Efficient conical, cylindrical or spherical roller bearing

Abstract

A high efficiency tapered, cylindrical or spherical roller bearing has: an inner raceway (2) of an inner ring (1), the profile of which is selected between a logarithmic profile and a mixed logarithmic profile; a sliding track (18) located between the inner ring (1) and the head of the rolling element, having a straight or slightly convex profile; a rolling track (5) of the rolling elements (4) having a standard convex profile or a mixed logarithmic profile; an outer raceway (7) of the outer ring (6) having a specific convex profile (13); and a cage (3) between the inner ring (1) and the outer ring (6). The contact is optimized, and the friction force on the contact surfaces of the rolling track and the rolling elements is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This illustrative report relates to a set of improved features on the microgeometry and surface quality of the outer raceway, inner ring, and rolling elements of tapered, cylindrical, or spherical roller bearings, which improve performance by reducing friction. Background Art

[0002] Bearing manufacturers continuously innovate and develop new features that affect the bearing surface in order to improve bearing performance by reducing friction and sometimes sacrificing load-carrying capacity. These two features are very difficult to combine and, in most cases, impossible to combine, sacrificing one feature for the other.

[0003] WO2005080813 relates to a tapered roller bearing in which the inner and outer rings have a convex shape, called bombeado, on their contact surfaces with the tapered rollers. This reduces the friction between the inner and outer rings and the tapered rollers, although it is not clear that it maintains its load-carrying capacity.

[0004] Document KR20160082827 describes a tapered roller bearing designed to reduce friction, in which the inner and outer raceways have a plurality of anti-friction holes. Summary of the Utility Model

[0005] In the new utility model, the bearing efficiency is improved by applying new geometries and surface qualities to the profiles of the rolling contact surfaces between the inner raceway, outer raceway, and rolling elements. These geometric changes not only increase efficiency but also do not reduce the load-carrying capacity of the bearing.

[0006] A bearing consists of four main parts, namely the inner ring, rolling elements, cage, and outer ring. The utility model described below focuses on the contact surfaces between the inner raceway, outer raceway, and rolling elements, and in this type of bearing, the rolling elements are tapered roller, cylindrical roller, or spherical roller elements. It also focuses on the sliding contact that may exist between the heads of the rolling elements and the flanges of the inner ring, if any. The innovations we describe below are applied to each bearing part mentioned in this paragraph.

[0007] The contact surface between the inner ring and the rolling elements is called the inner raceway, and the new microgeometry is applied to the surface of the inner raceway. The profile becomes less rough and has a logarithmic shape, which is defined as the height of a plane on the contact surface and is especially designed to optimize contact and reduce the friction generated. A hybrid logarithmic geometry can also be applied, which means that the flat rising surface of the logarithmic profile has a slight bulge.

[0008] On the other hand, the contact surface with the head of the rolling element on the vertical wall of the inner ring flange is called the sliding track, which also has an optimized microgeometry selected between a straight profile or a quasi-convex profile and a reduced roughness.

[0009] The outer ring also has a track on its inner surface called the outer raceway, and the profile of this track is also given a new microgeometry. This new geometry includes a new convex profile and a reduced roughness, and this new convex profile is defined as a specific convex surface with a greater axial height than the convex surfaces defined in the standard convex surfaces used so far, and is especially designed to optimize contact and reduce their friction.

[0010] As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the rolling elements can be of the conical, cylindrical or spherical type, and they also have microgeometric variations applied to their surfaces or raceways. In this raceway, the profile can be convexified or it can be a hybrid logarithmic profile.

[0011] The cage is preferably made of a polyamide-type polymer to reduce friction with the steel rolling elements, although the cage can also be made of steel.

[0012] All information on the examples or patterns of the reference embodiments forms part of the description of the present utility model. Description of the Drawings

[0013] For a better understanding of the object of the present utility model, its preferred practical embodiments are shown in the drawings.

[0014] Figure 1 A cut-away tapered roller bearing (5) is shown.

[0015] Figure 2 A logarithmic profile (8) is shown.

[0016] Figure 3 A specific logarithmic profile (10) is shown.

[0017] Figure 4 A standard convex profile (12) is shown.

[0018] Figure 5 A specific convex profile (13) is shown. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0019] Figure 1The bearing cross-section is shown to explain each component. The bearing includes an inner ring (1). On its outer surface is the inner raceway (2), which is the surface that contacts the rolling elements (4), and the rolling elements have defined raceways (5) in the case of tapered, cylindrical, or spherical rolling elements. The inner ring (1) may have a flange (18), and the vertical wall of the flange (18) has a sliding track (17), which may have a flat or slightly convex microgeometry and reduced roughness. This sliding surface (17) contacts the head (16) of the rolling element. These rolling elements are assembled within an intermediate spacer ring called a cage (3), and the cage (3) facilitates assembly, evenly distributes the roller elements, and prevents them from sliding or becoming dislodged. Finally, the inner side of the outer ring (6) serves as the outer raceway (7).

[0020] Figure 2 A logarithmic profile (8) is shown. The logarithmic profile (8) can be defined as the height of the running surface while maintaining a flat surface (9).

[0021] The hybrid logarithmic profile (10) is shown in Figure 3 The hybrid logarithmic profile (10) has a height; however, the surface has a slightly convex surface (11).

[0022] Figure 4 A profile (12) with a standard convex surface is shown. The convex surface (14) is smoother or flatter.

[0023] Figure 5 A profile (13) with a specific convex surface is shown. The curvature (15) of the specific convex surface is slightly higher.

[0024] This combination of profiles and the variations applied to the profiles allows for a reduction in friction without changing the load capacity.

[0025] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the features of different embodiments can be combined with the features of other feasible embodiments as long as the combination is technically feasible.

Claims

1. An efficient tapered, cylindrical or spherical roller bearing, characterized in that, the bearing comprises: an inner raceway (2) of the inner ring (1), the inner raceway having a reduced roughness and a profile selected from: a logarithmic profile (8) having a raised flat surface (9); or a hybrid logarithmic profile (10) having a raised profile with a slightly convex surface, a sliding track (18) located between the inner ring (1) and the head (16) of the rolling element, having a reduced roughness, the profile of the sliding track having a surface geometry selected between straight or slightly convex; the head (16) of the rolling element (4), the head having a reduced roughness; the raceway (5) of the rolling element (4), the raceway having a reduced roughness and a profile selected from a standard convex profile (12) or a hybrid logarithmic profile (10); an outer raceway (7) of the outer ring (6), the outer raceway having a specific convex profile (13), the specific convex profile (13) having a reduced roughness and a greater height or curvature (15) than the convexity (14) of the standard convex profile (12); a cage (3) located between the inner ring (1) and the outer ring (6).

2. The efficient tapered, cylindrical or spherical roller bearing according to claim 1, characterized in that, the cage (3) is made of a polymer material of the polyamide type.

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