A high wear resistance ball cage retainer

Abstract

This application discloses a high wear-resistant ball cage cage, comprising a cage body with concentric inner and outer spherical surfaces and two parallel end faces. The cage body has windows evenly distributed along its circumference. Each window has parallel sidewalls parallel to the parallel end faces. The parallel sidewalls have a central recess and protrusions on either side of the recess. The recess has an insert groove containing a wear-resistant component. The wear-resistant component is positioned within the recess of the parallel sidewall of the window, allowing the rolling elements to directly contact the wear-resistant component, rather than directly contacting the cage body. In contrast, with integrated ball cage cages, if severe localized wear occurs after long-term use, affecting the accuracy and stability of the entire cage, the entire cage needs to be replaced. The wear-resistant component is detachably connected to the insert groove; when it fails due to wear, only the wear-resistant component needs to be replaced, without replacing the entire cage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of ball cage cages, and particularly relates to a high wear-resistant ball cage cage. Background Technology

[0002] In automotive transmission systems, the ball-cage constant velocity joint (CV joint) is a key component ensuring stable power transmission. It enables efficient and smooth torque transfer between the drive shaft and wheels, ensuring stable and reliable power transmission when the vehicle is driving straight, turning, or dealing with complex road conditions. The ball cage, as the core component of this universal joint, undertakes important responsibilities such as precisely positioning the balls, ensuring constant velocity transmission, reliably transmitting torque, and buffering stress vibrations. Its performance and condition directly affect the working efficiency of the entire universal joint and even the entire transmission system.

[0003] However, during the actual operation of a ball joint, the balls continuously roll inside the joint, and the cage's pockets are approximately rectangular. As the balls roll, they frequently contact and collide with the upper and lower edges of the pockets. Given the limited contact area and the significant loads the balls bear during operation, these contact and collision areas easily become points of high stress concentration, according to the principle of stress concentration. With the continuous rolling of the balls, repeated contact and collisions lead to a sharp increase in local stress, sometimes far exceeding the material's yield strength, thus triggering plastic deformation. This plastic deformation alters the size and shape of the pockets, interfering with the normal trajectory of the balls and ultimately preventing effective power transmission from the driveshaft to the wheels. This not only reduces vehicle acceleration and increases fuel consumption but may also damage other transmission components. Furthermore, if even one pocket wall deforms, the entire cage needs to be replaced, resulting in high maintenance costs. Therefore, the existing technology still requires further improvement and enhancement. Utility Model Content

[0004] This invention provides a highly wear-resistant ball cage retainer to at least solve or alleviate one or more technical problems in the prior art, or to at least provide a beneficial alternative.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0006] A high wear-resistant ball cage cage includes a cage body with concentric inner and outer spherical surfaces and two parallel end faces. The cage body has windows evenly distributed along the circumference. The windows have parallel sidewalls parallel to the parallel end faces. The parallel sidewalls have a central recess and protrusions on both sides of the recess. The recess has an insertion groove, and a wear-resistant component is disposed in the insertion groove. After the wear-resistant component is inserted into the insertion groove, its height is the same as the height of the protrusions. The rolling elements are in direct contact with the wear-resistant component. The wear-resistant component can be detachably connected to the insertion groove to reduce maintenance costs.

[0007] By employing the high wear-resistant ball cage cage of this application, a wear-resistant component is installed in the recessed portion of the parallel sidewall of the window opening, allowing the rolling elements to directly contact the wear-resistant component instead of directly contacting the cage body. The wear-resistant component is specifically designed to address the friction and wear of the rolling elements; for example, it can be made of materials more wear-resistant than the cage body, such as high-hardness alloy steel or ceramic materials, significantly improving the wear resistance of this critical contact area and effectively extending the service life of the ball cage cage. After being embedded in the insert groove, the height of the wear-resistant component is the same as the height of the protrusion, maintaining the original shape of the ball cage cage pocket. This ensures uniform contact between the rolling elements and the wear-resistant component during operation, preventing performance degradation due to uneven localized wear. In contrast, with integrated ball cage cages, severe localized wear after long-term use affects the accuracy and stability of the entire cage, requiring complete replacement. The wear-resistant component is detachably connected to the insert groove; when it fails due to wear, only the wear-resistant component needs to be replaced, without replacing the entire cage.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the wear-resistant component includes a snap-fit ​​portion and a contact portion. The snap-fit ​​portion is interference-fitted with the insert groove, and one side of the contact portion overlaps with the platform formed by the circumferential edge of the insert groove, while the opposite side contacts the ball bearing.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the snap-fit ​​part is provided with a fixing hole, and the side of the embedding groove is provided with a positioning hole. The snap-fit ​​part is inserted into the embedding groove to align the fixing hole and the positioning hole, and the fastener passes through the fixing hole and the positioning hole to limit the wear-resistant part.

[0010] The interference fit, combined with the fit of the fastener and the hole, forms a dual connection method, greatly increasing the connection strength between the wear-resistant component and the cage body. The interference fit provides an initial tight connection, while the fastener passing through the hole further enhances the reliability of the connection, allowing the wear-resistant component to better withstand the loads transmitted by the balls. The fastener can be a common pin-type fastener. However, extra care must be taken when installing such fasteners to ensure that they do not protrude excessively from the surface of the ball cage after installation, so as not to affect the operation of the ball cage.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the contact portion is an arc-shaped structure with an arc-shaped surface concentric with the inner and outer spherical surfaces of the cage body. After the wear-resistant part is installed in the embedding groove, the contact portion does not protrude from the inner and outer spherical surfaces of the cage body on either the inner or outer side.

[0012] In a preferred implementation, the width of the contact portion is smaller than the width of the protrusion and its length is adapted to the diameter of the steel ball.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, a through-hole is provided on the side of the contact portion of the wear-resistant part, and the disassembly hole extends in the direction from the outer spherical surface of the cage body to the inner spherical surface.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, an oil passage gap is provided between the contact portion and the protrusion.

[0015] In a preferred implementation, the window includes a rectangular portion and semi-circular portions on both sides of the rectangular portion, with a recess and a protrusion provided in the rectangular portion. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of this invention, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description thereof, serve to explain this application and do not constitute an undue limitation of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic three-dimensional structural diagram of one embodiment of the high wear-resistant ball cage cage of this application is shown;

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the high wear-resistant ball cage cage of this application is shown.

[0019] Label Explanation:

[0020] 1. Cage body; 10. Window opening; 100. Parallel sidewall; 101. Recess; 1010. Embedded groove; 10100. Positioning hole; 102. Protrusion; 11. End face; 2. Wear-resistant part; 20. Snap-fit ​​part; 200. Fixing hole; 21. Contact part; 210. Removal hole; 211. Oil passage gap; 3. Fixing component. Detailed Implementation

[0021] In the following description, only certain exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Therefore, the drawings and description are considered exemplary in nature and not restrictive.

[0022] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. In this utility model, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the first feature being "upper" or "lower" than the second feature can mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium.

[0023] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral unit; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. However, specifying a direct connection indicates that the two main bodies at the connection point are not connected by an intermediate structure, but are simply connected to form a whole through a connecting structure. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0024] In this utility model, descriptions involving "first," "second," etc., are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature.

[0025] The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] The specific solution adopted is as follows:

[0027] like Figure 1-2 As shown, this utility model provides a high wear-resistant ball cage cage, including a cage body 1 with concentric inner and outer spherical surfaces and two parallel end faces 11. The cage body 1 has windows 10 evenly distributed along the circumference. The windows 10 have parallel sidewalls 100 parallel to the parallel end faces 11. The parallel sidewalls 100 have a central recessed portion 101 and protrusions 102 located on both sides of the recessed portion 101. The recessed portion 101 has an embedding groove 1010. The embedding groove 1010 is equipped with a wear-resistant component 2. After the wear-resistant component 2 is embedded in the embedding groove 1010, its height is the same as the height of the protrusions 102. The rolling element is in direct contact with the wear-resistant component 2. The wear-resistant component 2 can be detachably connected to the embedding groove 1010 to reduce maintenance costs.

[0028] By employing the high wear-resistant ball cage cage of this application, a wear-resistant component 2 is provided in the recessed portion 101 of the parallel sidewall 100 of the window 10, allowing the rolling elements to directly contact the wear-resistant component 2 instead of directly contacting the cage body 1. The wear-resistant component 2 is specifically designed to address the friction and wear of the rolling elements. For example, it can be made of materials more wear-resistant than the cage body 1, such as high-hardness alloy steel or ceramic materials, greatly improving the wear resistance of this critical contact portion 21 and effectively extending the service life of the ball cage cage. After the wear-resistant component 2 is embedded in the embedding groove 1010, its height is the same as the height of the protrusion 102, maintaining the original shape of the ball cage cage pocket. This ensures that the rolling elements make uniform contact with the wear-resistant component 2 during operation, avoiding a decrease in cage performance due to uneven local wear. In contrast, if the integrated ball cage experiences severe localized wear after long-term use, it will affect the accuracy and stability of the entire cage and require replacement. The wear-resistant part 2 is detachably connected to the embedded groove 1010. When the wear-resistant part 2 fails due to wear, only the wear-resistant part 2 needs to be replaced, without replacing the entire cage.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment of this application, the wear-resistant component 2 includes a snap-fit ​​portion 20 and a contact portion 21. The snap-fit ​​portion 20 is interference-fitted with the insert groove 1010, and one side of the contact portion 21 overlaps with the platform formed by the circumferential edge of the insert groove 1010, while the opposite side contacts the ball. The dimensional difference between the snap-fit ​​portion 20 and the insert groove 1010 creates pressure during assembly, resulting in a tight connection. This tight connection prevents the wear-resistant component 2 from loosening or falling off during operation, ensuring that it remains in the correct position and provides stable support and contact surface for the ball. The contact portion 21, overlapping the platform formed by the circumferential edge of the insert groove 1010, increases the support area between the wear-resistant component 2 and the cage body 1. This allows the wear-resistant component 2 to distribute the force more evenly onto the cage body 1 when bearing the load transmitted by the ball, reducing local stress concentration and improving the load-bearing capacity and stability of the wear-resistant component 2.

[0030] Furthermore, the snap-fit ​​part 20 is provided with a fixing hole 200, and the side of the embedding groove 1010 is provided with a positioning hole 10100. The snap-fit ​​part 20 is inserted into the embedding groove 1010 to align the fixing hole 200 and the positioning hole 10100. The fixing member 3 passes through the fixing hole 200 and the positioning hole 10100 to limit the wear-resistant member 2.

[0031] After the fastener 3 passes through the fixing hole 200 and the positioning hole 10100, it effectively limits the wear-resistant part 2, preventing it from shifting or falling off during operation. During vehicle operation, the ball cage retainer is subjected to forces and vibrations in various directions. Without reliable limiting measures, the wear-resistant part 2 may shift, affecting the normal movement of the balls and even causing power transmission interruption. The interference fit, combined with the fit between the fastener 3 and the hole, forms a dual connection method, greatly increasing the connection strength between the wear-resistant part 2 and the retainer body 1. The interference fit provides an initial tight connection, while the fastener 3 passing through the hole further enhances the reliability of the connection, enabling the wear-resistant part 2 to better withstand the load transmitted by the balls. The fastener 3 can be a common pin-type fastener 3. However, extra care must be taken when installing this type of fastener 3 to ensure that it does not protrude excessively from the surface of the ball cage retainer after installation, so as not to affect the operation of the ball cage retainer.

[0032] See Figure 1 The contact portion 21 has an arc-shaped structure with an arc-shaped surface concentric with the inner and outer spherical surfaces of the cage body. This concentric design allows the wear-resistant component 2 to perfectly fit the original structure of the ball cage cage. This fit ensures the aesthetic appearance of the ball cage cage and maintains its structural integrity and harmony. The contact portion 21 does not protrude from the inner or outer spherical surfaces of the cage body. Furthermore, the width of the contact portion 21 is smaller than the width of the protrusion 102, and its length is adapted to the diameter of the steel ball.

[0033] Thanks to its high wear resistance, the wear-resistant component 2 maintains its strength even with a slightly reduced width. However, directly narrowing the wall at the window 10 of the integral ball cage cage would significantly increase the risk of damage. This design creates more oil-accommodating space between the contact portion 21 and the protrusion 102. When the ball cage cage is in operation, the lubricating oil can fully fill this space. As the steel ball rolls within the window 10, the lubricating oil promptly lubricates the contact surface between the steel ball and the wear-resistant component 2, effectively reducing friction and wear. The length of the contact portion 21 is matched to the diameter of the steel ball, ensuring full contact between the steel ball and the wear-resistant component 2 during rolling.

[0034] Furthermore, the narrower width of the contact portion 21 directly reduces the amount of wear-resistant material used, thereby lowering the production cost of the wear-resistant part 2. Moreover, due to improved lubrication performance and increased transmission efficiency, the maintenance and replacement costs caused by wear and malfunctions are correspondingly reduced.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment of this application, a through-hole 210 is provided on the side of the contact portion 21 of the wear-resistant part 2. The disassembly hole 210 extends along the direction from the outer spherical surface of the cage body to the inner spherical surface. On the one hand, it serves as a passage for lubricating oil, allowing it to pass smoothly through the disassembly hole 210 for heat dissipation and cooling. On the other hand, the disassembly hole 210 plays a crucial role when it is necessary to disassemble the wear-resistant part 2. The operator only needs to first remove the fixing member 3 that secures the wear-resistant part 2, and then select a suitable tool, such as a rope, and thread it through the disassembly hole 210. Afterwards, by pulling the rope to apply external force, the wear-resistant part 2 can be easily removed from the cage body. The whole process is simple and efficient, greatly improving the convenience of maintenance work.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment of this application, an oil passage gap 211 is provided between the contact portion 21 and the protrusion 102. The oil passage gap 211 increases the oil storage space, and this design allows the lubricating oil to be distributed more evenly between the contact portion 21 and the protrusion 102. Since the wear-resistant part 2 experiences a large temperature rise during operation, these oil passage gaps 211 can play a significant cooling role, effectively reducing the local temperature and ensuring that the ball cage cage operates stably within the normal operating temperature range.

[0037] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 The window 10 includes a rectangular portion and semi-circular portions on both sides of the rectangular portion, with a recessed portion 101 and a protrusion 102 provided on the rectangular portion.

[0038] Rectangular openings 10 are prone to stress concentration at their four right angles. When the ball cage cage is under load, the stress at the corners is much higher than in other areas, which may cause cracks or even breakage at the edges of the opening 10. However, the semi-circular portion of the opening 10 effectively disperses stress through its rounded transition, resulting in a more uniform stress distribution. This uniform stress distribution helps reduce fatigue damage to the opening 10 during long-term use. Because stress concentration is alleviated, the opening 10 is less prone to fatigue cracking under alternating loads, thus extending the service life of the ball cage cage.

[0039] Meanwhile, the semi-circular opening 10 increases the internal volume of the opening 10, providing more space for the lubricating oil to flow. The lubricating oil can flow more freely within the opening 10, thus better lubricating the contact surface between the steel ball and the edge of the opening 10. At the same time, the larger space also helps the lubricating oil carry away the heat generated by friction, improving heat dissipation efficiency.

[0040] The wear-resistant part 2 may be made of alloy material and the cage body may be made of engineering plastic, or the wear-resistant part 2 may be made of engineering plastic and the cage body may be made of alloy material.

[0041] Wear-resistant component 2 is made of alloy material, while the cage body is made of engineering plastic. The alloy material has high hardness and good wear resistance, capable of withstanding frequent and high-intensity friction between the steel ball and wear-resistant component 2. The cage body made of engineering plastic is lighter than that made of alloy material, contributing to the overall weight reduction of the ball cage. In the automotive industry, weight reduction can improve fuel economy and reduce exhaust emissions. At the same time, engineering plastics are generally less expensive than alloy materials; using an engineering plastic cage body can reduce overall manufacturing costs while ensuring the high performance of wear-resistant component 2.

[0042] Analysis of the case where wear-resistant component 2 is made of engineering plastic and the cage body is made of alloy material: the alloy cage body has high strength and rigidity, and can withstand large loads and impacts. Engineering plastic wear-resistant component 2 can be customized according to specific friction points and working conditions to achieve optimal wear resistance and reduce friction and wear.

[0043] Alternatively, the cage body can be made of alloy material, and the wear-resistant parts can be made of copper. Copper is a good conductor of heat, which helps to dissipate heat.

[0044] For any parts not mentioned in this utility model, existing technologies can be used or referenced.

[0045] The above are merely specific embodiments of this utility model, but the protection scope of this utility model is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various variations or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this utility model, and these should all be included within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A high wear-resistant ball cage cage, comprising a cage body having concentric inner and outer spherical surfaces and two parallel end faces, wherein the cage body has windows evenly distributed along the circumference, and the windows have parallel sidewalls parallel to the parallel end faces, characterized in that, The parallel sidewalls are provided with a central recessed portion and protrusions on both sides of the recessed portion. An embedding groove is provided in the recessed portion, and a wear-resistant part is provided in the embedding groove. After the wear-resistant part is embedded in the embedding groove, its height is the same as the height of the protrusion. The rolling element is in direct contact with the wear-resistant part. The wear-resistant part can be detachably connected to the embedding groove to reduce maintenance costs.

2. The high wear-resistant ball cage cage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wear-resistant part includes a snap-fit ​​part and a contact part. The snap-fit ​​part is interference-fitted with the insert groove, and one side of the contact part overlaps with the platform formed by the circumferential edge of the insert groove, while the opposite side contacts the ball.

3. The high wear-resistant ball cage cage according to claim 2, characterized in that, The snap-fit ​​part is provided with a fixing hole, and the side of the embedding groove is provided with a positioning hole. The snap-fit ​​part is inserted into the embedding groove to align the fixing hole and the positioning hole. The fastener passes through the fixing hole and the positioning hole to limit the wear-resistant part.

4. The high wear-resistant ball cage cage according to claim 2, characterized in that, The contact part has an arc-shaped structure with an arc-shaped surface concentric with the inner and outer spherical surfaces of the cage body. After the wear-resistant part is installed in the embedding groove, the contact part does not protrude from the inner and outer spherical surfaces of the cage body on either the inner or outer side.

5. The high wear-resistant ball cage cage according to claim 4, characterized in that, The width of the contact portion is smaller than the width of the protrusion, and its length is adapted to the diameter of the steel ball.

6. The high wear-resistant ball cage cage according to claim 2, characterized in that, The contact side of the wear-resistant part is provided with a through-hole for disassembly, which extends along the direction from the outer spherical surface of the cage body to the inner spherical surface.

7. The high wear-resistant ball cage cage according to claim 2, characterized in that, There is an oil passage gap between the contact portion and the protrusion.

8. The high wear-resistant ball cage cage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The window opening includes a rectangular portion and semi-circular portions on both sides of the rectangular portion, with recesses and protrusions located in the rectangular portion.

Images