Patent Application
20110114439
The invention relates to a bearing assembly for a support roller having a support roller shell, which is formed hollow cylindrically at least in segments thereof, which support roller shell has an inner cylindrical surface and at least one bearing that bears the support roller shell, wherein the bearing has a bearing inner ring.
Diverse possibilities are known in the prior art for the bearing of support rollers. In most cases, a well-cushioned bearing of the support roller is desired, so that the bearing assembly can be provided with a layer of cushioning material between the support roller shell and the bearing, which is embodied, in most cases, as a roller bearing. DE 1 738 837 U discloses a conventional bearing assembly. DE 28 01 879 A 1 discloses a similar bearing assembly, wherein the bearing supports a sleeve via an elastic intermediate layer. The sleeve radially widens in one axial end portion and its radial outer portion is welded to the cylindrical inner surface of the support roller shell.
In previously known solutions, the following is disadvantageous: the support rollers are subjected to a significant load during operation, so that they are capable of operating only for a certain service life. Then they must be replaced. In most cases, the entire support assembly including the bearing is replaced. This takes place, in particular, because a bearing replacement, in most cases under difficult surrounding conditions, would be costly, if it concerns, for instance, a bearing of a longer conveyer belt for bulk materials.
The replacement of a bearing under such circumstances would be time-consuming and therefore costly. In addition, the recyclability of the support roller assembly and, if necessary, its repair were previously difficult or not possible.
The object underlying the invention is to further develop a bearing assembly of the above-mentioned type, so that it will be possible to facilitate the construction and the maintenance of conventional support roller assemblies in an economical manner. It also concerns the ability to perform a mounting and a replacement of a bearing assembly in a simple way and therefore quickly and cost-effectively. The recyclability of the support roller bearing should thus be made possible and/or improved.
The solution of this object by the invention is characterized in that the bearing assembly comprises a mounting element, which carries the bearing inner ring and allows the displacement of the bearing inner ring in an axial direction for the purpose of mounting the bearing assembly.
The mounting element preferably has a cylindrical outer surface. Further, the mounting element can be formed as a tubular body.
A snap ring can be disposed in an axial end portion of the bearing inner ring, which snap ring having a radially inward-lying support surface can slide in the axial direction on the outer surface of the mounting element.
Furthermore, a sealing element can be disposed in at least one axial end portion of the bearing inner ring, which sealing element is disposed so as to be displaceable in the axial direction on the mounting element together with the bearing inner ring.
Further, the bearing can be radially surrounded by a support body, wherein the support body in its radial outer portion abuts on the support roller shell. A cushioning layer is preferably disposed between the radially outer surface of the support body and the inner cylindrical surface of the support roller shell. The cushioning layer can be surrounded by a sleeve, which is insertable into the inner cylindrical surface of the support roller shell. This sleeve can have a radially-outward extending flange-like widening on an axial end; this widening is preferably formed for abutting on an axial end of the support roller shell.
Preferably, it is provided that, in the mounted state, the sleeve sits in the support roller shell with a press fit.
The bearing assembly can further include a cover, which is connected with the support body or with the cushioning layer so that they rotate together. The cover in its radially-inward-lying end portion can be disposed in a slot formed in a groove-like manner, which slot is formed in a sealing element. The sealing element can be disposed so as to be axially displaceable on the mounting element together with the bearing inner ring.
The cover can be radially enclosed by an axially projecting segment of the cushioning layer.
The cushioning layer is preferably comprised of elastomeric material, in particular polyurethane. It can also be comprised of rubber material. In particular, nitrile rubber (NBR) with a Shore hardness of at least 40 has proved itself as a rubber material. The support body and the sleeve, however, are in most cases comprised of metal, in particular of steel.
The bearing is in most cases a roller bearing.
The support roller shell can be formed as a pipe of constant wall thickness, which is borne by a bearing in each respective axial end portion.
It is particularly advantageous for the assembly, if it is further provided, that the mentioned components of the bearing assembly are formed as a structural unit, which is disposed in an axially displaceable manner on the mounting element.
The core concept of the invention is therefore to provide a mounting element, on which the entire bearing assembly is placed, which must be mounted in a support roller shell, wherein the mounting process takes place by axially displacing the mounting element. It is desired and preferably provided that all components and/or constituent parts of the bearing assembly are combined in a structural unit and/or are connected in such a manner. The bearing assembly including a bearing, sealing elements, a cover and a securing element (snap ring) can be thus mounted as a unit by displacing the mounting element, which facilitates a significantly faster mounting of the bearing assembly.
An exemplary embodiment is illustrated in the drawing. The sole FIGURE shows a bearing assembly on a mounting element in the radial cross-section, which bearing assembly should be mounted onto a shaft and/or into a support roller shell.
A bearing assembly 1 can be seen in the FIGURE, which serves to bear a support roller of a conveyer apparatus. The support roller has a support roller shell 2 with an inner cylindrical surface 3, into which the bearing assembly 1 is to be mounted by being inserted in the axial direction a. In the radially-inner portion, the bearing assembly 1 is mounted on a shaft 20, which is indicated with dashed lines in the FIGURE.
In the lower half of the FIGURE, the state shortly after the beginning of the mounting process of the bearing assembly 1 can be seen; here, the bearing assembly 1 has just been inserted a small amount into the support roller shell 2. In the upper half of the FIGURE, the completely mounted state of the bearing assembly 1 in the support roller shell 2 can be seen.
The bearing assembly 1 is comprised of a bearing 4, which is formed here as a deep groove ball bearing. The bearing 4 has a bearing inner ring 5. Sealing elements 10 and 11 are located on both sides of the bearing 4, which sealing elements 10 and 11 develop a sealing effect relative to adjacent components by the formation of a corresponding slot. The sealing element 10 is embodied as a labyrinth seal, i.e. it has two cooperating components, which form a number of slots that extend in a meandering manner and thus generate the sealing effect.
The outer ring of the bearing 4, together with the sealing elements 10, 11, sits in a cylindrical seating surface of a support body 12. The support body 12 includes a cushioning layer 13 made of elastomeric material in its radially-outer portion, which cushioning layer 13 is, in turn, enclosed by a thin sleeve 14. The sleeve 14 has a flange-like widening 15 on an axial end, which widening 15 functions as an axial stop for abutment on the support roller shell 2 (see the upper half of the FIGURE).
Further, a cover 16 is provided that is connected with the cushioning layer 13. For this purpose, the cushioning layer 13 has an axially projecting segment 19, which encompasses the radially-outer portion of the cover 16 from the outside and thus not only mechanically retains it but also seals it. The radially-inner end portion of the cover 16 extends in a slot 17 formed in a groove-like manner, which slot 17 is formed in a sealing element 18 that is disposed axially adjacent to the sealing element 10.
A snap ring 8 is also provided for axially securing the bearing assembly 1 in the mounted state, which snap ring 8 sits directly adjacent to the (left) terminal side of the bearing inner ring 5. The shaft 20 has—which is not illustrated—a corresponding groove, into which the snap ring 8 can snap when the bearing ring 1 is located in the correct axial position relative to the shaft 20.
It is important that the bearing assembly 1 comprises a mounting element 6 in the form of a pipe, i.e. a mounting pipe, which, in any case, carries the bearing inner ring 5 and allows the displacement of the bearing inner ring 5 in an axial direction a for the purpose of mounting the bearing assembly. In addition, the further components 8, 10, 11 and 18 are retained by the mounting element 6 at respective radially-inward-lying cylindrical seating surfaces (here, the snap ring 8 has a radially-inward-lying support surface 9); they are all retained in an axially displaceable manner. For this purpose, the mounting element 6 has a cylindrical outer surface 7, which can be of a suitable outer surface quality, in order to facilitate an easy displacement of the entire bearing assembly 1 with all the above-mentioned components in the axial direction a for the purpose of the mounting.
A further advantageous aspect of the described solution is that during displacement of the bearing assembly 1 of the mounting element 6 in the axial direction to the right, all components of the bearing assembly, i.e. the components 4, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 18, form a structural unit, which are manipulated as a whole and can be mounted by a displacement process of the mounting element 6. It should be noted in this regard that the above-mentioned components 4, 8, 19, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 18 do not all have to be present at the same time; a structural unit is already present in the exemplified sense when, in addition to the bearing 4, at least one other of the above-mentioned components is present.
The support roller shell 2 is formed as a hollow cylindrical component, i.e. as a pipe, wherein a bearing assembly 1 is disposed in each of the two axial end portions, as can be seen in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2008 013 131.8 | Mar 2008 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2009/001630 | 3/6/2009 | WO | 00 | 12/22/2010 |
