Method for assembling a tapered roller bearing and mounting unit therefor

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for assembling a tapered roller bearing and an assembly unit therefor.

[0002] The assembly of a tapered roller bearing as such and / or during installation in the mounting environment of the tapered roller bearing requires a dedicated procedure and / or precautions, especially for larger and / or specially designed tapered roller bearings. A generic installation of a tapered roller bearing is disclosed, for example, in JP2017166614A.

[0003] An object of the present invention is therefore to provide an improved method for assembling a tapered roller bearing and an improved assembly unit therefor.

[0004] The object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent patent claims. Advantageous embodiments are described in the subclaims. The assembly unit comprises a first rolling surface element with a rim, tapered rollers arranged on the first rolling surface element and supported by the rim, and an assembly aid. For assembly, the first rolling surface element, which can be an inner ring, for example, is placed on one end face. The tapered rollers are placed on the first rolling surface element, resting with their end face on the rim. During assembly, the rim serves to hold the tapered rollers so that they cannot slip off the first rolling surface element.

[0005] In particular, if a segment cage for the rollers or the roller spacers arranged between the rollers do not have a design that holds the assembly unit together when the main axis of the rolling surface element is oriented substantially vertically, the tapered rollers could tilt away from the first rolling surface element due to gravity. In order to be able to assemble the tapered roller bearing without the tapered rollers tilting away, the assembly aid is designed to touch the tapered rollers at an end region of the tapered rollers and to enclose the tapered rollers in a ring-like manner, so that the assembly unit is held together until the tapered roller bearing is assembled. The assembly aid thus holds the tapered rollers to the first rolling surface element and counteracts the force of gravity so that the tapered rollers do not tilt out.The mounting aid is further designed to be stripped off during assembly of the mounting unit with a second rolling surface element for the tapered rollers. The second rolling surface element can be, for example, a housing or an outer ring. This allows the mounting aid to be easily removed. In the assembled state, the tapered roller bearing then has, as usual, the first rolling surface element and the second rolling surface element with tapered rollers arranged between them.

[0006] According to one embodiment, the mounting aid is arranged such that it contacts the tapered rollers in the transition area from the tapered roller shell to the tapered roller face. In particular, the mounting aid contacts the tapered rollers at the tapered roller face where the tapered rollers rest on the rim. Here, the mounting aid can be particularly easily wiped off by the second rolling surface element. At the same time, the mounting aid counteracts the force of gravity at this point, which could cause the tapered rollers to tip outward.

[0007] According to a further embodiment, the assembly aid comprises an inner ring and an outer ring, wherein the inner ring contacts the tapered rollers and, in particular, is not self-contained, and wherein the outer ring is arranged around the inner ring and is designed to close the inner ring. Since the inner ring is not self-contained, it can be easily placed or snapped around the tapered rollers.

[0008] According to a further embodiment, the inner ring is formed from a material designed to protect the tapered roller surfaces and has the required softness. The material can be, for example, rubber, plastics, or the like. This ensures that the tapered roller surfaces are not damaged during assembly.

[0009] The outer ring can be formed from a material that provides mechanical strength and holding forces. For example, the outer ring can be designed as PET packing tape or the like. Such a PET tape is stable and, during assembly, ensures that the inner ring remains on the tapered rollers and holds them to the inner rolling surface element. After assembly, once the mounting aid has been stripped off, the PET tape can simply be cut and removed, thereby also allowing the inner ring of the mounting aid, which is not self-contained, to be removed.

[0010] According to a further embodiment, the mounting unit comprises a cage, in particular a segmented cage, which is designed to guide the tapered rollers and to prevent mutual contact of the rollers.

[0011] The use of such a segmented cage offers advantages in terms of weight, but the tapered rollers are not held on the rolling surface element by the cage, which is achieved by the mounting aid described here.

[0012] The cage can be made of a plastic, especially PEEK. Such a plastic cage provides a lightweight yet stable cage. Additionally, the segment cage can be fiber-reinforced, with the fibers comprising, in particular, glass fibers, carbon fibers, or the like. This further strengthens the segment cage.

[0013] According to a further embodiment, the segmented cage has a plurality of cage segments arranged in a distributed manner in the circumferential direction for accommodating precisely one or more tapered rollers. In particular in the case of cage segments for precisely one tapered roller, tapered rollers with such a cage segment and tapered rollers not arranged in a cage segment are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction. Alternatively, each tapered roller can be provided with such a cage segment, or a combination of the above is possible. These cage segments have the advantage of saving weight, since not every tapered roller is provided with a cage segment. Although this is disadvantageous during assembly, since the tapered rollers are not held to the first rolling surface element by the cage, this is remedied by the assembly unit with the assembly aid proposed here.

[0014] According to a further embodiment, the tapered roller bearing forms at least part of a main shaft bearing of a wind turbine, in particular a wind turbine in the megawatt range. The main shaft bearing can have another tapered roller bearing, correspondingly adjusted to it, in an O-arrangement or X-arrangement.

[0015] According to a further embodiment, the inner diameter of the tapered roller bearing is greater than 0.5 m, in particular greater than 1 m. Especially with such large bearings, it is advantageous to use cage segments as described above, since this can save weight.

[0016] The assembly aid described above makes it possible to securely mount the tapered roller bearing in the wind turbine. For example, the first rolling surface element, which can be an inner ring, can be pushed onto a hub of the main shaft bearing. The second rolling surface element can form a housing for the main shaft bearing.

[0017] According to a further aspect, a method for assembling a tapered roller bearing using an assembly unit as described above is proposed. The method comprises the following steps: Providing the assembly unit according to one of the preceding claims, sliding the first rolling surface element of the assembly unit, consisting of the first rolling surface element, tapered rollers and assembly aid, onto a shaft or hub, sliding a second rolling surface element onto the tapered rollers, and stripping the assembly aid off by the second rolling surface element.

[0018] The features and advantages described above with regard to the assembly unit apply to the process accordingly, and vice versa.

[0019] According to a further embodiment, the method additionally comprises the further steps of: cutting through at least part of the assembly aid, and removing the assembly aid.

[0020] For example, the assembly aid, or at least a part of it, such as the outer ring, can be severed by means of a cutting tool or the like and then removed from the assembly unit.

[0021] According to the invention, the first and second rolling surface elements are pushed onto the front-mounted assembly unit in a vertical direction. This means that the tapered rollers rest on the rim, which is positioned vertically downwards. The second rolling surface element is then applied vertically from above to the front-mounted assembly unit.

[0022] Further advantages and advantageous embodiments are set forth in the description, the drawings, and the claims. In particular, the combinations of features set forth in the description and the drawings are purely exemplary, so the features may also be present individually or in other combinations.

[0023] The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings. The exemplary embodiments and the combinations shown in the exemplary embodiments are purely exemplary and are not intended to define the scope of the invention. This scope is defined solely by the appended claims.

[0024] They show: Fig. 1 : a perspective sectional view of an assembly unit with a rolling surface element for tapered rollers of a tapered roller bearing; Fig. 2 : a perspective view of a first rolling surface element of a tapered roller bearing with tapered rollers; Fig. 3 : a perspective sectional view of a tapered roller bearing in a first assembly step; Fig. 4 : a sectional view of the tapered roller bearing in a second assembly step; and Fig. 5 : a perspective sectional view of the tapered roller bearing in a third assembly step.

[0025] In the following, identical or functionally equivalent elements are identified by the same reference symbols.

[0026] Fig. 1 shows an assembly unit 1 with a first rolling surface element 2. The rolling surface element 2 can, for example, be an inner ring of a tapered roller bearing. The first rolling surface element 2 has a rim 4 on which tapered rollers 6 are supported. The tapered rollers 6 rest with their shell against the first rolling surface element 2 and with their end faces against the rim 4.

[0027] The tapered rollers 6 can be provided with cage segments 8. As shown here, every second tapered roller 6 is accommodated in such a cage segment 8, and every second tapered roller 6 is free of such a cage segment 8.

[0028] To simplify the assembly of the tapered roller bearing and to ensure that the tapered rollers 6 do not tilt out of the assembly unit 1 during assembly, an assembly aid 10 is provided. This assembly aid 10 has an inner ring 12 and an outer ring 14. The inner ring 12 has a contact surface 16 that contacts the tapered rollers 6 at a transition area between the outer surface and the end face. The inner ring 12 is preferably not closed, so that it can be easily arranged around the tapered rollers 6.

[0029] To close the inner ring 12 and secure it to the tapered rollers 6, the outer ring 14 is placed around the inner ring 12. The outer ring 14 can, for example, be a PET band, which is stable and can be easily placed around the inner ring 12. Once the assembly aid 10 is attached, it exerts a counterforce on the rollers to prevent them from falling out during assembly.

[0030] As in Fig. 2 As shown, the assembly unit 1, after attachment of the assembly aid 10, consists of the first rolling surface element 2, tapered rollers 6 arranged on the first rolling surface element 2, which are at least partially accommodated in cage segments 8, and the assembly aid 10, which is placed around the tapered rollers 6.

[0031] Fig. 3 shows a first assembly step of the tapered roller bearing. First, the first rolling surface element 2 is mounted on a shaft 18. For this purpose, the first rolling surface element 2 is heated and then pushed onto the shaft. Subsequently, a second rolling surface element 20 is arranged around the tapered rollers 6. A contact surface 22 of the second rolling surface element 20 rests against the mounting aid 10 or abuts against the contact surface 22. The second rolling surface element 20 can, for example, be an outer ring mounted in a housing 24 or can be a direct component of the housing 24.

[0032] In a second assembly step of the tapered roller bearing, as shown in Fig. 4 As shown, the second rolling surface element 20 is completely pushed onto the tapered rollers 6. The assembly aid 10 has been pushed off the tapered rollers by the second rolling surface element 20. To remove the assembly aid 10, the outer ring 14 is first removed, for example, by cutting through.

[0033] As in Fig. 5 As shown, in this assembly step the inner ring 12 opens after the outer ring 14 has been removed or cut open and the assembly aid can thus be easily removed from the tapered roller bearing.

[0034] The assembly unit and assembly method described here makes it possible to assemble a tapered roller bearing easily without the risk of the tapered rollers tipping out during assembly. This is particularly advantageous for tapered roller bearings where the center of gravity of the tapered rollers lies radially outside the rim of the tapered roller bearing inner ring, since without the assembly aid used, the tapered rollers would fall out of the tapered roller bearing ring due to gravity alone.

Claims

1. Method for assembling a tapered roller bearing, in which a mounting unit (1), which comprises a first rolling surface element (2) for tapered rollers (6) of the tapered roller bearing, tapered rollers (6) arranged on the rolling surface element (2) in a segment cage or between roller spacers, and a mounting aid (10), is brought together with a second rolling surface element (20) for the tapered rollers (6) in a substantially vertical direction, with the assembly unit (1) positioned on the end face, in such a way that, when brought together, the mounting aid (10) is stripped off, wherein the mounting aid (10) is designed so as to be in contact with the tapered rollers at the large-diameter end region of the tapered rollers (6) and so as to annularly enclose the tapered rollers, in such a way that the mounting unit (1) holds them together until they are assembled.

2. Method according to Claim 1, wherein, after being brought together, the stripped-off mounting aid is severed and removed.

3. Method according to either of Claims 1 and 2, wherein the rollers at the axial end, at which the mounting aid (10) is arranged, are supported on a flange formed on the rolling surface element (2).

4. Method according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the mounting aid is formed in contact with the tapered rollers in the transition region from the tapered roller jacket to the tapered roller end face and / or wherein the mounting aid in the inner region in contact with the tapered rollers comprises an inner ring, which in particular is not closed in itself and which is formed from a material of a required softness protecting the tapered roller surfaces, for example comprising rubber, plastics and the like, and in the outer region comprises an outer ring, which is formed from a material enabling the necessary mechanical strength and holding forces, for example in the form of a PET packing tape or the like.

5. Method according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the segment cage or the roller spacers are formed from a plastic, in particular PEEK and with fibre reinforcement, wherein the fibres comprise in particular glass fibres, carbon fibres or the like, the segment cage or the roller spacers are free of a configuration which holds the mounting unit together in a substantially vertically aligned main axis of the rolling surface element, and / or wherein the segment cage comprises a plurality of cage segments distributed in the circumferential direction for receiving precisely one tapered roller or a plurality of tapered rollers, wherein in particular in the case of cage segments for precisely one tapered roller, tapered rollers having such a cage segment and tapered rollers not arranged in a cage segment are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction, but each tapered roller may also be provided with such a cage segment, or any related mixed solution.

6. Method according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the tapered roller bearing forms at least a part of a main shaft bearing of a wind turbine, in particular a wind turbine in the megawatt range, the main shaft bearing comprises a further correspondingly positioned tapered roller bearing in an O arrangement, or else an X arrangement, and / or the inner diameter of the tapered roller bearing is greater than 0.5 m, in particular greater than 1 m.

7. Mounting unit (1) which comprises a first rolling surface element (2) for tapered rollers (6) of a tapered roller bearing, tapered rollers (6) arranged on the rolling surface element (2) in a segment cage or between roller spacers, and a mounting aid (10), wherein the segment cage or the roller spacers are free of a configuration which holds the mounting unit together in a substantially vertically aligned main axis of the rolling surface element (2), wherein the mounting aid is designed so as to be in contact with the tapered rollers at the large-diameter end region of the tapered rollers (6) and so as to annularly enclose the tapered rollers, in such a way that the mounting unit holds them together until the tapered roller bearing is assembled, and in that, when the mounting unit (1) is assembled together with a second rolling surface element (2) for the tapered rollers (6), said rolling surface element strips off the mounting aid (10) with the mounting unit (1) positioned on the end face.

8. Unit according to Claim 7, wherein the mounting aid is formed in contact with the tapered rollers in the transition region from the tapered roller jacket to the tapered roller end face and / or wherein the mounting aid in the inner region in contact with the tapered rollers comprises an inner ring, which in particular is not closed in itself and which is formed from a material of a required softness protecting the tapered roller surfaces, for example comprising rubber, plastics and the like, and in the outer region comprises an outer ring, which is formed from a material enabling the necessary mechanical strength and holding forces, for example in the form of a PET packing tape or the like.

9. Unit according to either of Claims 7 and 8, wherein the segment cage or the roller spacers are formed from a plastic, in particular PEEK and with fibre reinforcement, wherein the fibres comprise in particular glass fibres, carbon fibres or the like, and / or wherein the segment cage comprises a plurality of cage segments distributed in the circumferential direction for receiving precisely one tapered roller or a plurality of tapered rollers, wherein in particular in the case of cage segments for precisely one tapered roller, tapered rollers having such a cage segment and tapered rollers not arranged in a cage segment are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction, but each tapered roller may also be provided with such a cage segment, or any related mixed solution.

10. Unit according to any one of Claims 7 to 9, wherein the tapered roller bearing forms at least a part of a main shaft bearing of a wind turbine, in particular a wind turbine in the megawatt range, the main shaft bearing comprises a further correspondingly positioned tapered roller bearing in an O arrangement, or else an X arrangement, and / or the inner diameter of the tapered roller bearing is greater than 0.5 m, in particular greater than 1 m.