Composite ceramic bearing and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

The application discloses a composite ceramic bearing and a preparation method thereof, and the composite ceramic bearing comprises a metal outer ring, a metal inner ring and a rolling body; the inner surface of the metal outer ring is provided with a first annular groove, the first annular groove is provided with a first rubber layer, and the surface of the first rubber layer is provided with a first ceramic layer; the outer surface of the metal inner ring is provided with a second annular groove, the second annular groove is provided with a second rubber layer, and the surface of the second rubber layer is provided with a second ceramic layer; and the first ceramic layer and the second ceramic layer constitute a ceramic raceway for mounting the rolling body. The application adopts the inventive concept of ceramic-metal composite structure, designs the raceway of the metal bearing as a ceramic raceway, the ceramic layer on the surface of the ceramic raceway can improve the hardness and strength of the raceway, and the ceramic raceway is more smooth and wear-resistant, the rubber layer in the ceramic raceway can play a buffering and damping role for the ceramic layer, so that the ceramic raceway has higher bearing capacity, and the rupture phenomenon can be avoided when the ceramic raceway is subjected to a larger impact.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of bearing technology, and in particular to a composite ceramic bearing and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Bearings are crucial components in mechanical equipment, widely used in the national economy and defense industries. Currently, the rapid development of high-tech fields such as aviation, aerospace, nuclear energy, and photovoltaics has created an urgent need for bearings that can withstand high temperatures and corrosive environments. Ceramic bearings, with their excellent properties such as wear resistance, acid and alkali resistance, high temperature resistance, and long service life, have been widely used in various industrial sectors.

[0003] However, compared with traditional metal bearings, ceramic bearings have the following disadvantages: 1. Ceramic bearings have high hardness but low load-bearing capacity, and they will crack when subjected to large impacts, so they cannot be used in some specific complex working conditions; 2. Due to the brittle nature of ceramic materials, the ceramic inner and outer ring structures used in ceramic bearings are small in size, making it difficult to manufacture large-scale bearings; 3. Ceramic materials are difficult to process into various shapes, so ceramic bearings are difficult to manufacture and have high production costs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a composite ceramic bearing and its preparation method, the main purpose of which is to solve the technical problems existing in the current ceramic bearing.

[0005] The present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A composite ceramic bearing includes a metal outer ring, a metal inner ring, and rolling elements; the inner surface of the metal outer ring is provided with a first annular groove, the first annular groove is provided with a first rubber layer, and the surface of the first rubber layer is provided with a first ceramic layer; the outer surface of the metal inner ring is provided with a second annular groove, the second annular groove is provided with a second rubber layer, and the surface of the second rubber layer is provided with a second ceramic layer; the first ceramic layer and the second ceramic layer constitute a ceramic raceway for mounting the rolling elements.

[0007] Furthermore, both the first ceramic layer and the second ceramic layer are composed of several composite ceramic sheets arranged and spliced ​​together.

[0008] Furthermore, each of the composite ceramic sheets is formed by integrally vulcanizing a ceramic sheet and a rubber sheet.

[0009] Furthermore, the first annular groove has a first annular step surface at its edge, and the first rubber layer has a first annular flange that matches the first annular step surface; the second annular groove has a second annular step surface at its edge, and the second rubber layer has a second annular flange that matches the second annular step surface.

[0010] Furthermore, the surfaces of the first annular groove and the second annular groove are provided with a plurality of fine protrusions; the first rubber layer and the second rubber layer are provided with recesses that are adapted to the fine protrusions.

[0011] Furthermore, the metal outer ring includes a first outer ring and a second outer ring; the first outer ring has a first connecting lug at both ends, and the second outer ring has a second connecting lug at both ends, and the first connecting lug and the second connecting lug are locked together by bolts.

[0012] Furthermore, the metal inner ring includes a first inner ring and a second inner ring. The first inner ring has several positioning holes at both ends, and the second inner ring has several positioning pins at both ends that are adapted to the positioning holes.

[0013] Furthermore, it also includes a cage, and both the cage and the rolling elements are made of metal.

[0014] A method for preparing a composite ceramic bearing includes the following steps:

[0015] (1) A metal outer ring, a metal inner ring, rolling elements and a cage are made from metal blanks, and a first annular groove and a second annular groove are machined on the inner surface of the metal outer ring and the outer surface of the metal inner ring, respectively.

[0016] (2) The first rubber layer and the second rubber layer are respectively attached in the first annular groove and the second annular groove using an adhesive;

[0017] (3) The ceramic sheet and the rubber sheet are vulcanized together to form a composite ceramic sheet, and several of the composite ceramic sheets are arranged and attached to the surface of the first rubber layer and the second rubber layer, and then compacted to form the first ceramic layer and the second ceramic layer.

[0018] (4) Assemble the outer metal ring, inner metal ring, rolling elements and cage to form a composite ceramic bearing.

[0019] Furthermore, the ceramic sheet is made of ceramic material with a Si3N4 content of more than 90%, and the rubber sheet is made of the following components in weight percentage: 60-63% natural rubber, 29-30% carbon black, 3.5-4.8% zinc oxide, and 0.9-1.6% accelerator.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0021] 1. This invention adopts the concept of ceramic-metal composite structure, and designs the raceway of the metal bearing as a ceramic raceway. The ceramic layer on the surface of the ceramic raceway can improve the hardness and strength of the raceway, making it smoother and more wear-resistant. The rubber layer inside the ceramic raceway can play a role in buffering and shock absorption for the ceramic layer, so that the ceramic raceway has higher load-bearing capacity and avoids cracking when subjected to large impacts.

[0022] 2. This invention creatively applies the integrated vulcanization process of ceramic sheets and rubber sheets to composite ceramic bearings, and adopts a technical solution of splicing several composite ceramic sheets together to form a ceramic layer. This not only effectively improves the impact resistance of the ceramic layer, but also reduces the production difficulty and production cost, and helps to realize the preparation of large-size composite ceramic bearings. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the metal outer ring in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the metal inner ring in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the metal outer ring in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the metal inner ring in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 5 This is a front view of the composite ceramic bearing in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the composite ceramic bearing in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the first ceramic layer in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the metal outer ring in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the metal inner ring in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 10 This is an exploded view of the metal outer ring in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 11 This is an exploded view of the metal inner ring in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0034] In the figure: 1-Metal outer ring; 10-First annular groove; 11-First rubber layer; 111-First annular flange; 12-First ceramic layer; 121-Ceramic sheet; 122-Rubber sheet; 123-Side wall ceramic sheet; 124-Bottom ceramic sheet; 13-First outer ring; 131-First connecting ear; 14-Second outer ring; 141-Second connecting ear; 2-Metal inner ring; 20-Second annular groove; 21-Second rubber layer; 211-Second annular flange; 22-Second ceramic layer; 23-First inner ring; 231-Positioning hole; 24-Second inner ring; 3-Rolling element. Detailed Implementation

[0035] Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many details are described below to provide a comprehensive understanding of the invention; however, those skilled in the art will be able to implement the invention without these details.

[0036] Example 1:

[0037] Reference Figures 1 to 6 A composite ceramic bearing includes a metal outer ring 1, a metal inner ring 2, and rolling elements 3. The inner surface of the metal outer ring 1 has a first annular groove 10, within which a first rubber layer 11 is disposed, and the surface of the first rubber layer 11 has a first ceramic layer 12. The outer surface of the metal inner ring 2 has a second annular groove 20, within which a second rubber layer 21 is disposed, and the surface of the second rubber layer 21 has a second ceramic layer 22. The first ceramic layer 12 and the second ceramic layer 22 constitute a ceramic raceway for mounting the rolling elements 2. This invention employs a ceramic-metal composite structure concept, designing the raceway of the metal bearing as a ceramic raceway. The ceramic layer on the surface of the ceramic raceway can improve the hardness and strength of the raceway, making it smoother and more wear-resistant. The rubber layer inside the ceramic raceway can buffer and dampen the ceramic layer, giving the ceramic raceway higher load-bearing capacity and preventing breakage under large impacts.

[0038] Reference Figures 1 to 7 Both the first ceramic layer 12 and the second ceramic layer 22 are composed of several composite ceramic sheets arranged and spliced ​​together. The technical solution of using several composite ceramic sheets spliced ​​together to form ceramic layers has the following advantages: First, single-piece, small-sized composite ceramic sheets are easy to mass-produce, effectively reducing production difficulty and costs; second, disassembling and then assembling the structure of the ceramic raceway helps to realize the preparation of large-size composite ceramic bearings; third, the ceramic raceway composed of several composite ceramic sheets has higher impact resistance. When subjected to impact, the stress between the composite ceramic sheets can cancel out the external impact force, thereby avoiding cracking.

[0039] Reference Figures 3 to 7As a preferred embodiment, each composite ceramic sheet is integrally vulcanized from a ceramic sheet 121 and a rubber sheet 122. This invention creatively applies the integral vulcanization process of the ceramic sheet 121 and rubber sheet 122 to composite ceramic bearings, ensuring a firm bond between the ceramic sheet and the rubber sheet, preventing them from easily detaching. When assembling the composite ceramic sheets, the rubber sheet 122 at the bottom is made of the same material as the rubber layer in the annular groove, making adhesion easier and ensuring a strong and reliable ceramic raceway after assembly.

[0040] Reference Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 6 The first annular groove 10 has a first annular stepped surface at its edge, and the first rubber layer 11 has a first annular flange 111 that matches the first annular stepped surface; the second annular groove 20 has a second annular stepped surface at its edge, and the second rubber layer 21 has a second annular flange 211 that matches the second annular stepped surface. Furthermore, both the first annular groove 10 and the second annular groove 20 have several fine protrusions (not shown in the figure); both the first rubber layer 11 and the second rubber layer 21 have recesses (not shown in the figure) that match the fine protrusions. These designs increase the contact area between the rubber layer and the annular groove, allowing the rubber layer to adhere more firmly to the annular groove.

[0041] Reference Figure 5 and Figure 6 The composite ceramic bearing also includes a cage (not shown in the figure), and both the cage and the rolling elements 3 are made of metal. As a preferred embodiment, the composite ceramic bearing in this embodiment is a ball bearing, more specifically a deep groove ball bearing. However, the scope of protection of this invention is not limited thereto; in actual production, the inventive concept of the ceramic-metal composite structure can also be specifically applied to other types of ball bearings or roller bearings.

[0042] Reference Figures 1 to 7 The following is a detailed description of the preparation method of the composite ceramic bearing provided in this embodiment, which includes the following steps:

[0043] (1) The outer metal ring 1, the inner metal ring 2, the rolling element 3 and the cage are made from metal blanks, and the first annular groove 10 and the second annular groove 20 are machined on the inner surface of the outer metal ring 1 and the outer surface of the inner metal ring 2, respectively.

[0044] (2) Adhesives are used to attach the first rubber layer 11 and the second rubber layer 21 into the first annular groove 10 and the second annular groove 20 respectively;

[0045] (3) The ceramic sheet 121 and the rubber sheet 122 are vulcanized together to form a composite ceramic sheet, and several composite ceramic sheets are arranged and attached to the surface of the first rubber layer 11 and the second rubber layer 21, and then compacted to form the first ceramic layer 12 and the second ceramic layer 22.

[0046] (4) Assemble the outer metal ring 1, the inner metal ring 2, the rolling elements 3 and the cage to form a composite ceramic bearing.

[0047] In step (2), the first rubber layer 11 integrally covers the bottom and sidewall of the first annular groove 10, and the second rubber layer 21 also integrally covers the bottom and sidewall of the second annular groove 20.

[0048] In step (3), to reduce assembly gaps, this embodiment divides the first ceramic layer 12 and the second ceramic layer 22 into four equal parts, i.e., the arc length of each composite ceramic sheet is one-quarter of the circumference of the first rubber layer 11 or the second rubber layer 12. To reduce the production difficulty of the composite ceramic sheet, it can be divided into a side wall ceramic sheet 123 and a bottom ceramic sheet 124. During assembly, the bottom ceramic sheet 124 is first attached, and then the side wall ceramic sheet 123 is attached to the side wall of the rubber layer, so that its bottom is tightly attached to the bottom ceramic sheet 124. After testing, it was found that the composite ceramic sheet made by the vulcanization process can achieve a tight fit after assembly, and its seam will not cause interference friction and obstruction to the movement of the rolling body. However, in practical applications, if there are seam problems, ceramic sealant or corrosion-resistant resin can be filled at the seam first, and then the surface can be polished to ensure that the surface of the ceramic raceway is smooth.

[0049] In step (3), the ceramic sheet 121 is made of ceramic material with a Si3N4 content of more than 90%, and the rubber sheet 122 is made of the following components in weight percentage: 60-63% natural rubber, 29-30% carbon black, 3.5-4.8% zinc oxide, and 0.9-1.6% accelerator. The vulcanization temperature is 135℃ and the vulcanization pressure is 4 MPa.

[0050] In step (1), the metal billet is preferably a steel billet. The manufacturing processes of the outer metal ring 1, the inner metal ring 2, the rolling elements 3, and the cage are all carried out using existing technologies, and will not be described in detail here. The assembly process in step (4) is carried out using existing technologies, and will not be described in detail here either.

[0051] Example 2:

[0052] Reference Figures 8 to 11Unlike Embodiment 1, in this embodiment, the outer metal ring 1 includes a first outer ring 13 and a second outer ring 14. The first outer ring 13 has first connecting ears 131 at both ends, and the second outer ring 14 has second connecting ears 141 at both ends. The first connecting ears 131 and the second connecting ears 141 are secured with bolts. The inner metal ring 2 includes a first inner ring 23 and a second inner ring 24. The first inner ring 23 has several positioning holes 231 at both ends, and the second inner ring 24 has several positioning pins (not shown in the figure) that are compatible with the positioning holes 231 at both ends. Both the outer metal ring 1 and the inner metal ring 2 can be disassembled into two parts, which is more conducive to assembling composite ceramic sheets, thereby further reducing production difficulty.

[0053] The above are merely specific embodiments of the present invention, but the design concept of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any non-substantial modifications made to the present invention using this concept shall be considered as infringing upon the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A composite ceramic bearing, characterized in that: Includes a metal outer ring, a metal inner ring, and rolling elements; The inner surface of the metal outer ring is provided with a first annular groove, and a first rubber layer that plays a buffering and shock-absorbing role is provided in the first annular groove. The surface of the first rubber layer is provided with a first ceramic layer. The outer surface of the metal inner ring is provided with a second annular groove, and a second rubber layer that plays a buffering and shock-absorbing role is provided in the second annular groove. A second ceramic layer is provided on the surface of the second rubber layer. The first ceramic layer and the second ceramic layer constitute a ceramic raceway for mounting the rolling element; Both the first ceramic layer and the second ceramic layer are composed of several composite ceramic sheets arranged and spliced ​​together, and each composite ceramic sheet is integrally vulcanized from a ceramic sheet and a rubber sheet.

2. The composite ceramic bearing as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The first annular groove has a first annular step surface at its edge, and the first rubber layer has a first annular flange that matches the first annular step surface; the second annular groove has a second annular step surface at its edge, and the second rubber layer has a second annular flange that matches the second annular step surface.

3. The composite ceramic bearing as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The surfaces of the first and second annular grooves are provided with a plurality of fine protrusions; the first and second rubber layers are provided with recesses that are adapted to the fine protrusions.

4. The composite ceramic bearing as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The metal outer ring includes a first outer ring and a second outer ring; the first outer ring has a first connecting lug at both ends, and the second outer ring has a second connecting lug at both ends, and the first connecting lug and the second connecting lug are locked together by bolts.

5. A composite ceramic bearing as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The metal inner ring includes a first inner ring and a second inner ring. The first inner ring has several positioning holes at both ends, and the second inner ring has several positioning pins at both ends that are adapted to the positioning holes.

6. A composite ceramic bearing as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a cage, and both the cage and the rolling elements are made of metal.

7. A method for preparing a composite ceramic bearing, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: (1) A metal outer ring, a metal inner ring, rolling elements and a cage are made from metal blanks, and a first annular groove and a second annular groove are machined on the inner surface of the metal outer ring and the outer surface of the metal inner ring, respectively. (2) The first rubber layer and the second rubber layer are respectively attached in the first annular groove and the second annular groove using an adhesive; (3) The ceramic sheet and the rubber sheet are vulcanized together to form a composite ceramic sheet, and several of the composite ceramic sheets are arranged and attached to the surface of the first rubber layer and the second rubber layer, and then compacted to form the first ceramic layer and the second ceramic layer. (4) Assemble the outer metal ring, inner metal ring, rolling elements and cage to form a composite ceramic bearing.

8. The method for preparing the composite ceramic bearing as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The ceramic sheet is made of ceramic material with a Si3N4 content of more than 90%, and the rubber sheet is made of the following components in weight percentage: natural rubber 60-63%, carbon black 29-30%, zinc oxide 3.5-4.8%, and accelerator 0.9-1.6%.

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