Cageless ball or roller bearing
AssigneeKugelfischer Georg Schafer & Co.
InventorsGunter Markfelder, Heinrich Hofmann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An annular array of rotary bodies (balls or rollers) separates two coaxial track surfaces of a pair of bearing rings from each other, one of these track surfaces forming an annular lodgment for these bodies while the other track surface is unobstructed on at least one side of the array to facilitate the initial assembly of the bearing rings and the bodies into a unit. At least one retaining element embraces one of the rotary bodies and has a flange resiliently snap-fitted into an annular V-groove of the unobstructed track surface, the flange having an undercut enhancing its radial compressibility to facilitate such engagement; this holds the unit together during transportation and handling.
Claims8
A bearing unit comprising:
- a pair of coaxial rings forming respective track surfaces separated by an annular gap;
- a multiplicity of rotary bodies disposed in an annular array in said gap, one of said track surfaces being formed with an annular lodgment defining a fixed relative axial position of said bodies, the other of said track surfaces being unobstructed on at least one side of said array to facilitate the initial assembly of the unit;
- and
- holding means including a plurality of substantially identical, mutually unconnected retaining elements each embracing a single one of said bodies, said retaining elements being each provided with integral extensions holding same spaced apart with a separation accommodating at least one intervening rotary body, said other of said track surfaces and said retaining elements being provided with interfitting formations whereby said rings are held in a substantially fixed relative axial position.
A bearing unit comprising:
- a pair of coaxial rings forming respective track surfaces separated by an annular gap;
- a multiplicity of rotary bodies disposed in an annular array in said gap, one of said track surfaces being formed with an annular lodgment defining a fixed relative axial position of said bodies, the other of said track surfaces being unobstructed on at least one side of said array to facilitate the initial assembly of the unit;
- and
- holding means including at least one retaining element individually embracing a single one of said bodies, said other of said track surfaces and said retaining element being provided with interfitting formations whereby said rings are held in a substantially fixed relative axial position, a plurality of said rotary bodies other than the body embraced by said retaining element being in direct contact with one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.