rolling elements are rollingly disposed; a first annular compensation member fixedly coupled to the housing, the first annular compensation member having an outside circumferential surface that is received about an inside circumferential surface of the first outer bearing race; wherein the housing is formed of a first material having a first coefficient of linear thermal expansion, wherein the first outer bearing race is formed of a second material having a second coefficient of linear thermal expansion, and wherein the first annular compensation member is formed of a third material having a third coefficient of linear thermal expansion; and (a) wherein a fit between an outside circumferential surface of the first outer bearing race and an inside circumferential surface of the bore in the housing fixedly couples the first outer bearing race to the housing when the temperature of the assembly is at or below a first predetermined temperature, (b) wherein the outside circumferential surface of the first outer bearing race is disengaged from the inside circumferential surface of the bore when the temperature of the assembly is at or above a second predetermined temperature, the second predetermined temperature being greater than the first predetermined temperature, and (c) wherein a fit between the inside circumferential surface of the first outer bearing race and the outside circumferential surface of the first annular compensation member fixedly couples the first outer bearing race to the first annular compensation member when the temperature of the assembly is at or above the second predetermined temperature to thereby inhibit axial and rotational movement of the first outer bearing race relative to the housing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first annular compensation member is integrally and unitarily formed with the housing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first annular compensation member comprises a tubular portion and a flange, the tubular portion defining the outside circumferential surface of the first annular compensation member, the flange extending radially outwardly from the tubular portion and engaging the housing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The assembly of claim 3, wherein a first portion of the bore into which the first outer bearing race is received and a second portion of the bore into which the flange is received are formed with a common inside diameter. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the first and third materials is a non-ferrous material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The assembly of claim 5, wherein each of the first and third materials is an aluminum alloy. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the second material is a steel alloy. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first rolling elements comprise rollers. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The assembly of claim 8, wherein the rollers are tapered. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first rolling elements comprise spherical balls. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a shaft that is received through the first inner bearing race, the shaft being supported by the first bearing for rotation relative to the housing about a rotational axis. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The assembly of claim 11, further comprising a second bearing having a second outer bearing race, a second inner bearing race, and a plurality of second rolling elements that are disposed radially between the second outer and second inner bearing races, the second outer bearing race being received in the bore and defining a second annular race on which the second rolling elements are rollingly disposed, wherein the first and second outer bearing races are unitarily and integrally formed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The assembly of claim 12, wherein the assembly comprises a second annular compensation member formed of the third material, the second annular compensation member has an outside circumferential surface that is received about an inside circumferential surface of the second outer bearing race, wherein a fit between the inside circumferential surface of the second outer bearing race and the outside circumferential surface of the second annular compensation member fixedly couples the second outer bearing race to the second annular compensation member when the temperature of the assembly is at or above the second predetermined temperature to thereby inhibit axial and rotational movement of the second outer bearing race relative to the housing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The assembly of claim 13, wherein the second outer bearing race comprises a circumferentially extending rib that is disposed radially outward of the second annular race and wherein the inside circumferential surface of the second outer bearing race is formed on the circumferentially extending rib. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first outer bearing race comprises a circumferentially extending rib that is disposed radially inward of the first annular race and wherein the inside circumferential surface of the first outer bearing race is formed on the circumferentially extending rib. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein a ratio of the first coefficient of linear thermal expansion to the second coefficient of linear thermal expansion is greater than or equal to 1.75. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein a ratio of the third coefficient of linear thermal expansion to the first coefficient of linear thermal expansion is within a range of 0.9 to 1.1. ### Claim 18 An assembly comprising: a housing formed of a first material, the housing defining a bore; a bearing formed of a second material that is different from the first material, the bearing having an outer bearing race, an inner bearing race, and a plurality of rolling elements that are disposed radially between the outer and inner bearing races, the outer bearing race being received in the bore and defining an annular race on which the rolling elements are rollingly disposed; a circumferentially extending rib that is unitarily and integrally formed with the outer bearing race; and an annular compensation member that is fixedly coupled to the housing and having a portion that is disposed about the circumferentially extending rib, wherein the portion of the annular compensation member is configured to grow into contact with an interior circumferential surface of the outer bearing race due to thermal expansion when a temperature of the assembly increases from a first predetermined temperature to a second predetermined temperature. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The assembly of claim 18, wherein the annular compensation member is formed of a third material and wherein each of the first and third materials is a non-ferrous material. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The assembly of claim 19, wherein each of the first and third materials is an aluminum alloy. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The assembly of claim 18, wherein the second material is a steel alloy. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The assembly of claim 18, wherein the rolling elements comprise rollers or spherical balls.