Rolling element bearing assemblies

Abstract

A rolling element bearing assembly (100) is disclosed, in particular a double-row tapered roller bearing, comprising a first bearing ring (2; 6) and a second bearing ring (2; 6), forming a bearing interior (8) therebetween, wherein rolling elements are arranged in the bearing interior to allow relative rotation of the first and second bearing rings, the rolling element bearing assembly further comprising a sealing assembly for sealing the bearing interior, the sealing assembly comprising a sealing frame (12) and a sealing element (16), the sealing frame being connected to the first bearing ring so that they rotate together, the sealing element comprising at least one primary sealing lip (24) for sealing the bearing interior and a secondary sealing lip (26) for sealing against external contamination, the sealing element being connected to the sealing frame, the primary sealing lip and the secondary sealing lip sealingly abutting an end surface (30) of the second bearing ring in the axial direction.

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 of more than one meter. Background Art

[0002] In the following, bearings comprising an outer ring with a diameter greater than one meter are referred to as large rolling element bearings. Other criteria (in particular other diameter values) may also be used to define large rolling element bearings. It is essential in any case that large rolling element bearings are bearings that are much larger than the bearings that are typically used in everyday applications (e.g. automobiles) and have an outer diameter of several centimeters.

[0003] Large rolling element bearings are often used in heavy industry, for example in wind turbines, tunnel boring machines, rolling element bearing assemblies etc., and often have to work in particularly difficult environments.

[0004] In the construction of large rolling element bearings, therefore, a pure enlargement of the bearing geometry from known small bearings is generally not possible, since, in addition to the extreme environmental conditions, large rolling element bearings also have further requirements with regard to weight, installation and maintenance.

[0005] Another problem with such large rolling element bearings is the sealing of the interior of the bearing. Due to the large size, even very slight imbalances of the components rotating relative to each other can cause large vibrations, which can result in the seal not always being in contact with the respective other component and thus not always ensuring adequate sealing. Therefore, radially acting seals are used in the prior art, which are also called radial shaft seals, in which an additional spring presses a radially abutting sealing lip against a sliding surface. Here, the spring element ensures that the sealing lip slides reliably against the corresponding sliding surface even in the case of component imbalances or manufacturing inaccuracies and that the interior of the bearing can be reliably sealed in all operating conditions.

[0006] However, a disadvantage of such radial shaft sealing rings is that they merely ensure contact but cannot compensate for excessive contact pressures, as a result of which such radial shaft sealing rings frequently wear and have to be replaced.

[0007] In order to keep the wear of the radial shaft sealing rings as low as possible, it is also known in the prior art to provide a slip ring on which the radial shaft sealing ring can slide. This is designed to compensate for imbalances, but must be manufactured additionally, which makes the production and manufacturing of the bearing rings significantly longer and more expensive. In addition, for such additional sleeves, it must be ensured that they have an additionally produced sliding surface, which also makes the production costs higher. Summary of the invention

[0008] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a rolling element bearing assembly, in particular for a wind turbine, enabling sealing of the bearing interior which can be used over the entire service life of the bearing or which can reduce the wear of the sealing lip and at the same time reduce costs.

[0009] This object is achieved by a rolling element bearing assembly according to claim 1.

[0010] 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 so that the first bearing ring and the second bearing ring can rotate relative to each other. 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. The rolling element bearing also includes a sealing assembly for sealing the bearing interior, wherein the sealing assembly includes a sealing frame and a sealing element, the sealing frame being connected to the first bearing ring so that the sealing frame rotates with the first bearing ring, and the sealing element being connected to the sealing frame so that the sealing element rotates with the sealing frame. Such a sealing frame is usually used when the outer ring is configured to be relatively narrower than the inner ring, in order to save weight. However, for this purpose, it is necessary to redesign the sealing part of the bearing ring or the bearing interior, but wherein the sealing assembly must have a sufficient distance from the rolling bearing accommodated in the bearing interior and the cage holding the rolling elements.

[0011] In order to provide a reliable, cost-effective and low-wear seal for a rolling element bearing, the sealing element further comprises at least one primary sealing lip for sealing the interior of the bearing and a secondary sealing lip for sealing against the external environment, wherein the sealing element is connected to the sealing carrier so that the sealing element and the sealing carrier rotate together. In addition, the primary sealing lip and the secondary sealing lip abut axially sealingly against the end surface of the second bearing ring in an axially sealing manner so that on the one hand a reliable seal is ensured and on the other hand the sealing lips are not excessively worn even in the case of axial and radial imbalances.

[0012] Surprisingly, it has been shown that such a (large) rolling element bearing can achieve axial sealing, since on the one hand the distance between the seal carrier and the end side of the inner ring can be set with high accuracy and thus the contact force of the sealing ring or sealing lip against the axial end surface of the bearing ring can be precisely defined, and on the other hand additional elements (such as, for example, elastic elements) can be omitted. On the one hand, this facilitates the manufacture of the seal, and on the other hand, additional contact forces acting on the sealing lip and causing it to wear can be omitted.

[0013] Axial sealing is contrary to the conventional teaching of the skilled person, who assumes that a sealing lip sliding in the axial direction cannot seal adequately. The reason for this is that, especially in large rolling element bearings, imbalances or manufacturing errors always occur (it is not possible to produce mathematically circular rings), leading to large vibrations in the distance between components rotating relative to each other. Therefore, spring elements of radial shaft seals are considered indispensable, since otherwise it cannot be ensured that a seal is formed in all operating states, i.e. the sealing lip abuts the bearing ring or sleeve.

[0014] However, it has been found that even sealing lips that slide in the axial direction can adequately seal the interior of the bearing in all operating conditions, and in particular, their contact forces over the service life of the rolling element bearing assembly can be accurately determined and the sealing lips designed accordingly. Therefore, according to a preferred exemplary embodiment, the main sealing lip abuts the end surface of the second bearing ring with a predetermined contact force.

[0015] It is particularly preferred that the contact force of the primary sealing lip is determined by 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 and / or a defined distance of the seal carrier to the end surface of the second bearing ring. Individually or in combination, the above factors play a decisive role in the contact force of the seal on the end surface of the bearing ring and can be determined more accurately with the aid of simulations.

[0016] According to a further advantageous exemplary embodiment, not only the above mentioned factors are crucial for determining the contact force, but also the lip spread angle between the primary sealing lip, which points towards the bearing interior, and the secondary sealing lip, which points in the opposite direction. A lip spread angle, which preferably lies in the range of 100° to 140°, preferably at about 120°, ensures that the sealing lips are aligned with each other so that the sealing lips abut the end surface of the bearing ring in principle.

[0017] According to another advantageous exemplary embodiment, the sealing element is made of nitrile rubber or hydrogenated nitrile rubber. On the one hand, these materials are highly elastic, and on the other hand, they are hard enough to form optimized contact force determining properties for the sealing lip. In addition, they exhibit high ozone resistance and can also be used at low temperatures.

[0018] According to another advantageous exemplary embodiment, the sealing element further comprises a sealing body carrying the primary sealing lip and the secondary sealing lip, wherein the sealing body, the primary sealing lip and the secondary sealing lip form a one-piece element. Due to this one-piece structure, the interaction between the sealing lip body, the sealing carrier and the end-side sliding surface on the bearing inner ring can ensure constant contact of the sealing lips.

[0019] According to a further advantageous exemplary embodiment, the seal carrier is made of a fiber reinforced plastic material, in particular of an FRP material. This allows for a further reduction in weight and thus in the overall weight of the bearing. In addition, such a seal carrier is very dimensionally stable and easy to manufacture and can be easily attached to the bearing ring. Of course, however, the seal carrier can also be made of a sheet metal material as usual.

[0020] 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 in multiple layers as is usually the case, but is compression molded from a fiber matrix composite plate (SMC method). There is no need for post-processing of the seal carrier. On the one hand, this can speed up the manufacturing process, and on the other hand, it can avoid errors caused by incorrect lamination of fiber reinforced plastics. In addition, using compression molded fiber matrix composite plates, high dimensional accuracy can be achieved, so that even in large rolling element bearings, purely axial sealing without the use of radial shaft sealing rings can be carried out without problems.

[0021] In order to attach the seal carrier and the sealing element to the seal body, the seal body is usually arranged on a radial surface of the seal carrier and is attached to the seal carrier by means of a circumferentially extending clamping ring. Such a circumferentially extending clamping ring ensures that the sealing element is held in a predetermined position radially and axially so that the sealing lip slides against the end side of the bearing ring with a defined contact force.

[0022] Here, the clamping ring may be attached to the sealing carrier by means of screws.

[0023] Furthermore, the sealing element can be clamped between the sealing frame and the clamping ring. Alternatively or additionally, the sealing element can be attached to the clamping ring by friction fit (particularly using an attachment element). Furthermore, alternatively or additionally, the sealing element and the sealing frame / clamping ring can also include structures that interact with each other in an interference fit (interference-fit), which can also enable the sealing element to be radially and axially attached to the clamping ring and / or the sealing frame. Of course, the sealing element can also be fixedly attached to the clamping ring or the sealing frame in addition or alternatively only in a material bonding manner (particularly, an adhesive can be used).

[0024] In order to additionally produce a rotational lock of the seal carrier and the sealing element or to achieve radial, axial and circumferential position fixation, the sealing element and / or the seal carrier may comprise means for attaching the sealing element to the seal carrier so that they rotate together. It is particularly preferred here that the seal carrier comprises an undercut and that the sealing element engages in the undercut via a lug formed on the seal body, whereby the sealing element can be fixed to the seal carrier.

[0025] Another aspect of the invention relates to a wind turbine comprising a rotor shaft main bearing assembly including a roller assembly as described above.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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

[0028] Figure 1shows a schematic perspective partial view of a rolling element bearing assembly according to a first exemplary embodiment;

[0029] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of a rolling element bearing assembly;

[0030] Figure 3 Shows Figure 1 and Figure 2 A schematic perspective detail view of a sealing element used in;

[0031] Figure 4 shows a schematic detail view of a seal carrier for use in a rolling element bearing assembly;

[0032] Figure 5 A schematic detail view of an alternatively usable sealing element is shown;

[0033] Figure 6 a schematic detail view showing an alternatively usable sealing element; and

[0034] Figure 7 A schematic detail view of an alternatively usable sealing element is shown;

[0035] In the following, identical or functionally equivalent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0036] Reference numerals list

[0037] 100 Rolling element bearing assembly

[0038] 2 Outer ring

[0039] 4 Axis

[0040] 6 Inner circle

[0041] 8 Bearing interior

[0042] 10 Rolling elements

[0043] 12 Sealing rack

[0044] 14 Screws

[0045] 16 Sealing element

[0046] 18 Clamping ring

[0047] 20 Screws

[0048] 22 Sealing body

[0049] 24 Main sealing lip

[0050] 26 Auxiliary sealing lip

[0051] 28 Structure

[0052] 30 End surface

[0053] 32 Undercut

[0054] 34, 36 Sealing protrusion

[0055] 38, 40 complementary structure

[0056] 42, 44 Flange components

[0057] 46, 48 contact surface

[0058] 50 Attachment elements

[0059] 52 Protrusion

[0060] 54 Barb

[0061] 56 Thickening

[0062] 58 slots

[0063] 60 protrusion

[0064] D Distance

[0065] L Length

[0066] α Angle of incidence

[0067] β Lip expansion angle DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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 2A sealing carrier 12 is depicted in FIG. 1 , which carries a sealing element 16 .

[0070] 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] 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.

[0073] also, Figure 2 It 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.

[0074] 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.

[0075] 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.

[0076] To attach the sealing element 16 to the sealing carrier 12, Figure 2 In 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 3As 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.

[0077] 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.

[0078] 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.

[0079] 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.

[0080] 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 4In 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.

[0081] 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.

[0082] 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 5 In 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 .

[0083] 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.

[0084] 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; 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 rolling elements are 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 interior (8) of the bearing, 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 the sealing frame (12) rotates together with the first bearing ring (2; 6), and the sealing element (16) comprises at least one primary sealing lip (24) for sealing the interior (8) of the bearing and a secondary sealing lip (26) for sealing against external contamination, wherein the sealing element (16) is connected to the sealing frame (12) so that the primary sealing lip (24) and the secondary sealing lip (26) abut an end surface (30) of the second bearing ring (2; 6) in an axial direction in a sealing manner, wherein the sealing assembly further comprises a clamping ring (18) for attaching the sealing element (16) to the sealing frame (12), the clamping ring (18) defining a radial inner hole, the at least one primary sealing lip (24) being located radially outside the radial inner hole.

2. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that The first bearing ring (2; 6) is configured to be stationary, and the second bearing ring (6; 2) is configured to be rotatable.

3. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that The sealing element (16) further comprises a sealing body (22) carrying the primary sealing lip (24) and the secondary sealing lip (26), wherein the sealing body (22), the primary sealing lip (24) and the secondary sealing lip (26) form a one-piece element.

4. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that The main sealing lip (24) abuts against the end surface (30) of the second bearing ring (2; 6) with a predetermined contact force.

5. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to claim 4, characterized in that The contact force of the main sealing lip (24) is determined by the length (L) of the sealing lip (24), the angle of incidence (α) 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 (D) from the sealing carrier (12) to the end surface (30) of the second bearing ring (2; 6).

6. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The primary sealing lip (24) points toward the inside (8) of the bearing, and the secondary sealing lip (26) points in the opposite direction, so that a lip expansion angle (β) is formed between the primary sealing lip (24) and the secondary sealing lip (26), and the lip expansion angle (β) falls within the range of 100° to 140°.

7. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that The lip expansion angle (β) is 120°.

8. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The sealing element is made of nitrile rubber (NBR).

9. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to claim 8, characterized in that The sealing element is made of hydrogenated nitrile rubber (HNBR).

10. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The sealing frame (12) is made of fiber-reinforced plastic material.

11. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to claim 10, characterized in that The sealing frame (12) is made of glass fiber reinforced plastic material (FRP).

12. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that The sealing element (16) abuts against the radial surface of the sealing carrier (12) with the sealing body (22), and the clamping ring (18) extends in the circumferential direction.

13. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The clamping ring (18) is attached to the sealing frame (12) by screws.

14. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The sealing element (16) is clamped between the sealing frame (12) and the clamping ring (18), and / or The sealing element (16) is attached to the clamping ring (18) by friction fit, and / or The sealing element (16) and the clamping ring (18) comprise structures (52; 54; 56; 58) that interact with each other in an interference fit manner, so that the sealing element (16) and the clamping ring (18) are connected to each other in an interference fit manner, and / or The sealing element (16) is attached to the clamping ring (18) in a materially bonded manner.

15. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to claim 14, characterized in that The sealing element (16) is attached to the clamping ring (18) using an attachment element.

16. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to claim 14, characterized in that The sealing element (16) is attached to the clamping ring (18) by adhesion.

17. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, 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).

18. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to claim 17, characterized in that The seal carrier (12) includes an undercut (32), and the seal body (22) of the seal element (16) engages in the undercut (32) using a lug (28) formed on the seal body to secure the seal element (16) to the seal carrier (12).

19. The rolling element bearing assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The rolling element bearing assembly (100) is a double row tapered roller bearing.

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