MULTI-ROW BEARING ASSEMBLY WITH SIGMA CAGE

Abstract

The invention relates to a thrust bearing assembly (100) comprising: a cage (110) having, concentrically, an annular portion (112) defining an internal valley, a first annular hill, an intermediate valley, a second annular hill and an external valley; a first plurality of roller compartments (114) defined by the annular portion and each being defined in the entirety of said internal valley, said first annular hill, said intermediate valley, said second annular hill and said external valley; two radially aligned roller elements (120) disposed in each of the roller compartments; wherein: a first roller element extends adjacently to said first annular hill; the second element extends adjacently to said second annular hill; and the respective ends of each of the first and second elements are adjacent to one of the valleys.Figure for the abbreviation: figure 2.

Claims

3. Thrust bearing assembly according to claim 2, wherein each of said second plurality of roller compartments is defined only in said intermediate valley, said second annular hill and said outermost valley.

4. Thrust bearing assembly according to claim 3, wherein the respective ends of the roller element disposed in a respective compartment of said second roller compartments are adjacent to one of the valleys.

5. Thrust bearing assembly according to claim 2, wherein said first plurality of roller compartments comprises at least ten roller compartments and said second plurality of roller compartments comprises at least ten roller compartments.

6. Thrust bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the annular part of the cage further defines a hub part (170) radially inside said innermost valley and concentric with it.

7. Thrust bearing assembly according to claim 1, comprising at least thirty of said roller elements.

8. Thrust bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein said cage is formed from a single piece of metal. [Fig. 1] [Fig. 2] 183

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