Rolling bearing

Abstract

A rolling bearing having bearing rings and rolling members wherein at least one of the bearing rings and the rolling members essentially consists of an alloy steel which contains carbide-forming elements. The bearing rings and the rolling members are subjected to carburizing or carbo-nitriding and then hardening to form a rolling surface layer. The content of retained austenite (.gamma..sub.R vol %) in the rolling surface layer is from 20 to 45% by volume and the hardness (Hv) of the rolling surface layer reinforced by dispersion of fine carbides or carbonitrides with an average grain size of from 0.5 to 1.5 .mu.m with regard to the content of the retained austenite (.gamma..sub.R vol %) is within the range of: -4.7.times.(.gamma..sub.R vol %)+920.ltoreq.Hv.ltoreq.-4.7.times.(.gamma..sub.R vol %)+1020.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.