Polymeric lubricant packed bearing and method of producing the same

#The present invention relates to a polymeric lubricant packed bearing in which a polymeric lubricant is packed in a space formed among an inner race of a rolling bearing, an outer race, and rolling elements, a method of producing such a bearing, and a method of producing a polymeric lubricant packed bearing in which a polymeric lubricant is packed between inner and outer races of a double-row self-aligning roller bearing.

#In a rolling bearing, in order to improve the lubricity between an inner raceway surface and rolling elements, or an outer raceway surface and the rolling elements, usually, lubricating oil is supplied into or grease is packed in an annular space formed between an inner race and an outer race. In order to supply lubricating oil or to pack grease in such a space between the inner race and the outer race, or to prevent water, a foreign material, or the like from entering from the outside into the space, a contact type seal, a labyrinth seal, or the like is usually attached to the both axial ends of the annular space so as to hermetically seal or isolate from the outside the space between the inner race and the outer race.

#In a double-row self-aligning roller bearing in which two raceway surfaces are formed in the outer periphery of the inner race and one raceway surface configured by a spherical face is formed in the inner periphery of the outer race, when the roller bearing is used under certain conditions, however, there is a case where the rolling elements rotate while being projected from the outer raceway surface. When one of the above-mentioned conventional lubrication techniques is used in such a self-aligning roller bearing, therefore, there arises the possibility that lubricating oil or the grease leaks out to the outside of the bearing.

#FIG. 1 is an axial section view showing the configuration of an embodiment of the invention;

#FIG. 2 is an axial section view showing the configuration of another embodiment of the invention;

#FIG. 3 is a view illustrating an example of a process of producing a polymeric lubricant packed bearing by using the method of the invention, and showing a state where an outer race 2 of a double-row self-aligning roller bearing which is previously assembled is shifted and division spacers 21a and 21b are inserted;

#Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

#FIG. 1 is an axial section view showing the configuration of an embodiment in which the invention is applied to a double-row self-aligning roller bearing. In FIG. 1, for the sake of convenience of description, also rolling elements 3 are shown in section.

#Between an inner race 1 in which two raceway surfaces 1a and 1b are formed in the outer periphery, and an outer race 2 in which one raceway surface 2a configured by a spherical face is formed in the inner periphery, two rolling element rows 3a and 3b each configured by a plurality of rolling elements 3 are placed so as to respectively correspond to the raceway surfaces 1a and 1b so as to be rollable with respect to both the raceway surface 1a or 1b and the raceway surface 2a of the outer race 2 in a state where the rolling elements are held at a constant pitch in the circumferential direction by respective cages 4a and 4b. On the outer periphery of the inner race 1, a guide ring 5 is pressingly inserted and fixed between the raceway surfaces 1a and 1b.