Ball bearing assembly with inner ring and lubrication therefor

A bearing assembly comprising:

• an outer ring defining a central axis of rotation for the bearing assembly;
• an inner ring assembly disposed radially inwardly of the outer ring and cooperating therewith to form a roller volume, the inner ring assembly having a proximal inner ring, a distal inner ring, and a single circumferential slot in an inner circumferential surface of the inner ring assembly, the circumferential slot being in fluid communication with the roller volume through central passages in the inner ring assembly,
• the proximal inner ring including proximal axial slots formed in, extending axially along and circumferentially spaced around a proximal portion of the inner circumferential surface, each said proximal axial slots extending axially from openings in an axial face of the proximal inner ring to the circumferential slot defined in the inner circumferential surface, a first plurality of the proximal axial slots being in fluid communication with the roller volume through respective proximal passages in the proximal inner ring, a second plurality of the proximal axial slots being without proximal passages in the proximal inner ring so as not to be in fluid communication with the roller volume, and
• the distal inner ring including distal axial slots formed in, extending axially along and circumferentially spaced around a distal portion of the inner circumferential surface, each said axial slots extending axially from the circumferential slot at least to respective distal passages in fluid communication with the roller volume, wherein a circumferential spacing between adjacent proximal axial slots is equivalent to a circumferential spacing between adjacent distal axial slots;
• and
• ball bearing elements in the roller volume rollingly disposed against an inner circumferential surface of the outer ring and an outer circumferential surface of the inner ring, the bearing elements allowing relative rotational motion between the outer ring and the inner ring.