ROLLING BEARING ARRANGEMENT

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a rolling bearing arrangement comprising a rolling bearing arranged on a clamping sleeve, wherein the rolling bearing is secured axially at least on one side by means of a slotted nut and an annular locking washer is arranged axially between the slotted nut and the rolling bearing, by means of which an anti-rotation device is formed between the clamping sleeve and the slotted nut.

[0002] Rolling bearings can be used, in particular, to enable rotary movements with minimal friction losses. They are especially suitable for fixing and / or supporting shafts and clamping sleeves, absorbing radial and / or axial forces, depending on their design, while simultaneously allowing the rotation of the clamping sleeve or the components mounted on the shaft. For this purpose, rolling elements are arranged between an inner and an outer ring of the bearing. Within the bearing, rolling friction typically occurs primarily between these three main components: the inner ring, the outer ring, and the rolling elements. Since the rolling elements in the inner and outer rings preferably roll on hardened steel surfaces with optimized lubrication, the rolling friction of such bearings is relatively low.

[0003] Several problems exist in connection with the contamination of rolling bearings. Typically, attempts are made to solve this problem by using sealing rings with multiple sealing lips. Sealing rolling bearings with gaskets or orifices is already an established method to prevent the ingress of fluids such as oil, water, or dirt particles. Such bearing designs are frequently used in combination with lifetime lubrication with grease.

[0004] Agricultural applications, such as those found in agricultural machinery and vehicles like tractors, pose particular challenges for such bearings. Due to the terrain, these applications present very demanding load profiles for rolling bearings. At the same time, the ingress of contaminants into the bearing can damage it and lead to premature failure.

[0005] In particular, a problem arises from the fact that tilting of the clamping sleeve and / or axial misalignment between the inner and outer bearing rings, or incorrect assembly, can lead to a collision between the retaining washer and the bearing seal, thereby impairing or even completely destroying its sealing effect.

[0006] JP H11 247871 A discloses the features of the preamble of claim 1.

[0007] The object of the invention is therefore a rolling bearing arrangement which has an improved and reliable seal of the rolling bearing.

[0008] This problem is solved by a rolling bearing arrangement comprising a rolling bearing arranged on a clamping sleeve, wherein the rolling bearing is secured axially at least on one side by means of a slotted nut and an annular locking washer is arranged axially between the slotted nut and the rolling bearing, by means of which an anti-rotation device is formed between the clamping sleeve and the slotted nut, wherein the annular locking washer has a plurality of axially acting spacers formed monolithically by riveting with the locking washer, which are arranged spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction.

[0009] This achieves the advantage of enabling the location-independent clamping of a, in particular, sealed rolling bearing on a clamping sleeve. The spacers thus form an axial flat surface between the retaining washer and the rolling bearing, especially the sealed tapered inner ring of the rolling bearing. This prevents collisions between the retaining washer and the seal of the sealed rolling bearing in the event of tilting of the clamping sleeve and / or axial misalignment between the inner and outer rings of the rolling bearing and / or incorrect installation. This eliminates damage to the seal and the resulting reduction in sealing effectiveness, thereby drastically reducing the risk of premature rolling bearing failure.

[0010] Furthermore, the circumferentially spaced spacers can also define a gap between the retaining washer and, for example, the sealed conical inner ring of the rolling bearing, through which, for example, in the case of relubrication, old and used lubricating grease can escape from the seal of the rolling bearing.

[0011] It is preferred that the axial extension of the spacers from the annular locking washer corresponds approximately to the axial thickness of the locking washer, so that the axial distance between the slotted nut and the rolling bearing is approximately doubled compared to a locking washer without spacers.

[0012] For the purposes of this application, monolithic caulking is understood to mean plastic deformation caused by a material displacement within the locking washer.

[0013] First, the individual elements of the claimed subject matter of the invention are explained in the order in which they are mentioned in the claim set, and subsequently, particularly preferred embodiments of the subject matter of the invention are described.

[0014] A rolling bearing can be single-row or multi-row. Preferably, the rolling bearing is configured as a double-row spherical roller bearing.

[0015] The rolling bearing can include an inner ring. The inner ring can, in particular, connect the clamping sleeve that receives the rolling bearing to the rolling bearing or the rolling elements. The clamping sleeve can, in particular, be connected to the side of the inner ring's outer surface facing the clamping sleeve, with the rolling elements of the rolling bearing rolling on the inner ring raceway opposite this outer surface. The inner ring can be made of a metallic and / or ceramic material. It is generally possible to form the inner ring in one piece or in multiple parts, especially in two parts.

[0016] The inner ring may have an inner ring groove. A cover plate, sealing washer, and / or gasket may be arranged in this inner ring groove, particularly in a force-fit and / or form-fit manner. Preferably, the inner ring groove is designed as a circumferential groove in the inner ring.

[0017] The rolling bearing may also have an outer ring. The outer ring may, in particular, connect the bearing housing to the rolling bearing or the rolling elements. Specifically, the bearing housing may be connected to the side of the outer ring's outer surface facing the housing, with the rolling elements of the rolling bearing rolling on the outer ring raceway opposite this outer surface. The outer ring may be made of a metallic and / or ceramic material. It is generally possible to manufacture the outer ring as a single piece or in multiple parts, particularly as a two-piece design.

[0018] A rolling bearing also includes rolling elements. Depending on the bearing design, these rolling elements are either spheres or rollers. They roll on the bearing raceways and their function is to transmit the force acting on a radial bearing from the outer ring to the inner ring and vice versa. In an axial bearing, the rolling elements transmit the forces acting on the bearing between the raceways. Roller-shaped rolling elements are also called roller bearings, and spherical rolling elements are called bearing balls.

[0019] Roller-shaped rolling elements can be selected, for example, from the group of symmetrical oscillating rollers, asymmetrical oscillating rollers, cylindrical rollers, needle rollers and / or conical rollers.

[0020] Rolling elements can be guided and spaced apart within a cage or by spacers. It is also possible, in principle, to design a cageless rolling bearing, which is also known as a full complement rolling bearing. In full complement rolling bearings, adjacent rolling elements can make contact.

[0021] A rolling bearing can have a cage, which guides the rolling elements. The cage is designed so that the rolling element balls and / or rollers are spaced apart from each other, thus minimizing friction and heat generation. Furthermore, the cage maintains a fixed distance between the rolling element balls and / or rollers during rolling, ensuring even load distribution. The cage can be made of a single piece or multiple pieces.

[0022] The rolling elements can roll within the rolling bearing, particularly on the inner ring raceway. For this purpose, the surface of the inner ring raceway can advantageously be designed to be correspondingly wear-resistant, for example, by means of a suitable surface treatment process and / or by applying a suitable additional material layer.

[0023] The inner ring raceway can be flat or profiled. A profiled inner ring raceway can, for example, guide the rolling elements. A flat inner ring raceway, on the other hand, can allow a certain degree of axial movement of the rolling elements.

[0024] The rolling elements can roll within the rolling bearing, particularly on the outer ring raceway of the outer ring. For this purpose, the surface of the outer ring raceway can advantageously be designed to be correspondingly wear-resistant, for example, by means of a suitable surface treatment process and / or by applying a suitable additional material layer.

[0025] The outer ring raceway can be flat or profiled. A profiled outer ring raceway can, for example, guide the rolling elements on the outer ring raceway. A flat outer ring raceway, on the other hand, can, for example, allow a certain degree of axial displacement of the rolling elements on the outer ring raceway.

[0026] A rolling bearing may have at least one seal to prevent or reduce the leakage of lubricant from the rolling bearing or the ingress of dirt or moisture into the rolling bearing.

[0027] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it can be advantageous for the seal to be formed at least partially, and preferably entirely, from an elastic material. It can further be advantageous for the seal to be positively fixed to the inner ring and / or the outer ring.

[0028] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the spacers can be designed as points. The advantage of this embodiment is that it results in the largest possible gaps between the spacers, which can be used, for example, for the flow of lubricating oil or grease.

[0029] According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the spacers can also be designed in the form of annular segments. This allows for the transmission of larger axial forces between the slotted nut and the rolling bearing.

[0030] In principle, it is of course also possible to form ring-shaped and point-like spacers together on a locking washer.

[0031] In this context, it is also particularly preferred that the number of spacers be at least three in order to guarantee a statically determinate arrangement of the locking washer relative to the rolling bearing.

[0032] Furthermore, according to an equally advantageous embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that the spacers are essentially identical, which can bring manufacturing and cost advantages.

[0033] According to a further particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that the spacers are arranged equidistantly around the circumference of the annular locking washer, so that the bearing can be in contact with the rolling bearing as uniformly as possible.

[0034] Furthermore, the invention can also be further developed in that at least one identification means for identifying the locking washer is formed on the annular locking washer in the circumferential direction between two adjacent spacers. The identification means can, in particular, be product- and / or manufacturing-related information that allows automated handling and assembly of the locking washer, for example by a robot.

[0035] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the annular locking washer may also have a plurality of tabs on its radially outer circumference, which are plastically pivotable in the axial direction to form a positive fit with the slotted nut in the circumferential direction. It may also be advantageous to further develop the invention such that the annular locking washer has a tab on its radially inner circumference which engages the clamping sleeve in a positive-locking manner in the circumferential direction.

[0036] The advantage that can be achieved in this way is that the slotted nut can be securely and easily locked to the clamping sleeve in the circumferential direction, which, for example, allows a defined preload on the rolling bearing to be maintained stably.

[0037] According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that the clamping sleeve has a conically designed cylindrical surface, wherein an inner ring of the rolling bearing has a correspondingly conical radially inner cylindrical surface, so that the slotted nut fixes the inner ring axially against the clamping sleeve without play via the locking washer.

[0038] Finally, the invention can also be advantageously implemented in such a way that the slotted nut is connected to the clamping sleeve via a thread, which makes it particularly easy to adjust the preload force on the rolling bearing.

[0039] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to figures, without limiting the general concept of the invention.

[0040] It shows: Figure 1 shows a rolling bearing arrangement in a schematic axial section view, Figure 2 shows a first embodiment of a locking washer in a free perspective view, Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of a locking washer in a free perspective view.

[0041] The figure shows a rolling bearing arrangement 1 comprising a rolling bearing 3 mounted on a clamping sleeve 2. In this embodiment, the rolling bearing 1 is configured as a double-row barrel roller bearing with barrel-shaped rolling elements 16. These roll between the inner ring 9 and the outer ring 17. The rolling bearing 3 is axially secured on one side by means of a slotted nut 4, which is connected to the clamping sleeve 2 via a thread 7.

[0042] An annular locking washer 5 is arranged axially between the slotted nut 4 and the rolling bearing 3. This washer acts as an anti-rotation device between the clamping sleeve 2 and the slotted nut 4, mechanically securing the axial preload on the rolling bearing 3, which is defined by the rotation of the slotted nut 4 relative to the clamping sleeve 2. The clamping sleeve 2 has a conical outer surface 6, and an inner ring 9 of the rolling bearing 3 has a correspondingly conical radial inner outer surface 10. This allows the slotted nut 4 to fix the inner ring 9 axially against the clamping sleeve 2 without play via the locking washer 5.

[0043] The annular locking washer 5 further comprises a plurality of axially acting spacers 8, which are monolithically formed by crimping them to the locking washer 5 and are arranged spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction. This can also be clearly seen from the combination with the Figure 2-3 This means that, in particular, no completely closed, annular contact is created between the retaining washer 5 and the rolling bearing 3, but rather contact points or contact lines that are spaced apart from each other.

[0044] As can be seen from the Figure 1 As can be seen, the spacers 8 increase the axial distance between the slotted nut 4 and the inner ring 9 of the rolling bearing 3, thereby reducing the risk of unintentional contact between the seal 18 of the rolling bearing 3 and the retaining washer 5 when the clamping sleeve 2 is bent.

[0045] From the Figure 2It is evident that the spacing elements 8 are point-like or also, as in the Figure 3 The spacers 8 are shown to be formed in the form of circular segments. They are each essentially identical and arranged equidistantly around the circumference of the annular locking washer 5.

[0046] In the Figures 2-3 It is further shown that at least one identification means 11 for identifying the locking disc 5 is formed on the annular locking disc 5 in the circumferential direction between two adjacent spacer means 8.

[0047] The annular locking washer 5 has a plurality of tabs 13 on its radially outer circumference 12, which are plastically pivotable in the axial direction for the purpose of a positive locking in the circumferential direction with the slotted nut 4, which can also be seen from the overall view of the Figures 2-3 with the Figure 1This can be seen. The ring-shaped locking washer 5 has a tab 15 on its radial inner circumference 14, which engages in a form-fitting manner in the clamping sleeve 2 in the circumferential direction.

[0048] The invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated in the figures. The foregoing description is therefore not to be considered limiting, but rather explanatory. The following claims are to be understood as meaning that a named feature is present in at least one embodiment of the invention. This does not preclude the presence of further features. Insofar as the claims and the foregoing description define 'first' and 'second' features, this designation serves to distinguish between two similar features without establishing any hierarchy. The invention is defined by the following claims. Reference symbol list

[0049] 1 Rolling bearing assembly 2 Clamping sleeve 3 Rolling bearing 4 Slotted nut 5 Locking washer 6 Circular surface 7 Thread 8 Spacer 9 Inner ring 10 Circular surface 11 Identification feature 12 Circumference 13 Tabs 14 Circumference 15 Tab 16 Rolling element 17 Outer ring 18 Seal

Claims

1. A rolling bearing arrangement (1) comprising a rolling bearing (3) arranged on a clamping sleeve (2), wherein the rolling bearing (3) is secured axially at least on one side by means of a slotted nut (4) and an annular locking washer (5) is arranged axially between the slotted nut (4) and the rolling bearing (3), by means of which an anti-rotation device is formed between the clamping sleeve (2) and the slotted nut (4), characterised in that the annular locking washer (5) has a plurality of axially acting spacers (8) formed monolithically by crimping with the locking washer (5), which are arranged spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction.

2. The rolling bearing arrangement (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the spacers (8) are designed as points.

3. The rolling bearing arrangement (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the spacers (8) are formed in a circular segment shape.

4. The rolling bearing arrangement (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the spacers (8) are substantially identical in design.

5. The rolling bearing arrangement (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the spacers (8) are arranged equidistantly around the circumference of the annular locking washer (5).

6. The rolling bearing arrangement (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one identification means (11) for identifying the locking washer (5) is formed on the annular locking washer (5) in the circumferential direction between two adjacent spacers (8).

7. The rolling bearing arrangement (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the annular locking washer (5) has a plurality of tabs (13) on its radially outer circumference (12), which are plastically pivotable in the axial direction to achieve a form fit in the circumferential direction with the slotted nut (4).

8. The rolling bearing arrangement (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the annular locking washer (5) has a tab (15) on its radially inner circumference (14), which engages in a form-fitting manner in the clamping sleeve (2) in the circumferential direction.

9. The rolling bearing arrangement (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the clamping sleeve (2) has a conically designed cylindrical surface (6), wherein an inner ring (9) of the rolling bearing (3) has a correspondingly conical radially inner cylindrical surface (10), so that the slotted nut (4) fixes the inner ring (9) axially against the clamping sleeve (2) via the locking washer (5) without play.

10. The rolling bearing arrangement (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the slotted nut (4) is connected to the clamping sleeve (2) via a thread (7).