Half-shell bearings

Abstract

Half-shell bearings with - a bearing shell (1) with a curved base plate (22) and two guide rims (4, 5) projecting radially inwards on the edge sides of the base plate (22), a - in the bearing shell (1) between the guide rims (4,5) pivotally guided cage (2), with - a plurality of rolling elements (3) arranged therein, wherein - the cage (2) has a longitudinal strut (16, 17) on each of its long sides, with which it rests on the inside of a guide rim (4, 5), wherein - in at least one of the longitudinal struts (16, 17) there is provided a slot-like recess (9, 10, 18) which is arranged symmetrically to a central axis (M) of the cage (2) arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal strut (16, 17) and which is delimited on one side by a spring web (13, 14), and - the spring bar (13, 14) has a centrally arranged, projecting bulge (11, 12) with which it rests against the opposite inner side of the respective guide rim (4, 5) while exerting a clamping force, wherein - the bulge (11, 12) starting from the edge side of the longitudinal strut (16, 17) has a smaller extension (ES) than the width (W) of the slot-shaped recess (9, 10, 18) perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the longitudinal strut (16, 17), characterized in that - the longitudinal struts (16, 17) between the circumferential ends of the recesses (9, 10) and the ends of the cage (2) have more dimensionally stable sections which are not weakened by the recesses (9, 10) and thus form more dimensionally stable side surfaces for guiding the cage (2) relative to the guide rims (4, 5) and - an axially projecting projection (19, 20) is provided on at least one of the longitudinal struts (16, 17), in which the spring bar (13, 14) is arranged.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to the further development of a half-shell bearing with the features of the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Such half-shell bearings are generally used for the pivotable mounting of a component. An example of such a pivotable component is a brake lever in motor vehicle braking systems. The half-shell bearing comprises, as its basic components, a bearing shell with a curved base plate and radially inwardly projecting guide ribs arranged on the edges of the base plate. A cage is guided between the guide ribs and is movable relative to the bearing shell. The cage and the rolling elements are guided pivotably relative to the bearing shell. The half-shell bearing is typically fixedly mounted on a corresponding seat on a housing or other fixed component, while the component to be pivotably mounted rests on the rolling elements, usually a roller, and rolls during the pivoting movement.During this rolling motion, the cage also pivots relative to the fixed bearing shell. The arc length of the half-shell bearing is designed depending on the maximum pivot angle that the pivotally mounted component undergoes and is, for example, 30 to 90 degrees or more. The cage has two laterally arranged longitudinal struts, which rest against the inner sides of the guide ribs to guide the cage.

[0003] During assembly, the half-shell bearing or bearing shell is fixed on or in a seat on the housing, sometimes with assembly being carried out "overhead". Due to the relative mobility of the cage to the bearing shell, there is a risk that the cage will slip. During assembly, and particularly during installation of the half-shell bearing into the brake or during assembly of the brake, the functionally important initial position of the cage in relation to the bearing shell can change. This can also lead to damage to the bearing shell or the cage, e.g. if the cage moves too far out of the bearing shell when pivoting, which can impair the correct functionality of the half-shell bearing.

[0004] Such a half-shell bearing is known, for example, from DE 10 2013 211 447 A1. In this half-shell bearing, the cage is provided with clamping elements in the form of clamping knobs arranged laterally on the longitudinal struts, which secure the cage relative to the bearing shell in the transport position by means of a light clamping action. During swivel operation of the brake lever, additional axial forces occur, causing the rolling elements to press the cages against the guide ribs of the bearing shell. Since the clamping knobs only support the cages locally, particularly at the ends of the cages opposite the bearing shells, there is a risk that the cages will become twisted relative to the bearing shell under asymmetrical axial load, which in turn has a negative impact on wear and the service life of the half-shell bearing.

[0005] From the document DE 10 2020 103 717 A1, a half-shell bearing is known, referred to there as a segment bearing device, in which oversize areas are provided on the longitudinal struts of the cage, which cause the cage to clamp against a guide rim of the bearing shell.

[0006] From the publication DE 10 2014 206 803 B3 a segment bearing arrangement is known in which a plastic cage is secured against falling out of the bearing shell by a spring device.

[0007] All solutions have the disadvantage that twisting of the cage relative to the bearing shell cannot be avoided in the event of uneven axial load.

[0008] Against this background, the invention is based on the object of providing a half-shell bearing with improved anti-rotation protection of the cage relative to the bearing shell for transport and assembly. Furthermore, the half-shell bearing should be flexible with regard to the mounting of the cage in the bearing shell and simultaneously offer advantages over known solutions in terms of reliability and installation space.

[0009] To solve the problem, a half-shell bearing with the features of claims 1 and 4 is proposed. Further preferred developments can be found in the subclaims, the figures and the associated description.

[0010] According to the basic concept of the invention, to achieve this objective, it is proposed that the bulge, starting from the edge of the longitudinal strut, has a smaller extension than the width of the slot-shaped recess perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the longitudinal strut. Through the recess, a spring bar in the form of a bending beam clamped on both sides is deliberately provided on the cage. This spring bar, in conjunction with the bulge provided thereon, deliberately forms a local oversize, so that the cage is locally deformed during insertion and subsequently rests against the guide rims of the bearing shell under the exertion of a clamping force, thus preventing it from accidentally slipping.The central arrangement of the recesses and the spring bars with the bulges with respect to the central axis, which runs through the bulges in the cage's plane of symmetry and in which the cage's center of gravity is located, is of particular importance, as this results in guide surfaces and friction conditions that are as identical as possible on both sides of the spring bars on the radial outer sides of the cage's longitudinal struts. These identical guide surfaces ensure good guidance of the cage in the bearing shell when subjected to axial forces from the rolling elements. The clamping force to be generated can be achieved both by dimensioning the bulge and by dimensioning the spring bar itself and the associated spring stiffness of the spring bar.In addition to forming the spring bar itself, the recess serves as a bending beam clamped on both sides and also creates the necessary free space for the spring bar's spring movement. The proposed dimensioning of the bulge and the recess allows the spring bar and bulge to deliberately compress to such an extent that the bulge and the side surfaces of the longitudinal struts are once again in a straight line, and the cage and the longitudinal struts rest against the opposite guide ribs of the bearing shell with the maximum possible side surfaces. This dimensioning allows the spring bar and bulge to be inserted into the recess to such an extent that the bulge no longer protrudes beyond the side surfaces of the longitudinal struts. The cage and the side surfaces of the longitudinal struts thus rest as flat as possible against the inner side surfaces of the guide ribs, thus improving guidance.

[0011] It is further proposed that the bulge be formed by a local thickening of the spring bar and / or by a curved shape of the spring bar. The bulge and the resulting excess for creating the desired clamping force are thus achieved solely by the shape of the spring bar, without the need for additional measures.

[0012] It is further proposed that the bulge have a partially circular cross-section or a partially spherical surface. The partially circular or partially spherical surface allows the cage to perform slight pivoting movements during insertion, thus improving the cage's ability to align itself within the bearing shell. Furthermore, the proposed shape of the bulge simplifies the insertion of the cage into the bearing shell, as the bulges form insertion phases or assembly phases, each with a thickness that increases in the direction of the insertion movement.

[0013] It is further proposed that at least one second slot-shaped recess be arranged adjacent to the spring bar. The second slot-shaped recess can further increase the spring mobility of the spring bar, with the spring mobility being deliberately created in a second direction by the arrangement of the recess relative to the spring bar.

[0014] It is further proposed that an axially projecting projection be provided on at least one of the longitudinal struts, in which the spring bar is arranged. This projection allows the spring bar to be simplified without compromising the cage's rigidity in the region of the longitudinal strut. Furthermore, the projection can be used to further improve the cage's guidance during pivoting relative to the bearing shell. A further advantage of the projection is that it can be used to secure the cage against falling out of the bearing shell.

[0015] It is further proposed that at least one of the guide ribs is provided with a holding member which projects in the direction of the cage and which the cage engages behind in a form-fitting manner. The holding member can be formed, for example, by an inserted pin or by a deliberately differently shaped section of the guide rib, for example in the form of a projection or by a deformed section of the guide rib. The holding member creates a shape behind which the cage can be securely locked. If the cage has a projection in the area of ​​the longitudinal struts, the locking can take place via the projections. Otherwise, locking via the spring bars and their bulges is also conceivable.

[0016] It is further proposed that the cage and spring bar be formed as a single-piece injection-molded plastic part. The advantage of a single-piece design of the spring bars is the cost-effective production as a single-piece injection-molded plastic part, e.g., made of polyamide.

[0017] It is further proposed that the cage and the spring bar be made of different materials. By choosing different materials, the spring stiffness of the spring bars can be further adjusted through a targeted selection of the spring bar material, which is independent of the cage material itself.

[0018] It is further proposed that the slot-like recess have an arc length corresponding to a maximum of half the arc length of the cage, preferably a maximum of one-third of the arc length of the cage. Due to the proposed dimensioning of the slot-like recess, the cage, starting from the radial ends of the slot-like recess, deliberately has stiffer regions that are not weakened by the slot-like recess, so that the cage cannot deflect relative to the guide ribs in these sections. This improves the guidance of the cage, which in particular can reduce the likelihood of the cage twisting or tilting relative to the bearing shell when the cage is extended from the bearing shell.

[0019] The invention is explained in more detail below using various exemplary embodiments. The figures show in detail: Fig. 1: a half-shell bearing with a cage according to a first embodiment; and Fig. 2: the cage of the first embodiment as a single part; Fig. 3: a cage according to a second embodiment as a single part; and Fig. 4: a cage according to a third embodiment as a single part; and Fig. 5: a half-shell bearing with a bearing shell with additional retaining elements; and Fig. 6: a cage according to a fourth embodiment as a single part; and Fig. 7: a cage according to a fifth embodiment as an individual part.

[0020] In the Fig. 1 shows a half-shell bearing with a bearing shell 1 and a cage 2 with a plurality of rolling elements 3 arranged therein. The bearing shell 1 has, in its basic structure, an arcuately curved base plate 22 with two radially inwardly projecting guide ribs 4, 5 arranged on the edge. Furthermore, the base plate 22 has, on one of its circumferential end faces, two stops 6, 7 in the form of radially inwardly curved hooks and a radially outwardly projecting fixing arm 8.

[0021] The cage 2 is pivotably guided between the guide ribs 4, 5, with the pivoting movement of the cage 2 being limited to one side by the stops 6, 7. The fixing arm 8 serves to fix the half-shell bearing to the housing and can be individually shaped for this purpose.

[0022] The one in the Fig. The cage 2, which can be seen in Figure 2, has two edge-side longitudinal struts 16, 17, which are connected to one another via a plurality of spaced-apart transverse struts 21. As a result, a plurality of windows 15 are formed between the longitudinal struts 16, 17 and the transverse struts 21, in which windows the rolling elements 3, which in the present embodiment are formed by needles, are rotatably received about their longitudinal axes. The cage 2 is dimensioned in width, i.e. in the distance between the outer sides of the longitudinal struts 16, 17, such that it is guided in the bearing shell 1 between the guide ribs 4, 5 and rests as flatly as possible against the inner sides of the guide ribs 4, 5, taking into account an undersize.

[0023] Furthermore, a slot-shaped recess 9, 10 is provided in each of the longitudinal struts 16, 17, which is arranged perpendicularly and symmetrically to a central axis M of the cage 2. The slot-shaped recesses 9, 10 are each delimited on the outside by a spring bar 13, 14, which can also be regarded as bending beams clamped on both sides. The spring bars 13, 14 have bulges 11, 12 that project axially outwards, i.e., in the assembled position, in the direction of the guide rims 4, 5. In the present exemplary embodiment, these bulges are formed by a thickening of the spring bars 13, 14 through outwardly projecting cams. The bulges 11, 12, i.e., the cams, are arranged such that they are also centrally and symmetrically arranged to the central axis M of the cage 2, or in other words, the central axis M runs centrally through the bulges 11, 12.The central axis M practically forms the axis of symmetry of the cage 2 and divides the cage into two identical halves.

[0024] Thus, in the mounted position in the bearing shell 1 in the area of ​​the bulges 11, 12, the cage 2 is fixed with an increased frictional engagement, i.e. an oversize, on the inner sides of the guide ribs 4, 5 by exerting a clamping force, whereby the assembly and the frictional engagement are further simplified and made possible by the fact that the cage 2 with the bulges 11, 12 and the spring bars 13, 14 can axially compress slightly, reducing the gap width W of the slot-shaped recesses 9, 10. Since the recesses 9, 10 and the spring bars 13, 14 with the bulges 11, 12 are arranged symmetrically to the center axis M of the cage 2, this results in central clamping forces exerted in the direction of the center axis M and in the opposite direction, which are aligned symmetrically on both sides with respect to the longitudinal struts 16, 17, and thereby fix the cage 2 in the bearing shell 1 without twisting in the bearing shell 1.Naturally, cage 2 rests against guide ribs 4.5, allowing for an undersize of approximately 1 / 10 mm, so that cage 2 can pivot reliably relative to the bearing shell without jamming. Due to this tolerance range, a very slight pivoting of cage 2 is still possible within this undersize. The conflicting objectives of pivoting cage 2 as reliably as possible without jamming, while simultaneously minimizing the pivoting of cage 2, can be resolved by a correspondingly precise design of cage 2.

[0025] The extension ES of the bulges 11, 12 relative to the longitudinal sides of the longitudinal struts 16, 17 is preferably smaller than the gap width W of the recesses 9, 10 in the direction of the center axis M, so that the cage 2, during assembly with the spring bars 13, 14 and the bulges 11, 12 provided thereon, can be displaced into the side surfaces of the longitudinal struts 16, 17 at least far enough that the tips of the bulges 11, 12 and the side surfaces of the longitudinal struts 16, 17 again lie on a straight line. The spring bars 13, 14 thus penetrate into the recesses 9, 10 far enough that the bulges 9, 10 of the spring bars 13, 14 no longer protrude beyond the side surfaces of the longitudinal struts 16, 17, and the excess is practically compensated.Ideally, the cage 2 then rests flat against the inner sides of the guide ribs 4, 5 with identical, symmetrical, slight clamping forces with respect to the side surfaces of the longitudinal struts 16, 17, which prevents the cage 2 from accidentally slipping, but is at the same time so small that it opposes the pivoting movement of the component to be supported with the lowest possible frictional force. The recesses 9, 10 preferably have an arc length which corresponds to a maximum of half and particularly preferably a maximum of one-third of the arc length of the cage 2 in the circumferential direction, i.e. in the direction of the pivoting movement. The longitudinal struts 16, 17 therefore deliberately have more dimensionally stable sections between the circumferential ends of the recesses 9, 10 and the ends of the cage 2, which are not weakened by the recesses 9, 10 and thus form more dimensionally stable side surfaces for guiding the cage 2 compared to the guide ribs 4, 5.

[0026] In the Fig. 3 shows a further alternative embodiment of the cage 2, in which the slot-shaped recesses 9, 10 (due to the illustration, only the front recess 10 is visible) are provided in the axial end faces of the longitudinal struts 15, 16, and the spring bars 13, 14 (due to the illustration, again only the front spring bar 14 is visible) delimit the recesses 9, 10 in the radial direction. The bulges 11, 12 (the bulge 11 is again not visible) are again provided on the spring bars 13, 14, which protrude in the axial direction and apply the clamping force in the same way as in the embodiment of the Fig. 2. In contrast to the embodiment of the Fig. 2, however, the compression of the spring bars 13,14 does not cause a reduction in the gap width W of the recesses 9,10, since the recesses 9,10 are only intended to enable the spring mobility of the spring bars 13,14, i.e. of the bending beams clamped on both sides as such.

[0027] In the Fig. 4 shows a further embodiment of a cage 2 of the half-shell bearing according to the invention, in which two recesses 10, 18 are provided in the front longitudinal strut 16, which delimit a spring bar 14, wherein a recess 10 delimits the spring bar 14 towards the inside, as is also the case in the embodiment of the Fig. 2 is the case, and the second recess 18 the spring bar 14 according to the embodiment of the Fig. 3 towards the radial inner side. The two-sided arrangement of the two recesses 10 and 18 further increases the elasticity of the spring bar 14, particularly favoring the spring movement of the spring bar 14 radially outward and axially toward the inner side of the cage 2. Of course, the rear longitudinal strut 17 shown in the illustration can be of identical design.

[0028] In the Fig. 5 shows a further embodiment of a half-shell bearing according to the invention, in which the bearing shell 1 is provided in the area of ​​the guide rims 4, 5 with holding elements in the form of inwardly directed locking hooks 23, 24. The Fig. The associated cage 2, which can be seen in Figure 6, is additionally provided with projections 19, 20 projecting outward from the longitudinal struts 16, 17, in which the recesses 9, 10 and the adjacent spring bars 13, 14 with the bulges 11, 12 are provided. When inserted into the bearing shell 1, the cage 2 is then locked with the projections 19, 20 or with the bulges 11, 12 behind the locking hooks 23, 24 and is thereby subsequently secured in the assembled position against falling out of the bearing shell 1. The projections 19, 20 can also be used to guide the pivoting movement of the cage 2 with the rolling elements 3, for which purpose they extend by at least 2 / 3 of the arc length of the cage 2.

[0029] In the Fig.Figure 7 shows a further alternative embodiment of a cage 2 according to the invention, in which the bulge 12 is formed by a curved shape of the spring bars 14, which otherwise has a constant thickness. Thus, the adjacent recesses 10 also have a curved shape due to the curved shape of the spring bars 14, which allows for greater deflection of the spring bar 14 in the center of the recesses 10 than at the edges of the recess 10. Of course, the cage 2 can also be provided with an identical recess 9 and an identical spring bar 11 in the area of ​​the rear longitudinal strut 17.

[0030] The spring bars 13, 14 can be formed integrally with the cage 2, for example, by producing the cage 2 as a plastic injection-molded part from a single material, e.g., polyamide. In this case, the spring mobility of the spring bars 13, 14 is defined solely by the dimensioning of the spring bars 13, 14 themselves in terms of width and length or by the dimensioning of the recesses 9, 10 in conjunction with the material properties of the cage 2. Alternatively, the spring bars 13, 14 can also be formed from a different material than the cage 2 itself and, e.g., be manufactured using a 2-component plastic injection molding process. Conceivable material combinations include, for example, various polyamides, polyamide and elastomer, polyamide and steel. List of reference symbols 1 bearing shell 2 cages 3 rolling elements 4 leading edge 5 Guide board 6 stop 7 stop 8 Fixing arm 9 Recess 10 Recess 11 Bulging 12 Bulging 13 spring bar 14 spring bar 15 windows 16 Longitudinal strut 17 Longitudinal strut 18 Recess 19 lead 20 lead 21 Cross brace 22 Base plate 23 locking hooks 24 locking hooks

Claims

[1] Half-shell bearing with - a bearing shell (1) with a curved base plate (22) and two guide rims (4, 5) projecting radially inwards on the edge sides of the base plate (22), a - in the bearing shell (1) between the guide rims (4,5) pivotally guided cage (2), with - a plurality of rolling elements (3) arranged therein, wherein - the cage (2) has a longitudinal strut (16, 17) on each of its long sides, with which it rests on the inside of a guide rim (4, 5), wherein - in at least one of the longitudinal struts (16, 17) there is provided a slot-like recess (9, 10, 18) which is arranged symmetrically to a central axis (M) of the cage (2) arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal strut (16, 17) and which is delimited on one side by a spring web (13, 14), and - the spring bar (13, 14) has a centrally arranged, projecting bulge (11, 12) with which it rests against the opposite inner side of the respective guide rim (4, 5) while exerting a clamping force, wherein - the bulge (11, 12) starting from the edge side of the longitudinal strut (16, 17) has a smaller extension (ES) than the width (W) of the slot-shaped recess (9, 10, 18) perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the longitudinal strut (16, 17), characterized by , that - the longitudinal struts (16, 17) between the circumferential ends of the recesses (9, 10) and the ends of the cage (2) have more dimensionally stable sections which are not weakened by the recesses (9, 10) and thus form more dimensionally stable side surfaces for guiding the cage (2) relative to the guide rims (4, 5) and - an axially projecting projection (19, 20) is provided on at least one of the longitudinal struts (16, 17), in which the spring bar (13, 14) is arranged. [2] Half-shell bearing according to claim 1, characterized by , that - the bulge (11,12) is formed by a local thickening of the spring bar (13,14) and / or by a curved shape of the spring bar (13,14). [3] Half-shell bearing according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that - the bulge (11,12) has a partially circular shape in cross-section or a partially spherical surface. [4] Half-shell bearing according to the preamble of claim 1 or one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by , that - at least one second slot-shaped recess (9, 10, 18) is arranged adjacent to the spring bar (13, 14). [5] Half-shell bearing according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by , that - on at least one of the guide rims (4, 5) a holding member is provided which projects in the direction of the cage (2) and which the cage (2) engages behind in a form-fitting manner. [6] Half-shell bearing according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by , that - the cage (2) and the spring bar (13,14) are formed as a single piece as a plastic injection-molded part. [7] Half-shell bearing according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by , that - the cage (2) and the spring bar (13,14) are made of different materials. [8] Half-shell bearing according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by , that - the slot-like recess (9,10,18) has an arc length which corresponds to a maximum of half the arc length of the cage (2), preferably a maximum of one third of the arc length of the cage (2). [9] Half-shell bearing according to claim 1, characterized by , that - the projection (19,20) is used for further improved guidance of the cage (2) during the pivoting movement relative to the bearing shell (1).

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