Apparatus for long-term lubrication of bearing elements
AssigneeRobert Bosch GmbH
InventorManfred Frister
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In order to provide long-term lubrication of bearings, especially ball or roller bearings that hold rotating shafts, there is provided a bearing housing defining internal reservoirs and passages as well as a conveyor mechanism which is attached to a part of the rotating shaft, for example as a helical conveyor screw, which transports lubricant under pressure through the internal channels, and thereby continually resupplies fresh lubricant to the rotating parts of the bearing. The apparatus may be used for holding the ends of shafts as well as for holding the intermediate portions of the shafts. Means for resupplying lubricant and expelling old lubricant are provided.
Claims11
An apparatus for providing long-term lubrication of a bearing, comprising
- a bearing (3, 4, 4a) for holding and locating a rotating shaft;
- a housing formed by two concentric shells (8a, 8b) surrounding said bearing and having at least one opening for receiving said shaft, said housing defining internal reservoir spaces (16, 17) for holding lubricant;
- a lubricant guide sleeve (19) attached to a stationary part of said bearing and coaxially surrounding a part of said shaft (18) with clearance, thereby defining a guide channel for said lubricant;
- and a conveyor mechanism coupled to and powered by said rotating shaft, for imparting motion to said lubricant, located in the space defined between said guide sleeve (19) and the outer surface (18) of said shaft to circulate lubricant through said bearing and through said reservoir spaces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.