Bearing assembly with lubrication cartridge

A bearing assembly comprising:

• a rolling element bearing having a first row of rolling elements arranged in a first bearing cavity between a first inner raceway and a first outer raceway of the rolling element bearing and a second row of rolling elements arranged in a second bearing cavity between a second inner raceway and a second outer raceway of the rolling element bearing;
• and
• an annular grease cartridge arranged between the first row of rolling elements and the second row of rolling elements,
• wherein the annular grease cartridge is at least partly formed from a honeycomb structure having axially extending passageways filled with a grease lubricant,
• wherein at least some of the axially extending passageways are open towards the first bearing cavity and the second bearing cavity, wherein the annular grease cartridge has a first side wall that faces the first bearing cavity and a second side wall that faces the second bearing cavity the bearing assembly further comprising:
• a first axial extension that protrudes from the first side wall towards the first bearing cavity;
• and
• a second axial extension that protrudes from the second side wall towards the second bearing cavity,
• wherein the first axial extension and the second axial extension have openings that form axial passageways, which act as a conduit for delivering lubricant, released from the honeycomb structure, to a desired location within the first bearing cavity and second bearing cavity,
• wherein the annular grease cartridge further includes a cavity that is enclosed by a top wall, a bottom wall and the first and second side walls of the cartridge, and
• wherein the openings in the first axial extension and the second axial extension form a conduit between the cartridge cavity and the first bearing cavity and the second bearing cavity.

A bearing assembly comprising:

• a rolling element bearing having a first row of rolling elements arranged in a first bearing cavity between a first inner raceway and a first outer raceway of the rolling element bearing and a second row of rolling elements arranged in a second bearing cavity between a second inner raceway and a second outer raceway of the rolling element bearing;
• and
• an annular grease cartridge arranged between the first row of rolling elements and the second row of rolling elements,
• wherein the annular grease cartridge is at least partly formed from a honeycomb structure having axially extending passageways filled with a grease lubricant, wherein the annular grease cartridge is mounted to a rotating part of the bearing assembly,
• wherein at least some of passageways are open towards the first bearing cavity and the second bearing cavity,
• a first inner ring, a second inner ring and a spacer ring arranged between the first inner ring and the second inner ring, wherein the spacer ring comprises a shaped recess and the annular grease cartridge has a base portion that is correspondingly shaped to fit in the shaped recess.

A bearing assembly comprising:

• a rolling element bearing having a first row of rolling elements arranged in a first bearing cavity between a first inner raceway and a first outer raceway of the rolling element bearing and a second row of rolling elements arranged in a second bearing cavity between a second inner raceway and a second outer raceway of the rolling element bearing;
• and
• an annular grease cartridge arranged between the first row of rolling elements and the second row of rolling elements,
• wherein the annular grease cartridge is at least partly formed from a honeycomb structure having axially extending passageways filled with a grease lubricant, the annular grease cartridge is mounted to a non-rotating part of the bearing assembly,
• wherein at least some of passageways are open towards the first bearing cavity and the second bearing cavity,
• the roller element bearing further comprising an outer ring that is non-rotational in use,
• wherein the outer ring comprises at least one channel that extends through the outer ring;
• and
• the grease cartridge further comprises at least one radially extending channel which is in communication with the at least one outer ring channel and with the axially extending passageways of the honeycomb structure.