Liquid-lubricated bearing and vehicle pinion shaft support device

A liquid-lubricated bearing, comprising:

• an inner ring having a raceway surface formed in an outer peripheral face of the inner ring;
• an outer ring disposed radially outward of the inner ring, and having a raceway surface formed in an inner peripheral face of the outer ring;
• rolling elements disposed between the raceway surface of the inner ring and the raceway surface of the outer ring;
• and
• a cage having pockets that accommodate the rolling elements, wherein
• lubricating liquid flows through a space between the outer ring and the cage from a first side in an axial direction of the liquid-lubricated bearing to a second side in the axial direction,
• an outer lubricating liquid inflow passage that provides communication between an outside of the liquid-lubricated bearing and a rolling element arrangement chamber in which the rolling elements are arranged, is formed between the outer ring and the cage, on a lubricating liquid inflow side in the axial direction,
• the outer lubricating liquid inflow passage has
• an annular axially extending outer passage portion that extends in the axial direction, and
• an annular radially extending outer passage portion that communicates with a rolling element-side axial end portion of the axially extending outer passage portion, and that extends from the axially extending outer passage portion to the rolling element arrangement chamber inward in a radial direction of the outer ring, and
• a labyrinth is formed by the axially extending outer passage portion and the radially extending outer passage portion,
• the cage has a first annular end portion extending in the axial direction, a second annular end portion extending in the radial direction, and a plurality of cage bars connecting the first annular end portion and the second annular end portion, the first annular end portion having a length extending generally in the axial direction, a diameter of the length of the first annular end portion being greater than a diameter of the second annular end portion,
• the second annular end portion is located upstream of the rolling elements in a flow direction of the lubricating liquid,
• an end face of the second annular end portion has an outer side guide face that guides the lubricating liquid in such a direction that the lubricating liquid flows away from the liquid-lubricated bearing, the end face being on an opposite side of the second annular end portion from the rolling elements in the axial direction,
• the end face extends further upstream in the axial direction at a radially outward position of the end face relative to a radial center of the end face, and the end face extends further upstream in the axial direction at a radially inward position of the end face relative to the radial center of the end face,
• an entirety of the outer side guide face of the second annular end portion is formed in a concave face,
• the plurality of cage bars are connected to a connection portion of the second annular end portion and form an acute angle with a portion of the second annular end portion that extends radially outward from the connection portion, and
• an axial thickness of the second annular end portion is greater at a radially outward portion of the second annular end portion than at the connection portion.