Rolling element bearing assemblies

Abstract

Disclosed is a rolling element bearing assembly (100), in particular a double-row tapered roller bearing, comprising a first bearing ring (2; 6) and a second bearing ring (2; 6), wherein a bearing interior (8) is formed between the first bearing ring (2; 6) and the second bearing ring (2; 6), and a rolling element (10) is arranged in the bearing interior (8) to allow relative rotation of the first bearing ring (2; 6) and the second bearing ring (2; 6), wherein the rolling element bearing assembly (100) further comprises a sealing assembly for sealing the bearing interior (8), wherein the sealing assembly comprises a sealing frame (12) and a sealing element (16), wherein the sealing frame (12) is connected to the first bearing ring (2; 6) so that they rotate together, and the sealing element (16) is connected to the sealing frame (12) so that they rotate together, wherein the sealing frame (12) is made of fiber reinforced plastic.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a rolling-element bearing assembly, in particular a double-row tapered roller bearing, according to the preamble of claim 1, wherein the rolling-element bearing assembly has a diameter greater than one meter. Background Art

[0002] In particular, rolling element bearing assemblies with large diameters are used in heavy industry and are characterized by the fact that they have a diameter of at least one meter or more and are therefore also referred to as large rolling element bearings. Large rolling element bearings are thus much larger than bearings that are usually used in everyday applications, such as in automobiles, for example. In the construction of large rolling element bearings, therefore, it is also not possible to scale up small bearings to large bearings, since other criteria, such as weight, the materials used for manufacturing, installation costs and maintenance possibilities, for example, play a significantly greater role.

[0003] For example, it is known from the prior art to assemble bearing rings from a plurality of segments so that, for example, the bearings can be serviced without disassembling the shaft supported by the bearings. However, for such large rolling element bearings, their own weight is particularly problematic. Therefore, it has been proposed in the prior art, in particular DE 10 2009 014 923 A1, to reduce the size of the outer ring in the axial direction in order to thereby save material and reduce the overall weight. However, for this purpose, the sealing parts of the bearing ring or the inside of the bearing must be redesigned. Therefore, it has been proposed in this disclosure to attach a so-called sealing frame to the end surface of the outer ring in the axial direction, which sealing frame carries a radial shaft sealing ring, which in turn abuts against the radial surface of the inner ring.

[0004] Usually, a plurality of screws are used to attach such a sealing frame so that the ring of the sealing frame is firmly screwed onto the outer ring. Therefore, the labor for such installation and the manufacture of the ring are very time-consuming and cost-intensive. Although it has been proposed in the prior art to manufacture the sealing frame by a partial segment and thus simplify the installation, it is still necessary to form a specific attachment surface on the sealing frame and the outer ring so that the sealing frame can be reliably attached to the outer ring so that the sealing frame and the outer ring can rotate together even without screws. In this way, it is proposed to form an undercut on the sealing frame, which can be engaged in a corresponding complementary undercut formed on the outer ring. Attachment can be made easier thereby. However, this design requires additional processing of the sealing frame and the outer ring, which in turn is also very cost-intensive and time-consuming. Summary of the invention

[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a seal carrier which can be manufactured in an economical and time-saving manner and which can be easily attached to a rolling element bearing assembly.

[0006] This object is achieved by a rolling element bearing assembly, in particular a double row tapered roller bearing.

[0007] In the following, a rolling element bearing assembly is proposed, the rolling element bearing assembly comprising a first bearing ring and a second bearing ring, the first bearing ring and the second bearing ring forming a bearing interior between them, in which rolling elements are arranged to allow relative rotation of the first bearing ring and the second bearing ring. In particular, such a rolling element bearing assembly can be a double row tapered roller bearing. Furthermore, in particular, such a rolling element bearing assembly can be used in heavy industry, wherein the first bearing ring and / or the second bearing ring has a diameter greater than one meter. Furthermore, the rolling element bearing assembly comprises a sealing assembly for sealing the bearing interior, wherein the sealing assembly comprises a sealing frame and a sealing element, the sealing frame being connected to the first bearing ring so that the sealing frame rotates together with the first bearing ring, and the sealing element being connected to the sealing frame so that the sealing element rotates together with the sealing frame.

[0008] In order to reduce the overall weight of rolling element bearing assemblies and to reduce manufacturing costs and production times, it is proposed to manufacture the seal carrier from fiber-reinforced plastic. In this context, glass fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) is used in particular. This plastic is particularly dimensionally stable and has a relatively high stability compared to the commonly used sheet metal materials, if not higher.

[0009] However, in order to achieve the necessary stability and dimensional stability even in the case of large rolling element bearings, the seal carrier is preferably not manufactured from multiple layers as is usually the case, but rather compression molded from a fiber matrix composite plate (SMC method). No post-processing of the seal carrier is necessary. On the one hand, this can speed up the manufacturing process, and on the other hand, it can avoid errors due to incorrect lamination of fiber reinforced plastics. In addition, using compression molded fiber matrix composite plates, a high dimensional accuracy can be achieved, so that other sealing concepts can also be used, such as with a purely axial seal, instead of a radial shaft seal.

[0010] Thus, for example, a rolling element bearing assembly is more preferred, in which the seal carrier carries a sealing element, which comprises a primary sealing lip and a secondary sealing lip, each of which abuts the end surface of the second bearing ring in the axial direction. Here, in particular, the distance between the seal carrier and the end side (or end surface) of the second bearing ring determines the contact force of the sealing lip against the end side of the second bearing ring. Since the seal carrier can be manufactured particularly dimensionally stable and precisely using fiber-reinforced plastic, the axial distance between the end side of the second bearing ring and the seal carrier can be set precisely to ensure that the axially abutting sealing lips have sufficient contact force to ensure that the interior of the bearing is sealed from the outside in all operating conditions of the bearing.

[0011] Furthermore, the design of the sealing frame made of fiber reinforced plastic (particularly FRP) makes it possible to directly introduce structures such as grease supply holes, endoscopy bores and exhaust holes during manufacturing. This is especially possible with the compression molded fiber-matrix-composite plate, which enables precise fit and shape.

[0012] Furthermore, other elements, such as, for example, attachment grooves for receiving sealing elements, may be formed directly during the manufacturing process of the sealing carrier.

[0013] According to a further advantageous exemplary embodiment, the seal carrier can be constructed in multiple parts. In order to achieve a particularly good connection and axial, radial and / or circumferential orientation of the seal carrier segments, the seal carrier segments comprise mutually complementary structures on their connecting surfaces, which allow a one-to-one arrangement and connection of the seal carrier segments. These complementary structures can also be introduced directly during the manufacturing process of the seal carrier by compression molding.

[0014] In this case, it is particularly preferred if the structure comprises radial stops and / or axial stops in order to allow the seal carrier segments to be aligned radially and axially relative to one another.

[0015] In order to attach the sealing element to the sealing frame, it is also proposed to use a clamping ring, which is configured to clamp the sealing element between the sealing frame and the sealing element in the axial direction, thereby fixing the sealing element to prevent rotation. In addition to clamping, the sealing element can also be attached to the clamping ring and / or the sealing frame by friction fit, in particular, the sealing element is attached to the clamping ring and / or the sealing frame using other attachment elements (such as screws). It is also feasible that the sealing element, the clamping ring and the sealing frame include structures that interact with each other in an interference fit (interference-fit) manner, and the structure can also attach the sealing element to the sealing frame with the aid of the clamping ring. In addition or alternatively, the sealing element can also be attached to the sealing frame and / or the clamping ring in a material-bonded manner, wherein in particular, bonding (adhesion) is preferred. Of course, other or additional attachment possibilities of the sealing element to the sealing carrier or the clamping ring are equally possible and are included within the scope of the present application.

[0016] Preferably, the sealing element itself may comprise a sealing body supporting both the primary sealing lip and the secondary sealing lip, so that the sealing element is constructed as a one-piece ( / integral) element. However, other designs are also possible, in which the primary sealing lip and the secondary sealing lip are carried by different sealing bodies. The advantage of a one-piece design is that only one sealing element needs to be attached to the sealing carrier, which in turn simplifies manufacturing and installation.

[0017] In addition to the distance between the seal carrier and the end surface, the length of the sealing lip, the angle of incidence of the sealing lip relative to the end surface, the material of the sealing lip, the geometric design of the sealing lip also determine the contact force of the sealing lip, in particular the primary sealing lip, against the end surface of the bearing ring. It is therefore preferred that a lip-spread angle is formed between the primary sealing lip and the secondary sealing lip, which falls in the range of 100° to 140°, preferably at about 120°, wherein the primary sealing lip and the secondary sealing lip are oriented such that the primary sealing lip points toward the interior of the bearing and the secondary sealing lip points in the opposite direction. Thus, even in an axial orientation, a preferred sealing lip system can be achieved on the end surface of the second bearing ring.

[0018] Furthermore, it is preferred that the sealing element be made of nitrile rubber or hydrogenated nitrile rubber. These materials have high ozone resistance and can also be used at extremely low temperatures.

[0019] Further advantages and advantageous embodiments are indicated in the description, the drawings and the claims. In particular, the combinations of features indicated in the description and the drawings are merely exemplary, so that the features may also exist alone or in other combinations.

[0020] In the following, the present invention is described in more detail using the exemplary embodiments depicted in the accompanying drawings. Here, the exemplary embodiments and the combinations shown in the exemplary embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The scope is limited only by the pending claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective partial view of a rolling element bearing assembly according to a first exemplary embodiment;

[0022] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of a rolling element bearing assembly;

[0023] Figure 3 Shows Figure 1 and Figure 2 A schematic perspective detail view of a sealing element used in;

[0024] Figure 4 shows a schematic detail view of a seal carrier for use in a rolling element bearing assembly;

[0025] Figure 5 A schematic detail view of an alternatively usable sealing element is shown;

[0026] Figure 6 a schematic detail view showing an alternatively usable sealing element; and

[0027] Figure 7 A schematic detail view of an alternatively usable sealing element is shown;

[0028] In the following, identical or functionally equivalent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0029] Reference numerals list

[0030] 100 Rolling element bearing assembly

[0031] 2 Outer ring

[0032] 4 Axis

[0033] 6 Inner circle

[0034] 8 Bearing interior

[0035] 10 Rolling elements

[0036] 12 Sealing rack

[0037] 14 Screws

[0038] 16 Sealing element

[0039] 18 Clamping ring

[0040] 20 Screws

[0041] 22 Sealing body

[0042] 24 Main sealing lip

[0043] 26 Auxiliary sealing lip

[0044] 28 Structure

[0045] 30 End surface

[0046] 32 Undercut

[0047] 34, 36 Sealing protrusion

[0048] 38, 40 complementary structure

[0049] 42, 44 Flange components

[0050] 46, 48 contact surface

[0051] 50 Attachment elements

[0052] 52 Protrusion

[0053] 54 Barb

[0054] 56 Thickening

[0055] 58 slots

[0056] 60 protrusion

[0057] D Distance

[0058] L Length

[0059] α Angle of incidence

[0060] β Lip expansion angle DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] Figure 1 A perspective partial view of a rolling element bearing assembly 100 is schematically shown, the rolling element bearing assembly 100 comprising an outer ring 2 and an inner ring 6, the outer ring 2 being connected to the shaft 4 so that the outer ring 2 rotates together with the shaft 4, wherein the outer ring 2 and the inner ring 6 form a bearing interior 8 therebetween, and rolling elements 10 are arranged in the bearing interior 8.

[0062] In order to protect the bearing interior 8 as a whole from contamination by dust, water or particles, and to keep the lubricant which is optionally located in the bearing interior 8 in the bearing interior 8, the bearing interior 8 must be sealed toward the outside. For this purpose, a seal carrier 12 is usually attached to the outer ring 2 or the shaft 4. Figure 1 In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the seal holder 12 is attached by means of screws 14 and at least partially covers the bearing interior 8 . Here, the seal holder 12 extends from the bearing outer ring 2 or the shaft 4 to the bearing ring 6 and carries the sealing element 16 . Figure 2 is shown enlarged in the cross-sectional view of FIG. Figure 2 Only the bearing inner ring 6 and rolling elements 10 are shown, but the outer ring 2 is not shown. Figure 2 A sealing carrier 12 is depicted in FIG. 1 , which carries a sealing element 16 .

[0063] In the exemplary embodiment depicted in the figures, the sealing element 16 is configured as an axial sealing element. However, it is also possible to form the sealing element as a radial shaft sealing ring.

[0064] In order to attach the sealing element 16 to the seal carrier 12 so that they rotate together, a clamping ring 18 is additionally provided, which in turn is attached to the seal carrier 12 in the circumferential direction by screws 20, so that the sealing element 16 is clamped between the seal carrier 12 and the clamping ring 18. The sealing element itself is also attached to the clamping ring 18 in the circumferential direction by screws 20, so that the sealing element rotates together with the clamping ring 18 and the sealing element is attached to the bearing inner ring 6 at a defined distance in the axial direction. The various attachment possibilities are discussed in more detail below.

[0065] As from Figure 2 and Figure 3 As can be seen, the sealing element 16 comprises a sealing body 22 carrying a primary sealing lip 24 and a secondary sealing lip 26. In the exemplary embodiment depicted, the sealing body 22 and the sealing lips 24, 26 are integrally formed ( / formed as a single piece), but it is also possible to make the sealing element 16 from multiple parts. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the sealing body 22 has a structure 28 in the form of a lug, which interacts with the seal carrier 12 to fix the sealing body 22 on the seal carrier 12 axially and radially, and thus fix the sealing body 16 on the seal carrier 12.

[0066] also, Figure 2It is shown that the primary and secondary sealing lips 24, 26 are not oriented radially as usual, but can slide axially against the end surface of the inner ring 6. This is unusual, since until now the person skilled in the art has assumed that an axial seal or an axially extending primary seal 24 cannot exert sufficient contact force against the end surface 30 or other axial surfaces to safely and reliably protect the bearing interior 8 from external contamination and to retain lubricant that is optionally located in the bearing interior 8 in the bearing interior 8.

[0067] However, it was surprisingly found that the sealing lip can be formed in such a way that it can also exert a sufficient contact force in the axial direction. In addition to the distance D between the seal carrier 12 and the end side 30, the material of the sealing element, in particular the material of the main sealing lip, the length L of the main sealing lip, the angle of incidence α of the main sealing lip relative to the end surface 30, the geometric design of the main sealing lip, and the expansion angle β of the main sealing lip relative to the secondary sealing lip 26 also play a crucial role. In order to obtain particularly good contact forces, the contact forces and their behavior achieved over the entire service life of the bearing are simulated for the sealing element and the parameters are adjusted accordingly.

[0068] So, for example, Figure 2 Depicted in and Figure 3 The enlarged main sealing lip 24 in FIG. 1 shows a geometric design having a shape slightly curved outward and thickened in the center, and the main sealing lip 24 has a lip-spread angle β of about 120° relative to the secondary sealing lip 26. In addition, the distance D between the seal holder 12 and the end surface 30 of the bearing inner ring 6 is set so that the sealing lip 24 is always in contact with the end surface 30 even under high load and long service life. In addition, it is preferred that the incident angle α of the main sealing lip 24 relative to the end surface 30 of the bearing inner ring 6 falls within a range between about 20° and 60°. In addition, it has been found that it is preferred to manufacture the sealing element, especially the main sealing lip 24, from an elastic material, preferably nitrile butadiene rubber or hydrogenated acrylonitrile butadiene rubber. These materials have sufficient strength, high elasticity and high smoothness (high smoothness) so that the sealing lip seals against the end surface 30 during its service life without being damaged due to high friction torque or hindering the rotation of the bearing assembly. Additionally, these materials exhibit high resistance to ozone and can also be used at low temperatures.

[0069] To attach the sealing element 16 to the sealing carrier 12, Figure 2In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the seal carrier 12 also includes an undercut 32, which interacts with the structure 28 (i.e., the lug) of the seal body 22 to fix the sealing element 16 radially and axially. In addition, the undercut forms a labyrinth seal together with the lug 28, which further seals the bearing interior 8. In order to additionally seal the bearing interior 8, in particular, it is also possible to Figure 3 As can be seen from the enlarged view of the sealing lip in FIG. 2 , a radially extending protrusion 34 is formed on the sealing element 16 in the region of the structure 28, and an axially extending protrusion 36 is formed in this region of the sealing body 22 to ensure additional sealing between the sealing element 16 and the clamping ring 18 or the sealing carrier 12. In addition, the sealing body 22 can also be bonded ( / bonded / adhered) to the clamping ring 18 and / or the sealing carrier.

[0070] As already mentioned above, in order to establish the contact force of the main sealing lip 24, among the various parameters, the distance D between the seal carrier 12 and the end surface 30 of the bearing inner ring is particularly important. In the bearings known in the prior art, the seal carrier 12 is made of metal sheet, however, especially in large rolling element bearings, the metal sheet is slightly curved so that the distance D varies greatly over the circumference in conventional bearings. In the case of axially extending seals, this variation makes it impossible for the main sealing lip 24 to always abut the end surface 30 of the bearing inner ring 6, but to be spaced therefrom. Therefore, the person skilled in the art has never considered an axial sealing assembly.

[0071] In order to reduce the axial imbalance as much as possible, it is further proposed to manufacture the sealing frame 12 not from sheet metal material as known in the prior art, but from fiber reinforced plastic, in particular from glass fiber reinforced plastic (FRP). FRP has the following properties: on the one hand, FRP is light, thereby reducing the total weight of large rolling element bearings, and on the other hand, FRP is very stable and does not deform, so that even in the case of large rolling element bearings, the distance D between the sealing frame 12 and the end surface 30 can be precisely set and kept constant over the entire circumference. It has been found to be advantageous here that the FRP material is not laminated as is usually done, but is compression-molded from a fiber matrix composite sheet, which particularly increases dimensional stability and manufacturing accuracy.

[0072] However, such a seal carrier 12 made of fiber-reinforced plastic, in particular of FRP material, can also be used as a seal carrier for a radial shaft seal.

[0073] Furthermore, the seal carrier 12 may be formed in one piece or in multiple pieces, and other structures, such as vent holes, lubricant supply holes, endoscopy bores, etc., may be directly formed during the manufacturing process.

[0074] In a multi-piece embodiment, as Figure 4 As depicted in FIG. 1 , it is also advantageous that two adjacent sealing frame segments 12a, 12b abutting against each other include mutually complementary structures 38, 40. Figure 4 In the exemplary embodiment depicted in , the mutually complementary structures are realized by a protrusion 38 and a correspondingly constructed groove 40, which engage with each other during assembly and align the sealing frame segments 12a, 12b with each other in the radial and axial directions. In addition, flange elements ( / flange elements) 42, 44 can be attached to each of the sealing frame segments 12a, 12b, and the flange elements 42, 44 can be screwed to each other to connect the sealing frame segments 12a, 12b to each other. In addition, the joint surfaces 46, 48 of the sealing frame segments (in particular the flange surfaces) can be coated with a sealing material (in particular a liquid seal) to ensure the sealing of the sealing frame 12 in the circumferential direction. The sealing frame segments 12a, 12b can also be simply bonded to each other, wherein the adhesive can then assume both the functions of the attachment function and the sealing function.

[0075] Instead of the depicted tongue-and-groove connection, other suitable complementary structures can of course also be formed so that the sealing frame segments can be fixed and oriented radially, axially and / or circumferentially relative to each other. However, it is particularly advantageous here if the complementary structure comprises at least one radial stop and one axial stop, thereby simplifying the orientation of the sealing frame segments.

[0076] Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 A further optional attachment possibility of the sealing element 16 to the sealing carrier 12 or the clamping element 18 is shown. In the other embodiments shown, the sealing element 16 is only connected to the clamping element 18 and is not directly attached to the sealing carrier 12. Thus, Figure 5 and Figure 6 Each shows a design in which the sealing element 16 and the clamping ring 18 are connected to each other in an interference fit and friction fit manner. Figure 5 The pure interference and friction fit designs are shown in Figure 6 In the embodiment, the interference fit or friction fit is supplemented by a friction fit by means of an additional attachment element 50. Figure 5In the embodiment, the clamping ring 18 comprises a protrusion 52, on which the sealing element 16 equipped with barbs 54 is clamped ( / clamped). Figure 6 In the exemplary embodiment of the clamping ring 18, the thickening 56 comprises a groove 58, into which an extension 60 of the sealing element engages, the extension 60 also being provided with a barb 54. In addition, an attachment element 50 is provided which attaches the sealing element 16 to the clamping ring 18 so that they rotate together. Of course, for example Figure 7 As depicted in , the sealing element 16 can also be screwed onto the clamping ring 18 merely by means of the screws 50 .

[0077] like Figures 1 to 7 The rolling element bearing assembly depicted in is particularly advantageous in that the inner ring is configured as stationary and the outer ring is configured as rotating, but the rolling element bearing assembly can also be used with a stationary outer ring and a rotating inner ring.

[0078] In summary, using the proposed rolling element bearing assembly, a large rolling element bearing assembly with a diameter of more than one meter and which can reduce weight and improve sealing performance can be provided. The combination of FRP material (especially FRP material compression molded from a fiber composite plate) and a seal extending in the axial direction can achieve optimal axial sealing because the distance between the seal frame and the end surface of the inner ring can be set particularly accurately due to the FRP seal frame.

Claims

1. A rolling element bearing assembly (100), comprising a first bearing ring (2) and a second bearing ring (6), wherein a bearing interior (8) is formed between the first bearing ring (2) and the second bearing ring (6), and a rolling element (10) is arranged in the bearing interior (8) to allow relative rotation of the first bearing ring (2) and the second bearing ring (6), wherein: The rolling element bearing assembly (100) further comprises a sealing assembly for sealing the interior of the bearing (8), wherein the sealing assembly comprises a sealing frame (12) and a sealing element (16), wherein the sealing frame (12) is connected to the first bearing ring (2) so that the sealing frame (12) rotates together with the first bearing ring (2), and the sealing element (16) is connected to the sealing frame (12) so that the sealing element (16) rotates together with the sealing frame (12), and wherein the sealing frame (12) is made of fiber reinforced plastic, The first bearing ring (2) is a bearing outer ring, and the second bearing ring (6) is a bearing inner ring. wherein the sealing element (16) abuts against an axial end surface (30) of the second bearing ring (6), The sealing element (16) carried by the sealing frame (12) is attached to the sealing frame (12) in the circumferential direction via a clamping ring (18), and the inner diameter of the clamping ring (18) is smaller than the outer diameter of the second bearing ring (6).

2. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that The sealing frame (12) is made of glass fiber reinforced plastic (FRP).

3. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that The sealing frame (12) is formed by compression molding of a fiber matrix composite board.

4. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that The sealing frame (12) is formed in multiple pieces from a plurality of sealing frame segments (12) abutting against each other.

5. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to claim 4, characterized in that The sealing frame segments (12) include mutually complementary structures (38; 40) on their abutment surfaces, and the structures (38; 40) are formed so as to ensure one-to-one engagement and connection between two adjacent sealing frame segments (12) in radial direction, axial direction and / or circumferential direction.

6. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to claim 5, characterized in that The structure (38; 40) comprises a radial stop and / or an axial stop.

7. A rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The rolling element bearing assembly (100) is a double row tapered roller bearing.

8. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The sealing element (16) and / or the sealing carrier (12) include structure (28; 32) for attaching the sealing element (16) to the sealing carrier (12) such that the sealing element (16) rotates with the sealing carrier (12).

9. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The sealing element (16) comprises a primary sealing lip (24) and a secondary sealing lip (26), wherein the primary sealing lip (24) and the secondary sealing lip (26) abut against the end side of the second bearing ring (6) in the axial direction.

10. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The main sealing lip (24) abuts against the end surface (30) of the second bearing ring (6) with a predetermined contact force.

11. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The contact force of the main sealing lip (24) is determined by the length of the sealing lip (24), the angle of incidence of the sealing lip (24) relative to the end surface (30), the material of the sealing lip (24), the geometric design of the sealing lip (24) and / or the defined distance from the sealing carrier (12) to the end surface (30) of the second bearing ring (6).

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