Creep-free and insulating bearing outer ring structure
By introducing circumferential grooves and expansion parts into the outer ring of the vehicle bearing, the expansion of the expansion parts is caused by liquid, making it come into contact with the inner surface of the shell, the problems of obstacles and misalignment of bearing functions are solved, and the movement and current passage is reduced The effect extends the service life of the bearing.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202410557031.0
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-08-09
- Filing Date
- 2024-05-07
- Publication Date
- 2025-02-18
AI Technical Summary
During the operation of the motor, current generated by induction passes through the metal-to-metal contact elements of the bearing to the housing, which may lead to impediment and misalignment of the bearing function.
An outer ring of a vehicle bearing is designed, including at least one circumferential groove, in which an expansion member (such as elastomeric rubber or foam material) is housed, and the radial expansion of the expansion member is initiated by liquid to make it with the inner surface of the housing. Direct contact reduces movement between the bearing and the housing and reduces current through the impedance of the expansion member.
It effectively reduces the movement between the bearing and the shell, prevents creep, reduces the passage of current, extends the service life of the bearing, and improves the operating efficiency of the motor.
Smart Images
Figure CN119467534A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to vehicle bearing assemblies. Background Art
[0002] Vehicle bearing assemblies for vehicles including, but not limited to, automobiles, trucks, vans, sport utility vehicles, autonomous vehicles, battery electric vehicles, agricultural equipment or construction equipment, railroad vehicles, and the like, may include a bearing slidably mounted in a housing with a slip fit between the bearing and the housing. The slip fit is intended to mitigate rotation or movement of the bearing due to, for example, rotational forces caused by a rotating shaft passing through the bearing and rotatably supported by the bearing. Unintended movement of the bearing may result in wear between the bearing and the housing and / or misalignment of the bearing, followed by wear on the shaft passing through the bearing or wear on interconnecting gears.
[0003] Currents generated by induction during motor operation can pass through the metal-to-metal contact elements of the bearing to the housing. Over time, this can impede bearing function, which can also lead to subsequent misalignment of the bearing.
[0004] Therefore, while systems and methods for assembling a bearing in a housing using a slip fit have achieved their intended purposes, a need exists for a new and improved system and method for configuring a bearing surface. Summary of the invention
[0005] According to multiple aspects, a vehicle bearing outer surface construction system includes a bearing having a bearing outer ring. The bearing outer ring includes an outer ring surface. At least one circumferential groove is recessed in the bearing outer ring. An expansion member is received in the at least one circumferential groove. A housing receives the bearing, wherein there is a gap between the housing inner surface and the bearing outer ring. The expansion member expands to radially extend across the gap and directly contact the housing inner surface to reduce movement between the bearing and the housing inner surface.
[0006] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the expansion member defines an elastomeric rubber.
[0007] In another aspect of the present disclosure, liquid is applied to the at least one circumferential groove prior to installation of the expansion member, or to the expansion member during or after accommodation of the expansion member, inducing radial expansion of the expansion member to extend the expansion member outwardly to the at least one circumferential groove.
[0008] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the liquid defines one of an oil-based liquid or a solvent-based liquid, the liquid being compatible with the application environment.
[0009] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the friction force is generated by direct contact between the expansion member and the inner surface of the housing.
[0010] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the expansion member defines an expansion foam that is received in the at least one circumferential groove and expands to extend through the gap when the expansion foam is installed.
[0011] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the expansion member is completely positioned within the at least one circumferential groove and is flush with or recessed relative to the outer ring surface before the expansion member is expanded.
[0012] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the at least one circumferential groove defines a first circumferential groove and a second circumferential groove. The expansion member defines a first expansion member received in the first circumferential groove and a second expansion member received in the second circumferential groove.
[0013] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the material of the expansion member includes an impedance that mitigates the passage of electric current between the bearing and the housing.
[0014] In another aspect of the present disclosure, at least one circumferential groove defines a first circumferential groove and a second circumferential groove, the first circumferential groove and the second circumferential groove individually defining a common circumferential groove width
[0015] According to several aspects, a bearing outer surface construction system includes a bearing having a bearing outer ring. At least one circumferential groove is recessed in the bearing outer ring. An expansion piece of elastomeric rubber is housed in the at least one circumferential groove and has impedance. A housing has a housing inner surface, the housing houses the bearing, wherein there is a gap between the housing inner surface and the bearing outer ring. The expansion piece expands to extend radially across the gap and directly contact the housing inner surface to reduce movement between the bearing and the housing inner surface. The impedance reduces the current passing between the bearing and the housing.
[0016] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the expansion member expands when contacted with a liquid.
[0017] In another aspect of the present disclosure, liquid is positioned within the at least one circumferential groove prior to receiving the expansion member.
[0018] In another aspect of the present disclosure, after installing the expansion member into the at least one circumferential groove, a liquid is applied to the expansion member.
[0019] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the at least one circumferential groove defines a first circumferential groove and a second circumferential groove. The expansion member defines a first expansion member received in the first circumferential groove and a second expansion member received in the second circumferential groove.
[0020] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the expansion member has a temperature rating of at least 150°C.
[0021] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the clearance between the inner surface of the housing and the outer ring of the bearing has a nominal range of between about 10 microns to up to about 20 microns, with the bearing and housing at room temperature, and increases to about 30 microns to up to about 50 microns when the bearing and housing are at system operating temperature.
[0022] According to several aspects, a method of constructing a bearing outer ring includes: manufacturing a bearing having a bearing outer ring, the bearing outer ring including an outer ring surface; recessing at least one circumferential groove in the bearing outer ring; positioning an expansion member in the at least one circumferential groove; and installing the bearing into a housing having a gap between an inner surface of the housing and the bearing outer ring, causing the expansion member to expand to radially extend across the gap and directly contact the inner surface of the housing to reduce movement between the bearing and the inner surface of the housing.
[0023] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method includes generating friction between an outer race surface of the bearing outer race and a housing inner surface of the housing by partial compression of the expansion member.
[0024] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method includes selecting a material for the expansion member to provide impedance that mitigates current flow between the bearing and the housing.
[0025] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein.It should be understood that these descriptions and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.
[0027] Figure 1 is an elevational side view of a bearing according to an exemplary aspect;
[0028] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional side elevation view of a bearing mounted in a housing; and
[0029] Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional side elevation view of the improved bearing installed in the housing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses.
[0031] When a part, element or layer is referred to as being "on," "engaged to," "connected to," or "coupled to" another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged to, connected to, or coupled to the other part, element or layer, or there may be intervening elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly engaged to," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be intervening elements or layers. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a similar manner, such as "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
[0032] refer to Figure 1 , a vehicle bearing outer configuration system 10 for a bearing system for a vehicle 11 includes a bearing 12 having a bearing outer race 14 and having a bearing outer diameter (OD) 16. As described herein, the vehicle 11 may include, but is not limited to, an automobile, a truck, a van, a sport utility vehicle, an autonomous vehicle, a battery electric vehicle, agricultural equipment or construction equipment, a rail vehicle, etc. The bearing outer race 14 includes a first circumferential groove 18 recessed into the bearing outer race 14 and a second circumferential groove 20 also recessed into the bearing outer race 14. According to several aspects, the first depth 22 of the first circumferential groove 18 is substantially equal to the second depth 24 of the second circumferential groove 20. The first expansion member 26 is pre-positioned in the first circumferential groove 18 and the second expansion member 28 is pre-positioned in the second circumferential groove 20. When in the first pre-positioned state, the first outer facing surface 30 of the first expansion member 26 is substantially flush or flat with the outer race surface 32 of the bearing outer race 14, and the second outer facing surface 34 of the second expansion member 28 is also substantially flush or flat with the outer race surface 32 of the bearing outer race 14.
[0033] According to another aspect, the first depth 22 of the first circumferential groove 18 can be different from the second depth 24 of the second circumferential groove 20. Such a difference can allow for different sized expansion members and different bearing geometries.
[0034] Optionally, according to various aspects, when in the second pre-positioned state, the first outer facing surface 30 of the first expansion member 26 and the second outer facing surface 34 of the second expansion member 28 are recessed below the outer race surface 32 of the bearing outer race 14. Therefore, in the second pre-positioned state, the first expansion member 26 is smaller than the outer diameter 16 of the bearing outer race 14. In the second pre-positioned state, the second outer facing surface 34 of the second expansion member 28 is also recessed below the outer race surface 32 of the bearing outer race 14 and is therefore smaller than the outer diameter 16 of the bearing outer race 14.
[0035] According to several aspects, the material of the first expandable member 26 and the material of the second expandable member 28 are elastomeric rubber compounds having an acceptable hardness after expansion. According to several aspects, the elastomeric rubber compound can be a minimum of 75 Shore A hardness. According to several aspects, the material of the first expandable member 26 and the material of the second expandable member 28 are foam materials that expand upon entering respective ones of the circumferential grooves, such as by expanding from a compressed state, or upon subsequent application of a fluid.
[0036] Continue to refer Figure 1 According to several aspects, after the first expansion member 26 and the second expansion member 28 are installed in the groove of the bearing outer ring 14, the liquid 36 is applied to the first expansion member 26 and the second expansion member 28. The application of the liquid 36 can be performed by applying by a syringe, by immersing the expansion member in the liquid 36, or by spraying. The liquid can be an oil-based fluid, such as: automatic transmission fluid (ATF); Petro-Lube Inc, NP-371; or Texaco Electrical Testing Laboratory (ETL) 7292 Europa. The liquid 36 can also define a solvent-based liquid that is compatible with the application environment.
[0037] One purpose of the liquid 36 is to cause the material of the first expansion member 26 and the second expansion member 28 to expand above the outer race surface 32 of the bearing outer race 14 .
[0038] Alternatively, the liquid 36 may be supplied to the first circumferential groove 18 and the second circumferential groove 20 before installing the first expansion member 26 and the second expansion member 28. This method allows the first expansion member 26 and the second expansion member 28 to begin absorbing the liquid 36 and thus begin to expand immediately after the first expansion member 26 and the second expansion member 28 are installed.
[0039] refer to Figure 2 And refer again Figure 1, the bearing 12 with the first expansion member 26 and the second expansion member 28 installed is slidably assembled into the housing 38. The gap 40 existing between the outer ring surface 32 of the bearing outer ring 14 and the housing inner surface 42 of the housing 38 allows a sliding fit between the outer ring surface 32 and the housing inner surface 42 of the housing 38 during the bearing installation. The first expansion member 26 and the second expansion member 28 have flexibility to facilitate the sliding assembly process of the bearing 12 into the housing 38. The gap 40 is filled by the elastic expansion of the first expansion member 26 and the second expansion member 28. As described above, the liquid 36 can be applied to the first circumferential groove 18 and the second circumferential groove 20 before assembling the bearing 12 into the housing 38, or applied to the first expansion member 26 and the second expansion member 28 before or after the bearing 12 is assembled. The first expansion member 26 and the second expansion member 28 expand radially by absorbing the liquid 36 to close the gap 40.
[0040] refer to Figure 3 And refer again Figure 1 and Figure 2 According to another aspect, the first circumferential groove 18 and the second circumferential groove 20 can be replaced with a single groove 46 of the improved bearing 12', which has a single groove width 48 that is greater than or equal to the width of the first circumferential groove 18 and / or the second circumferential groove 20. The single groove 46 can allow a wider and therefore larger contact surface area between the expansion piece 50 inserted into the single groove 46 and the housing inner surface 42 of the housing 38.
[0041] The design of the bearing 12 and improved bearing 12' disclosed herein utilizes the insulating material properties of one or more expansion members to electrically insulate the bearing 12 or improved bearing 12' from the housing 38 and mitigate the current passing through the bearing 12 or improved bearing 12', thereby reducing the risk of premature failure of the drive unit. In addition to the electrical insulation benefits, after the first expansion member 26 and the second expansion member 28 expand by absorbing the liquid 36, a friction force 44 is generated between the outer ring surface 32 of the bearing outer ring 14 and the housing inner surface 42 of the housing 38 by partial compression of the first expansion member 26 and the second expansion member 28, which mitigates the sliding between the outer ring surface 32 of the bearing outer ring 14 and the housing inner surface 42 of the housing 38. Mitigating the sliding helps eliminate bearing creep, which may otherwise occur when relative sliding occurs between the outer ring surface 32 of the bearing outer ring 14 and the housing inner surface 42. The occurrence of creep may cause premature failure of the drive unit and the transmission, for example, when the bearing 12 or the improved bearing 12' is used in the drive unit or transmission of the vehicle 11.
[0042] According to several aspects, the material of the expansion members including the first expansion member 26 and the second expansion member 28 has a minimum temperature rating of about 150° C. According to several aspects, the gap 40 between the outer race surface 32 and the housing inner face 42 has a nominal range of between about 10 microns and up to about 20 microns, with the bearing 12 and the housing 38 at room temperature, and increases to about 30 microns and up to about 50 microns when the bearing 12 and the housing 38 are at system operating temperature. Therefore, the material of the expansion member is selected to provide direct contact with the housing inner face 42 over at least the assembly temperature range of between about 10 microns and up to about 50 microns.
[0043] The vehicle bearing outer surface construction system 10 disclosed herein provides a bearing outer ring having one or more grooves in which an expandable rubber or foam material is provided. The outer diameter 16 of the bearing 12 and the improved bearing 12' is less than or equal to the outer diameter 16 of the bearing 12 before oil absorption expansion or expansion of the foam material of the expansion member. The vehicle bearing outer surface construction system 10 disclosed herein provides the combined use of an elastomeric material and fluid absorption or self-expansion through an expansion member (e.g., using an expandable foam material). The first expansion member 26 and the second expansion member 28 generate a friction force 44 between the bearing outer ring surface 32 and the housing inner surface 42 to reduce bearing sliding.
[0044] The vehicle bearing outer surface construction system 10 disclosed herein has several advantages. These advantages include the use of expansion pieces to eliminate creep caused by relative sliding between the bearing outer ring surface and the housing inner surface without affecting the efficiency of the bearing assembly manufacturing process. The expansion of the expansion piece is induced using a combination of an elastomeric material and a suitable fluid, generating friction between the bearing outer ring and the housing bore surface to prevent sliding. The vehicle bearing outer surface construction system 10 disclosed herein provides an easy-to-manufacture design with minimized complexity. The vehicle bearing outer surface construction system 10 disclosed herein also provides effective and relatively inexpensive bearing electrical insulation.
[0045] The disclosed vehicle bearing outer surface construction system 10 helps eliminate creep that occurs when relative sliding occurs between the outer surface of the bearing and the inner surface of the housing. Otherwise, creep may cause gear wear, premature failure of the drive unit and transmission failure. The disclosed vehicle bearing outer surface construction system 10 insulates the bearing and ensures high impedance of the bearing, so that the current does seek grounding through the bearing, instead, the current will pass through an appropriate path, such as through a grounding element outside the housing.
Claims
1. A vehicle bearing outer surface structural system, comprising: A bearing having a bearing outer ring, the bearing outer ring comprising an outer ring surface; at least one circumferential groove, the at least one circumferential groove being recessed into the bearing outer ring; an expansion member, the expansion member being received in the at least one circumferential groove; as well as A housing is provided to accommodate the bearing, wherein a gap is provided between the inner surface of the housing and the outer ring of the bearing, and the expansion member expands to radially extend across the gap and directly contact the inner surface of the housing to reduce movement between the bearing and the inner surface of the housing.
2. The vehicle bearing outer surface construction system according to claim 1, wherein: The expansion member defines an elastomeric rubber.
3. The vehicle bearing outer surface construction system according to claim 2 further includes applying liquid to the at least one circumferential groove before installing the expansion member, or applying liquid to the expansion member during or after accommodating the expansion member, causing radial expansion of the expansion member to extend the expansion member outward to the at least one circumferential groove.
4. The vehicle bearing outer surface construction system according to claim 3, wherein: The liquid defines one of an oil-based liquid or a solvent-based liquid, and the liquid is compatible with the application environment.
5. The vehicle bearing outer surface construction system of claim 1, further comprising a friction force generated by direct contact between the expansion member and the inner surface of the housing.
6. The vehicle bearing outer surface construction system according to claim 1, wherein: The expansion member defines an expansion foam that is received in the at least one circumferential groove and expands to extend through the gap when the expansion foam is installed.
7. The vehicle bearing outer surface construction system according to claim 1, wherein: The expansion member is completely positioned within the at least one groove circumferential groove and is flush with or recessed relative to the outer ring surface before the expansion member is expanded.
8. The vehicle bearing outer surface construction system according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one circumferential groove defines the first circumferential groove and the second circumferential groove; and The expansion member defines a first expansion member received in the first circumferential groove and a second expansion member received in the second circumferential groove.
9. The vehicle bearing outer surface construction system according to claim 1, wherein: The material of the expansion member includes impedance, and the impedance mitigates the flow of electric current between the bearing and the housing.
10. The vehicle bearing outer surface construction system according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one circumferential groove defines the first circumferential groove and the second circumferential groove, the first circumferential groove and the second circumferential groove individually defining a common circumferential groove width.