Race guide cage

Abstract

To provide a race guide cage capable of improving the lubricating performance by efficiently guiding lubricating oil to the slide surface with an outer ring or an inner ring, to reduce sliding sound during the rotation of a bearing and suppressing the temperature rise of the slide surface.SOLUTION: The race guide cage according to this invention, that is, a race guide cage (a cage 100) to be rotated while sliding with an outer ring 210 or an inner ring 220, includes a plurality of pockets 120 for holding a plurality of rolling elements (balls 230), a plurality of pillar parts 130 arranged between the adjacent pockets 120, and a pair of annular parts 140 connecting the ends of the plurality of pillar parts 130. On slide surfaces 142a, 142b sliding with the outer ring 210 or the inner ring 220, knurl-shaped grooves 144a, 144b are formed, respectively.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a race guide cage that rotates while sliding on an outer ring or an inner ring.

Background Art

[0002] Bearings generally use a cage for bearings (hereinafter referred to as a cage). The cage has a role of maintaining the intervals between rolling elements and preventing the rolling elements from rubbing against each other by holding rolling elements (balls or rollers) in respective plural pockets. As one type of cage, a race guide cage that rotates while sliding on an outer ring or an inner ring is known.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses "a rolling bearing including a cage guided by an inner ring or an outer ring". The rolling bearing of Patent Document 1 is characterized in that "the cage is impregnated with lubricating oil, and a plurality of grooves extending in the axial direction and grooves extending in the circumferential direction are formed on an inner diameter surface or an outer diameter surface which is a guide surface of the cage". According to Patent Document 1, "since a minimum amount of lubricating oil is appropriately held in the grooves in the axial direction and the circumferential direction, good lubricating performance can be ensured between the cage and the raceway ring, and the possibility of generating noise can also be reduced".

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When the bearing is rotating, in the cage of Patent Document 1, since it is difficult for lubricating oil to enter the circumferential groove, it is difficult to obtain a desired effect. Also, the axial groove will be perpendicular to the rotation direction of the bearing. For this reason, it is considered that it is difficult for lubricating oil to enter the axial groove during rotation of the bearing, and there is a limit to improving the lubrication performance between the cage and the raceway surface. Therefore, there was room for further improvement in the technology of Patent Document 1.

[0006] In view of such problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a race guide cage capable of improving lubrication performance by efficiently guiding lubricating oil to a sliding surface with an outer ring or an inner ring, reducing sliding noise during bearing rotation, and suppressing temperature rise of the sliding surface.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a typical configuration of the race guide cage according to the present invention is a race guide cage that rotates while sliding on an outer ring or an inner ring, including a plurality of pockets that hold a plurality of rolling elements, a plurality of column portions disposed between adjacent pockets, and a pair of annular portions that connect ends of the plurality of column portions, and a knurled groove is formed on a sliding surface with the outer ring or the inner ring.

[0008] The above race guide cage preferably includes an oil groove that is recessed in the radial direction and formed on the sliding surface, and an oil hole that communicates from the oil groove to the inner surface of the pocket.

Effects of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a race guide cage capable of improving lubrication performance by efficiently guiding lubricating oil to a sliding surface with an outer ring or an inner ring, reducing sliding noise during bearing rotation, and suppressing temperature rise of the sliding surface.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values shown in such embodiments are merely examples for facilitating the understanding of the invention, and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In the present specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals to omit duplicate descriptions, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bearing 200 including a race guide cage (hereinafter referred to as cage 100) according to the present embodiment. For ease of understanding, in FIG. 1, a part of the circumferential direction of the bearing 200 is cut away to show a cross section.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the bearing 200 includes an outer ring 210, an inner ring 220, balls 230, and the cage 100 of the present embodiment. The balls 230, which are rolling elements, are arranged between the outer ring 210 and the inner ring 220, and the balls 230 and the cage 100 that holds them are disposed therebetween. The balls 230 roll between them as the bearing 200 rotates.

[0014] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the cage 100 of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1. The cage 100 of the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is an outer ring sliding type cage that rotates while sliding on the outer ring 210 when the bearing 200 rotates. Further, the cage 100 is a fitting type cage configured by fastening a pair of metal annular members 110a and 110b with rivets 102.

[0015] In the following description, when the pair of annular members 110a and 110b in the fitted state are not particularly distinguished, they are simply referred to as the cage 100. In this embodiment, an example where the cage 100 is made of metal is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the cage 100 may be made of resin. Since resin is lighter than metal, it can be suitably used for a cage applied to a bearing that rotates at high speed. Also, since resin is less expensive than metal, a resin cage can be manufactured at a lower cost than a metal cage.

[0016] The cage 100 of this embodiment includes a plurality of pockets 120, a plurality of column portions 130a and 130b, and a pair of annular portions 140a and 140b. The column portion 130a of the cage 100a and the column portion 130b of the cage 100b are connected. A pocket 120 for holding the ball 230 is formed between two adjacent column portions 130 (the connected column portions 130a and 130b). The column portions 130a and 130b are thinner than the annular portions 140a and 140b, and a large groove is formed at the center of the outer peripheral surface of the cage 100.

[0017] As a feature of the cage 100 of this embodiment, knurled grooves 144a and 144b are formed on the sliding surfaces 142a and 142b (the outer peripheral surfaces of the annular portions 140a and 140b) that slide on the outer ring 210. The knurled grooves 144a and 144b form an angle in an oblique direction with respect to the rotation direction of the bearing (see FIG. 1). Therefore, in the cage 100 of this embodiment, when the bearing 200 rotates, lubricating oil easily flows into the grooves 144a and 144b, efficiently guides the lubricating oil to the sliding surfaces 142a and 142b, and can form an oil film. Therefore, high lubrication performance can be obtained on the sliding surfaces 142a and 142b, and the sliding noise during bearing rotation can be reduced.

[0018] Further, by forming the knurled grooves 144a and 144b on the sliding surfaces 142a and 142b, the area of the sliding surfaces 142a and 142b that slides against the outer ring 210 can be reduced. Along with this, as described above, since high lubrication performance is obtained on the sliding surfaces 142a and 142b, it becomes possible to suppress the temperature rise of the sliding surfaces 142a and 142b during the rotation of the bearing 200.

[0019] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, oil grooves 146 that are recessed in the radial direction are formed at positions corresponding to the locations where the rivets 102 of the annular portions 140a and 140b are arranged on the sliding surfaces 142a and 142b. As a result, when the bearing 200 rotates, lubricating oil flows into the oil grooves 146, so that it becomes possible to further enhance the lubrication performance on the sliding surfaces 142a and 142b.

[0020] Also, when caulking the rivets 102, the circumferences around the rivets 102 of the annular portions 140a and 140b expand. Therefore, by forming the oil grooves 146 at positions corresponding to the locations where the rivets 102 are arranged, it is possible to avoid the circumferences around the rivets 102 from bulging (protruding) more than the sliding surfaces 142a and 142b, and it becomes possible to reduce the frictional resistance when the cage 100 slides against the outer ring 210.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining another example of the cage of the present embodiment. In the cage 100a shown in FIG. 3, components that are common to the cage 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

[0022] In the cage 100a illustrated in FIG. 3, an oil groove 146a is also formed at a position corresponding to approximately the center in the circumferential direction of the pocket 120 among the sliding surfaces 142a and 142b. This oil groove 146a communicates with the inner surface of the pocket 120 through an oil hole 148. According to such a configuration, the lubricating oil that has flowed into the oil groove 146a can be guided to the pocket 120 through the oil hole 148. Therefore, it becomes possible to improve the lubrication performance even during the rotation of the balls 230 held in the pocket 120.

[0023] Note that the cages 100 and 100a described above are both examples of outer ring sliding type cages that rotate while sliding on the outer ring 210, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The cages 100 and 100a may be inner ring sliding type cages that rotate while sliding on the inner ring 220. In that case, a similar effect can be obtained by forming a knurled groove on the sliding surface that slides on the inner ring 220.

[0024] As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Needless to say, the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is obvious that those skilled in the art can conceive of various modification examples or correction examples within the scope described in the claims, and it is naturally understood that they also belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

Industrial Applicability

[0025] The present invention can be used as a race guide cage that rotates while sliding on an outer ring or an inner ring.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0026] 100... cage, 100a... cage, 102... rivet, 110a, 110b... annular member, 120... pocket, 130a, 130b... column part, 140, 140a, 140b... annular part, 142a, 142b... sliding surface, 144a, 144b... groove, 146, 146a... oil groove, 148... oil hole, 200... bearing, 210... outer ring, 220... inner ring, 230... ball

Claims

1. A race guide cage that rotates while sliding on an outer ring or an inner ring, comprising: a plurality of pockets that hold a plurality of rolling elements; a plurality of column portions disposed between adjacent said pockets; a pair of annular portions that connect ends of said plurality of column portions; and a race guide cage, wherein a knurled groove is formed in a sliding surface with said outer ring or said inner ring.

2. an oil groove recessed in the radial direction formed in said sliding surface; and an oil hole communicating from said oil groove to an inner surface of said pocket. The race guide cage according to claim 1, further comprising:

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