Low wear toroid separator for ball bearings

Abstract

A separator for a ball bearing includes an annular body having a centerline, opposing first and second axial ends and an inner circumferential surface defining a central pocket sized to receive one of the plurality of balls. Preferably, the annular body has a concave outer circumferential surface defining an annular channel and configured to contact at least one adjacent one of the balls along a curved line extending at least partially between the first and second axial ends or at a plurality of contact sections spaced axially apart. The outer circumferential surface has a radius of curvature about equal to a radius of curvature of an outer surface of each one of the balls. Further, the annular body preferably also includes a plurality of annular grooves spaced axially apart, each annular groove extending radially inwardly from the concave outer circumferential surface and circumferentially about the centerline.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.