US 11,536,318 B1Granted

Bearing inner ring with integral mounting means

AssigneesAktiebolaget Skf, Peer Bearing Company

InventorsAndrew Michael Bauer, Jordan Eric Gutowski, Trenton Alan Midyett, Joseph Anthony D'Andrea

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Abstract

An inner ring assembly for a bearing includes a bearing annular body disposable about the shaft and having a bearing inner race and a plurality of slotted openings defining a plurality of arcuate mounting tabs, the slotted openings each having a curved inner end and each tab including a substantial recess to reduce stress concentration. An annular locking collar is disposed about and clamps the mounting tabs against the outer surface of the shaft to retain the inner ring. The collar is retained on the ring body by a retainer projection(s) extending outwardly from the mounting tabs and engaging with the collar or a retainer member projecting inwardly from the collar and engaging with one of the mounting tabs. The collar has a gap and a flat outer surface section spaced from the gap to increase the dynamic balance and the flexibility of the collar.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An inner ring assembly for a bearing, the bearing rotatably coupling a shaft with an outer member, the shaft being rotatable about a central axis, the inner ring assembly comprising:

a ring annular body disposable about the shaft and having a centerline, opposing first and second axial ends, an outer circumferential surface, an annular groove extending radially inwardly from the outer surface and providing a bearing inner race, and a plurality of slotted openings extending axially inwardly from the first axial end and spaced circumferentially about the centerline so as to define a plurality of arcuate mounting tabs, each mounting tab having an inner end integral with a remainder of the annular body and an opposing, free outer end;
and
an annular locking collar disposed about the plurality of mounting tabs and configured to clamp the tabs against the outer surface of the shaft so as to retain the inner ring radially and axially with respect to the shaft central axis, the collar being retained on the ring annular body when the inner ring is separate from the shaft by at least one of a retainer projection extending radially outwardly from the outer end of one of the mounting tabs and engaging with the collar and a retainer member movably coupled with and projecting radially inwardly from the collar and engaging with one of the mounting tabs.

An inner ring assembly for a bearing, the bearing assembly rotatably coupling a shaft with an outer member, the shaft being rotatable about a central axis, the inner ring assembly comprising:

a ring annular body disposable about the shaft and having a centerline, opposing first and second axial ends, an outer circumferential surface, an annular groove extending inwardly from the outer surface and providing a bearing inner race, and a plurality of slotted openings extending axially inwardly from the first axial end and spaced circumferentially about the centerline so as to define a plurality of arcuate mounting tabs, each mounting tab having an inner end integral with a remainder of the annular body and an opposing, free outer end;
and
a locking collar including an annular body disposed about the plurality of mounting tabs, the annular body having an inner circumferential surface with an inside diameter, an outer circumferential surface, a gap defining spaced apart first and second circumferential ends, and a threaded rod extending through the first and second circumferential ends such that rotation of the threaded rod in a first angular direction displaces the first and second circumferential ends generally toward each other to reduce the body inside diameter and compress the plurality of mounting tabs into engagement with the shaft, the body outer circumferential surface having a flat surface section with a center spaced about one hundred eighty degrees (180°) about the centerline from the gap so as to increase the dynamic balance of the collar about the shaft central axis and increase the flexibility of the annular body during compression of the mounting tabs.

An inner ring assembly for a bearing assembly, the bearing rotatably coupling a shaft with an outer member, the shaft being rotatable about a central axis, the inner ring assembly comprising:

an annular body disposable about the shaft and having a centerline, opposing first and second axial ends, an outer circumferential surface, an annular groove extending inwardly from the outer surface and providing a bearing inner race, and a plurality of slotted openings extending axially inwardly from the first axial end and spaced circumferentially about the centerline so as to define a plurality of arcuate mounting tabs, each slotted opening being partially bounded by a curved inner end surface and each mounting tab having an inner axial end integral with a remainder of the annular body, a free, outer axial end and an outer circumferential surface, the outer surface of each tab having a radiused section at the tab inner end, a cylindrical section extending axially inwardly from the tab outer end and an angled section extending between the radiused section and the cylindrical section and defining a recess;
and
an annular locking collar disposed about the plurality of mounting tabs and configured to clamp the tabs against the outer surface of the shaft so as to retain the inner ring radially and axially with respect to the shaft central axis.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.