The present invention relates to a bearing assembly, and is more particularly related to a cage for an axial bearing assembly.
Bearing assemblies are used in a variety of applications. One type of known bearing assembly is an axial bearing, which includes cylindrical rolling elements with a cage to guide the cylindrical rolling elements as they roll between an inner bearing ring and an outer bearing ring. Known cages for axial bearing assemblies provide varying guidance and retention features. When these guidance features fail to provide adequate guidance to the rolling elements, the rolling elements skew or pivot causing friction and lowering the efficiency of the bearing assembly. Some of the known cages include webs extending between a radially inner ring and a radially outer ring of the cage. Depending upon the stresses experienced at the connection area between the webs and rings these webs can fracture resulting in failure of the bearing assembly.
It would be desirable to provide a cage with improved rolling element guidance and retention elements that further reduce skewing of the cylindrical rolling elements within the pockets of the bearing cage, and provide increased strength at the connection area between the webs and the rings.
A cage for a bearing assembly is provided with improved guidance and retention elements for the cylindrical rolling elements. The cage includes a radially inner rim including a first flange, and a plurality of first retention tabs extend from the first flange that include first and second lateral surfaces. A radially outer rim includes a second flange, and a plurality of second retention tabs extend from the second flange that include third and fourth lateral surfaces. A plurality of webs extend between the radially inner rim and the radially outer rim to define a plurality of pockets adapted to receive the rolling elements. The first and second lateral surfaces of the first retention tabs and the third and fourth lateral surfaces of the second retention tabs face each of the pockets to define lower rolling element retention elements. Each of the plurality of webs have first and second rolling element facing guide surfaces that face adjacent ones of the pockets. Upper rolling element retention elements of the webs are provided on an opposite side of a centerline from the lower rolling element retention elements.
The foregoing Summary and the following detailed description will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention. In the drawings:
Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. The words “front,” “rear,” “upper” and “lower” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words “inwardly” and “outwardly” refer to directions toward and away from the parts referenced in the drawings. “Axially” refers to a direction along the axis of a shaft or rotating part. A reference to a list of items that are cited as “at least one of a, b, or c” (where a, b, and c represent the items being listed) means any single one of the items a, b, or c, or combinations thereof. The terminology includes the words specifically noted above, derivatives thereof and words of similar import.
As shown in
The first and second lateral surfaces 12a, 12b of adjacent ones of the first retention tabs 10 and the third and fourth lateral surfaces 20a, 20b of adjacent ones of the second retention tabs 18 face each of the pockets 23 to define lower rolling element retention elements 24. As shown in
The guide surfaces 32a, 32b, 34a, 34b extend in a radial direction generally along the centerline CL which corresponds to a centerline of each of the cylindrical rolling elements 4. The guide surfaces 32a, 32b, 34a, 34b are preferably located on a radially inner web portion 32 and a radially outer web portion 34. As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In a second embodiment of the cage 2′ shown in
Having thus described the present invention in detail, it is to be appreciated and will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many physical changes, only a few of which are exemplified in the detailed description of the invention, could be made without altering the inventive concepts and principles embodied therein. It is also to be appreciated that numerous embodiments incorporating only part of the preferred embodiment are possible which do not alter, with respect to those parts, the inventive concepts and principles embodied therein. The present embodiment and optional configurations are therefore to be considered in all respects as exemplary and/or illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all alternate embodiments and changes to this embodiment which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of said claims are therefore to be embraced therein.
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Product overview—Cage and Roller Assembly. Schaeffler Catalog HR1, Jun. 2006. |