Rolling bearing device

Abstract

To provide a rolling bearing device which can ensure supply of a lubricant to raceway surfaces.SOLUTION: A rolling bearing device 10 includes: a rolling bearing 20 having an outer ring 21 having an outer ring raceway surface 25, an inner ring 22 having an inner ring raceway surface 26, and balls 23 which roll on the outer ring raceway surface 25 and the inner ring raceway surface 26; and a lubricant retaining member 40 for retaining a lubricant G. The lubricant retaining member 40 is disposed at axial end sides of the outer ring 21 and the inner ring 22 and has a first portion 41 disposed at a position overlapping a center P of each ball 23 in a radial direction, and second portions 42 each of which is disposed at a position located closer to the ball 23 than the first portion 41 in an axial direction and disposed at the radial inner side or the radial outer side relative to the center P of each ball 23.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a rolling bearing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, angular contact ball bearings have been widely used as bearings for the main spindles of machine tools. When angular contact ball bearings are used as bearings for main spindles that rotate at high speeds, oil-air lubrication is widely adopted as the lubrication method for the bearings from the perspective of ensuring reliability. However, in recent years, the use of grease lubrication, which does not use air, has been increasing from the perspective of carbon neutrality (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] The rolling bearing device equipped with angular contact ball bearings disclosed in Patent Document 1 employs grease lubrication, and has a lubricant storage chamber provided in a spacer disposed between two angular contact ball bearings, and a lubricant retention member (permeation member) made of a porous material provided inside the storage chamber. In this rolling bearing device, the lubricant is supplied to the inner ring raceway surface and the outer ring raceway surface by the lubricant retention member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6757932 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The rolling bearing device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a structure in which the lubricant retaining member is prone to interfere with the rolling elements and the cage, making it difficult to bring the lubricant retaining member close to the raceway surfaces. As a result, in the rolling bearing device, the lubricant retaining member is configured to supply lubricant from a position away from the raceway surfaces, making it difficult to reliably supply lubricant to the raceway surfaces. An object of the present disclosure is to provide a rolling bearing device that can reliably supply lubricant to the raceway surfaces. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The rolling bearing device disclosed herein comprises a rolling bearing having an outer ring having an outer ring raceway surface, an inner ring having an inner ring raceway surface, and rolling elements that roll on the outer ring raceway surface and the inner ring raceway surface, and a lubricant retaining member that retains lubricant, wherein the lubricant retaining member has a first part that is arranged on the axial end side of the outer ring and the inner ring and is positioned radially overlapping with the center of the rolling elements, and a second part that is arranged axially closer to the rolling elements than the first part and is positioned radially inward or radially outward from the center of the rolling elements.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a rolling bearing device that can reliably supply lubricant to the raceway surfaces. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a rolling bearing device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a first modified example of the rolling bearing device of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a second modified example of the rolling bearing device of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a rolling bearing device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a lubricant retaining member constituting a rolling bearing device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the original members that constitute the lubricant holding member. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the lubricant holding member. [Figure 8A] FIG. 8A is a schematic diagram showing a first form of an elastic member that constitutes the lubricant holding member. [Figure 8B]FIG. 8B is a schematic diagram showing a second form of the elastic member that constitutes the lubricant holding member. [Figure 8C] FIG. 8C is a schematic diagram showing a cylindrical member that constitutes the lubricant holding member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] <Summary of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> Below, an outline of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0010] (1) The rolling bearing device of the present disclosure comprises a rolling bearing having an outer ring having an outer ring raceway surface, an inner ring having an inner ring raceway surface, and rolling elements that roll on the outer ring raceway surface and the inner ring raceway surface, and a lubricant retaining member that retains lubricant, wherein the lubricant retaining member has a first portion that is arranged on the axial end side of the outer ring and the inner ring and is positioned radially overlapping with the center of the rolling elements, and a second portion that is arranged axially closer to the rolling elements than the first portion and is positioned radially inward or radially outward from the center of the rolling elements.

[0011] The rolling bearing device has a second portion that extends toward the raceway surface at a radial position that is less likely to interfere with the rolling elements, making it possible to bring the lubricant retaining member close to the raceway surface, thereby ensuring a supply of lubricant to the raceway surface.

[0012] (2) In the rolling bearing device according to the embodiment (1), it is preferable that the rolling bearing further has a retainer that holds the rolling elements, and that the second part is positioned so as not to overlap with the retainer in the radial direction. According to the rolling bearing device, interference between the lubricant retaining member and the retainer can be suppressed.

[0013] (3) In the rolling bearing device according to the above-described mode (1) or (2), the lubricant retaining member is preferably configured by stacking a plurality of lubricant retainers, each of which retains lubricating oil, in the radial direction. According to this configuration, the shape of the lubricant holding member can be easily adjusted by changing the axial length of the lubricant holding body. In this case, the shape of the lubricant holding member can be easily matched to the internal shape of the rolling bearing. This makes it possible to more reliably supply lubricant to the raceway surfaces.

[0014] (4) In the rolling bearing device according to the above aspect (3), it is preferable that the lubricant holding member further includes a pin that radially pierces the plurality of lubricant holding bodies stacked in the radial direction. According to this configuration, it is possible to easily manufacture a lubricant retaining member having a shape corresponding to the internal shape of the rolling bearing.

[0015] (5) In the rolling bearing device according to the embodiment (3) or (4), the lubricant holder is preferably formed from a strip-shaped original member, and is formed into an approximately circular ring shape by bending the original member so that the longitudinal ends of the original member are butted together. According to this configuration, it is possible to manufacture a lubricant retaining member having a shape corresponding to the internal shape of the rolling bearing using easily available raw materials.

[0016] (6) In the rolling bearing device according to the above aspect (5), it is preferable that the lubricant holder has a gap between the abutted ends. According to this configuration, the gap in the lubricant holder can absorb the expansion and contraction of the lubricant holding member, thereby suppressing changes in the diameter of the lubricant holding member and reliably suppressing interference between the lubricant holding member and the cage.

[0017] (7) In the rolling bearing device according to any one of the above embodiments (3) to (6), it is preferable that the lubricant holding member further includes an elastic member arranged radially inside the plurality of lubricant holding bodies stacked radially. According to this configuration, the elastic member can prevent the inner diameter of the lubricant holding member from being reduced, thereby reliably preventing interference between the lubricant holding member and the cage.

[0018] (8) In the rolling bearing device according to any one of the above embodiments (3) to (6), it is preferable that the lubricant holding member further includes a cylindrical member arranged radially inside the plurality of lubricant holding bodies stacked radially. According to this configuration, the cylindrical member can prevent the inner diameter of the lubricant holding member from being reduced, thereby reliably preventing interference between the lubricant holding member and the cage.

[0019] <Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure> Hereinafter, details of embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that at least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any manner.

[0020] [Overall configuration of rolling bearing device] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a rolling bearing device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 shows a rolling bearing device 10, which is one embodiment of the rolling bearing device according to the present disclosure. The rolling bearing device 10 shown in FIG. 1 is the first embodiment of the rolling bearing device 10. In the following description, the rolling bearing device 10 according to the first embodiment will also be referred to as a first rolling bearing device 10A. Note that in the following description, when simply referring to a "rolling bearing device 10," the description will focus on configurations that are common to the first rolling bearing device 10A and the rolling bearing devices 10 according to other embodiments (second rolling bearing devices 10B, which will be described later; see FIG. 4).

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, a rolling bearing device 10 of the present disclosure includes a rolling bearing 20, a spacer 30, and a lubricant retaining member 40.

[0022] The rolling bearing 20 includes an outer ring 21, an inner ring 22, a plurality of balls (rolling elements) 23, and an annular cage 24. The rolling bearing 20 of the present disclosure is an angular contact ball bearing. The outer ring 21 is fixed to the housing H by fitting its outer peripheral surface into the housing H. The inner ring 22 is fixed to the rotating shaft S by fitting it onto the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft S.

[0023] The outer ring 21, inner ring 22, and balls 23 of the rolling bearing 20 may all be made of metal. For example, the outer ring 21, inner ring 22, and balls 23 may be made of stainless steel such as SUS440C. The balls 23 may also be made of a material other than metal. For example, the balls 23 may be made of ceramics such as silicon nitride.

[0024] In this disclosure, the terms "axial direction," "radial direction," and "circumferential direction" used in each description of the rolling bearing device 10 are defined below. The "axial direction" refers to the direction along the center line of each of the outer ring 21 and inner ring 22 that make up the rolling bearing 20. The axial direction also includes a direction parallel to the center line. The "radial direction" refers to the direction perpendicular to the center line of each of the outer ring 21 and inner ring 22. The "circumferential direction" refers to the direction along a circle centered on the center line of each of the outer ring 21 and inner ring 22. In each drawing, the center line of the outer ring 21 and the inner ring 22 when they are aligned is designated by the symbol "C."

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, outer ring 21 has an outer ring raceway surface 25 formed on its inner circumferential surface. Balls 23 roll on outer ring raceway surface 25. Outer ring 21 has shoulders 27, 27 on one axial side and the other axial side of outer ring raceway surface 25. In the following description, shoulder 27 on one axial side will be referred to as first outer shoulder 27a, and shoulder 27 on the other axial side will be referred to as second outer shoulder 27b. In rolling bearing 20, the inner diameter (shoulder diameter) of second outer shoulder 27b is larger than the inner diameter (shoulder diameter) of first outer shoulder 27a.

[0026] An inner ring raceway surface 26 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring 22. The balls 23 roll on the inner ring raceway surface 26. The inner ring 22 has shoulders 28, 28 on one axial side and the other axial side, sandwiching the inner ring raceway surface 26. In the following description, the shoulder 28 on one axial side will be referred to as a first inner shoulder 28a, and the shoulder 28 on the other axial side will be referred to as a second inner shoulder 28b. Note that in the rolling bearing 20 of this embodiment, the outer diameter (shoulder diameter) of the first inner shoulder 28a is smaller than the outer diameter (shoulder diameter) of the second inner shoulder 28b, but the configuration of the inner ring 22 is not limited to this; for example, the outer diameters (shoulder diameters) of the first inner shoulder 28a and the second inner shoulder 28b may be equal.

[0027] In the following description, the space between the first outer shoulder 27a and the first inner shoulder 28a and the space between the second outer shoulder 27b and the second inner shoulder 28b will be referred to as the bearing internal space 29. The bearing internal space 29 is an annular space formed between the outer ring 21 and the inner ring 22. The bearing internal space 29 between the first outer shoulder 27a and the first inner shoulder 28a will also be referred to as the first internal space 29a, and the bearing internal space 29 between the second outer shoulder 27b and the second inner shoulder 28b will also be referred to as the second internal space 29b.

[0028] The plurality of balls 23 are provided in a bearing internal space 29 between the outer ring 21 and the inner ring 22. When the rolling bearing 20 rotates (when the outer ring 21 rotates in this embodiment), the balls 23 roll on an outer ring raceway surface 25 and an inner ring raceway surface 26 while being held by the cage 24. The cage 24 can be made of synthetic resin. For example, the cage 24 can be made of phenolic resin. Phenolic resin can incorporate a lubricant inside.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1 , the spacer 30 includes an outer ring spacer 31, an inner ring spacer 32, and a sealing member 33. The outer ring spacer 31 and the inner ring spacer 32 can both be made of metal. For example, the outer ring spacer 31 and the inner ring spacer 32 can be made of stainless steel such as SUS440C. Although the rolling bearing device 10 shown in this embodiment is equipped with the spacer 30, the spacer 30 may be omitted in the rolling bearing device 10 of the present disclosure. In this case, it is preferable that the entire lubricant retaining member 40 be disposed in the bearing internal space 29 of the rolling bearing 20. In this case, it is also preferable that the sealing member 33 and grease (lubricant G, which will be described later) and the like be disposed in the bearing internal space 29.

[0030] The outer ring spacer 31 is disposed adjacent to the other axial side of the outer ring 21 of the rolling bearing 20. The outer ring spacer 31 restricts displacement of the outer ring 21 toward the other axial side. The outer ring spacer 31 is used to apply axial preload to the rolling bearing 20. The outer ring spacer 31, like the outer ring 21, is fixed to the housing H by having its outer peripheral surface fitted into the housing H.

[0031] The inner ring spacer 32 is disposed adjacent to the other axial side of the inner ring 22 of the rolling bearing 20. The inner ring spacer 32 restricts displacement of the inner ring 22 toward the other axial side. The inner ring spacer 32 is formed in a cylindrical shape. Like the inner ring 22, the inner ring spacer 32 is fixed to the rotating shaft S by being fitted onto the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft S.

[0032] The spacer 30 has a storage chamber 34 between the outer ring spacer 31 and the inner ring spacer 32. The storage chamber 34 is a space that contains a lubricant retaining member 40 (more specifically, a first portion 41 of the lubricant retaining member 40, which will be described later) and lubricant G. In the rolling bearing device 10, the storage chamber 34 and the bearing internal space 29 of the rolling bearing 20 are connected to each other and form a continuous space.

[0033] A first annular groove 35 and a second annular groove 36 are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring spacer 31. The first annular groove 35 constitutes a fixing portion for fixing the lubricant retention member 40. The second annular groove 36 constitutes a fixing portion for fixing the seal member 33. The outer ring spacer 31 fixes the lubricant retention member 40 in the first annular groove 35 by fitting the outer diameter side end of the lubricant retention member 40 into the first annular groove 35 and sandwiching the lubricant retention member 40 in the axial direction between the axial end face 21 a of the outer ring 21 and the axial side surface 37 of the first annular groove 35.

[0034] [Lubricant retaining material] The lubricant holding member 40 shown in FIG. 1 is a first embodiment of the lubricant holding member 40. In the following description, the lubricant holding member 40 according to the first embodiment will also be referred to as a first lubricant holding member 40A. In the following description, when simply referring to "lubricant holding member 40," the description will be of a configuration that is common to the first lubricant holding member 40A and the lubricant holding members 40 according to other embodiments (second lubricant holding member 40B, which will be described later; see FIG. 4).

[0035] The lubricant retaining member 40 is provided in the continuous space formed by the reservoir chamber 34 and the bearing internal space 29. The lubricant retaining member 40 is made of a porous body having a large number of interconnected pores. The lubricant retaining member 40 is made of, for example, a polyvinyl alcohol sponge.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 1, the first rolling bearing device 10A includes a first lubricant holding member 40A. The first lubricant holding member 40A is formed as a single unit.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 1, the lubricant retaining member 40 has a first portion 41 and a second portion 42. The first portion 41 is disposed within the reservoir chamber 34. The second portion 42 is disposed within the bearing internal space 29. The first portion 41 and the second portion 42 are both formed in an annular shape. The first portion 41 and the second portion 42 are each formed in a rectangular cross section.

[0038] The reservoir 34 is filled with a lubricant G. In this embodiment, the lubricant G is grease. The lubricant G may also be lubricating oil, etc. Because the lubricant holding member 40 is a porous body with continuous pores, the lubricant G in the reservoir 34 permeates into the lubricant holding member 40. If the lubricant is grease, the base oil contained in the grease permeates into the lubricant holding member 40. The lubricant G that has permeated into the second portion 42 via the first portion 41 of the lubricant holding member 40 flows along the second outer shoulder 27b into the interior of the rolling bearing 20, and lubricates the outer ring raceway surface 25, the balls 23, and the inner ring raceway surface 26.

[0039] The rolling bearing device 10 configured as described above is provided with the lubricant holding member 40, which makes it possible for the rolling bearing device 10 to hold a larger amount of lubricant G, and also allows the lubricant G to be discharged little by little by the lubricant holding member 40 and supplied to the rolling bearing 20. As a result, the rolling bearing 20 can be lubricated for a long period of time, and the lubrication life of the rolling bearing 20 can be improved.

[0040] In the rolling bearing device 10 shown in FIG. 1, the lubricant retaining member 40 is arranged at the other axial end of the outer ring 21 and the inner ring 22. In the rolling bearing device 10 shown in FIG. 1, the first portion 41 of the lubricant retaining member 40 is arranged in a position overlapping with the center P of the balls 23 in the radial direction. In the rolling bearing device 10 shown in FIG. 1, the second portion 42 of the lubricant retaining member 40 is arranged in a position closer to the balls 23 in the axial direction than the first portion 41, and is arranged radially outward of the center P of the balls 23. The rolling bearing device 10 configured in this way has the second portion 42 extending toward the outer ring raceway surface 25 at a radial position that is unlikely to interfere with the balls 23, and can therefore reliably supply the lubricant G to the outer ring raceway surface 25.

[0041] While the present embodiment has exemplified the rolling bearing device 10 equipped with the rolling bearing 20 in which the outer ring 21 is a fixed ring and the inner ring 22 is a rotating ring, the rolling bearing 20 constituting the rolling bearing device 10 of the present disclosure may alternatively have the outer ring 21 be a rotating ring and the inner ring 22 be a fixed ring. In this case, it is preferable to provide an annular groove equivalent to the first annular groove 35 on the inner ring 22 side and to fix the lubricant retaining member 40 to the inner ring 22 side.

[0042] [First Modification of Rolling Bearing Device] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a first modified example of the rolling bearing device of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, in the rolling bearing device 10 of the present disclosure, the spacer 30 may be disposed adjacent to one axial side of the rolling bearing 20.

[0043] FIG. 2 shows a first modified example of the rolling bearing device 10. In the rolling bearing device 10 according to this first modified example, the lubricant retaining member 40 is disposed at one axial end of the outer ring 21 and the inner ring 22. In the rolling bearing device 10 shown in FIG. 2, the first portion 41 of the lubricant retaining member 40 is disposed at a position overlapping with the center P of the balls 23 in the radial direction. In the rolling bearing device 10 shown in FIG. 2, the second portion 42 of the lubricant retaining member 40 is disposed at a position closer to the balls 23 in the axial direction than the first portion 41, and is disposed radially inward of the center P of the balls 23. The rolling bearing device 10 according to this modified example has the second portion 42 extending toward the inner ring raceway surface 26 at a radial position that is unlikely to interfere with the balls 23, and therefore can reliably supply the lubricant G to the inner ring raceway surface 26.

[0044] [Second Modification of Rolling Bearing Device] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a second modified example of the rolling bearing device of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, the rolling bearing device 10 of the present disclosure may be configured so that a spacer 30 is disposed between a pair of coaxially arranged rolling bearings 20, 20. In this case, the spacer 30 is disposed adjacent to the other axial side of the rolling bearing 20 on one axial side, and adjacent to one axial side of the rolling bearing 20 on the other axial side.

[0045] In the rolling bearing device 10 shown in FIG. 3, the lubricant retaining member 40 is arranged at the other axial end of the outer ring 21 and the inner ring 22 on one axial side, and is also arranged at the one axial end of the outer ring 21 and the inner ring 22 on the other axial side. In the rolling bearing device 10 shown in FIG. 3, the first portion 41 of the lubricant retaining member 40 is arranged at a position overlapping with the center P of the balls 23 in the radial direction. In the rolling bearing device 10 shown in FIG. 3, the second portion 42 on one axial side of the lubricant retaining member 40 is arranged at a position closer to the balls 23 in the axial direction than the first portion 41, and is arranged radially outward from the center P of the balls 23. In the rolling bearing device 10 shown in FIG. 3, the second portion 42 on the other axial side of the lubricant retaining member 40 is arranged at a position closer to the balls 23 in the axial direction than the first portion 41, and is arranged radially inward from the center P of the balls 23. The rolling bearing device 10 relating to this second modified example has a second portion 42 that extends toward the outer ring raceway surface 25 of the outer ring 21 on one axial side and the inner ring raceway surface 26 of the inner ring 22 on the other axial side at a radial position that is less likely to interfere with the balls 23, so that the lubricant G can be reliably supplied to the outer ring raceway surface 25 and the inner ring raceway surface 26.

[0046] [Rolling bearing device according to the second embodiment] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a rolling bearing device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a lubricant retaining member constituting the rolling bearing device according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of a rolling bearing device 10 according to the present disclosure. In the following description, the rolling bearing device 10 according to the second embodiment is also referred to as a second rolling bearing device 10B. The second rolling bearing device 10B differs from the first rolling bearing device 10A in the configuration of the lubricant retaining member 40, but the other configuration is common to the first rolling bearing device 10A. In the following description, the second rolling bearing device 10B will be described in terms of differences from the first rolling bearing device 10A, and a description of the commonalities with the first rolling bearing device 10A will be omitted.

[0047] 4 and 5 is a second embodiment of the lubricant holding member 40. In the following description, the lubricant holding member 40 according to the second embodiment is also referred to as a second lubricant holding member 40B.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 4, the second rolling bearing device 10B includes a second lubricant holding member 40B. In other words, the second rolling bearing device 10B differs from the first rolling bearing device 10A in that the second rolling bearing device 10B includes a second lubricant holding member 40B instead of the first lubricant holding member 40A. Note that, in this embodiment, the second lubricant holding member 40B has a shape corresponding to the shape of the first lubricant holding member 40A shown in Fig. 1, but the second lubricant holding member 40B may have a shape corresponding to the shape of the first lubricant holding member 40A shown in Figs. 2 and 3, for example, and is not limited to the shape shown in Fig. 4.

[0049] The second lubricant holding member 40B is composed of a plurality of lubricant holders 50. Although the second lubricant holding member 40B of this embodiment includes a total of five lubricant holders 50, the number of lubricant holders 50 constituting the second lubricant holding member 40B is not limited to this.

[0050] In the following description, the lubricant holder 50 located at the radially innermost position among the five lubricant holders 50 will be referred to as the first lubricant holder 50a, the lubricant holder 50 adjacent to the radially outer side of the first lubricant holder 50a will be referred to as the second lubricant holder 50b, the lubricant holder 50 adjacent to the radially outer side of the second lubricant holder 50b will be referred to as the third lubricant holder 50c, the lubricant holder 50 adjacent to the radially outer side of the third lubricant holder 50c will be referred to as the fourth lubricant holder 50d, and the lubricant holder 50 adjacent to the radially outer side of the fourth lubricant holder 50d will be referred to as the fifth lubricant holder 50e, to distinguish between the lubricant holders 50 located at different radial positions. Of the five lubricant holders 50, the fifth lubricant holder 50e is located at the radially outermost position.

[0051] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the second lubricant holding member 40B further includes a pin 43. The pin 43 pierces a plurality of (five in this embodiment) lubricant holders 50 from the radially inner side toward the radially outer side, integrating the plurality of lubricant holders 50. The pin 43 includes a return portion 43a formed at one end and a bent portion 43b formed at the other end. The return portion 43a functions to prevent the pin 43 pierced through the plurality of lubricant holders 50 from falling out. The bent portion 43b prevents the plurality of lubricant holders 50 pierced by the pin 43 from falling out radially inward. Note that the pin 43 may be omitted from the second lubricant holding member 40B. In this case, the lubricant holders 50 may be bonded to each other using, for example, an adhesive or the like.

[0052] [Lubricant holder] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an original part that constitutes the lubricant holding member. As shown in Fig. 6, the lubricant holding body 50 that constitutes the second lubricant holding member 40B is manufactured using an original part 51. The original part 51 is a material made of a polyvinyl alcohol sponge, and is processed into a strip-like shape. Note that the "strip-like" shape here refers to a shape that has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape overall, and whose height when viewed in the longitudinal direction is smaller than its width.

[0053] The lubricant holder 50 is manufactured by bending an original member 51 so that its longitudinal ends 52, 52 abut against each other. The lubricant holder 50 has a substantially annular shape. When the original member 51 is bent into a substantially annular shape, it is more preferable to provide a gap (hereinafter referred to as a gap portion 53) between the ends 52, 52 of the lubricant holder 50. In this case, the lubricant holder 50 has a substantially C-shaped shape.

[0054] The second lubricant retaining member 40B can be easily shaped to fit the internal shapes of the bearing internal space 29 and the reservoir chamber 34 of the rolling bearing device 10 by adjusting the width (axial dimension when mounted on the rolling bearing device 10) of each lubricant retainer 50 (50a to 50e). It is preferable that the height (radial dimension) of each lubricant retainer 50 (50a to 50e) is uniform. In this case, the lubricant retainers 50 (50a to 50e) can be manufactured by cutting out the original member 51 from a common material. The height (radial dimension) of each lubricant retainer 50 (50a to 50e) may be different. In this case, the shape of the second lubricant retaining member 40B can be more accurately adapted to the internal shapes of the bearing internal space 29 and the reservoir chamber 34 of the rolling bearing device 10.

[0055] In this way, the second lubricant holding member 40B is made of a polyvinyl alcohol sponge and is composed of a plurality of lubricant holders 50. The second lubricant holding member 40B, which is not integrally molded, can simplify the processing steps for shaping it into a desired shape compared to the first lubricant holding member 40A, which is integrally molded, making it easier to manufacture.

[0056] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, in the second lubricant holding member 40B, it is preferable that the lubricant holding body 50 (50a to 50e) has a gap 53. In this case, the gap 53 can absorb expansion and contraction of the original member 51. In this case, it is possible to suppress dimensional changes in the radial direction of the annular lubricant holding body 50 (50a to 50e). By using the second lubricant holding member 40B configured in this way, it is possible to suppress contact between the second lubricant holding member 40B and the cage 24.

[0057] [Elastic member] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the lubricant holding member. FIG. 8A is a schematic diagram showing a first embodiment of an elastic member constituting the lubricant holding member. FIG. 8B is a schematic diagram showing a second embodiment of an elastic member constituting the lubricant holding member. As shown in FIG. 7, the second lubricant holding member 40B preferably includes an elastic member 44 arranged radially inside the plurality of lubricant holding bodies 50 (50a to 50e) stacked in the radial direction. In this embodiment, the elastic member 44 is made of metal. Note that the elastic member 44 may also be made of resin, for example. The elastic member 44 is arranged radially inside the first lubricant holding body 50a. The elastic member 44 is an annular member and can generate an elastic force (spring force) directed radially outward from the elastic member 44. The elastic member 44 applies an elastic force directed radially outward to the radially inner side of the second lubricant holding member 40B. By including the elastic member 44, the second lubricant holding member 40B can reliably suppress contraction of its radial dimension. By using the second lubricant holding member 40B having such a configuration, contact between the second lubricant holding member 40B and the cage 24 can be suppressed.

[0058] As shown in Fig. 8A, the second lubricant holding member 40B can employ, for example, a first elastic member 44A, which is an elastic member 44 formed by bending a leaf spring into a C-shape. As shown in Fig. 8B, the second lubricant holding member 40B can employ, for example, a second elastic member 44B, which is an elastic member 44 in the form of a coil spring. The outer diameter of the elastic member 44 in a steady state (when not compressed in the radial direction) is larger than the inner diameter of the first lubricant holding body 50a, and can be made smaller than the inner diameter of the first lubricant holding body 50a by compressing it in the radial direction. Note that in the second lubricant holding member 40B, the pin 43 may be part of the elastic member 44.

[0059] The first elastic member 44A and the second elastic member 44B are inserted into the radially inner side of the first lubricant holder 50a in a state in which their radial dimensions are compressed, and after insertion, their diameters expand at the radially inner side of the first lubricant holder 50a. As a result, the first elastic member 44A and the second elastic member 44B apply an elastic force acting radially outward to the radially inner side of the second lubricant holder 40B. Note that, when the elastic member 44 is used to prevent the inner diameter of the second lubricant holder 40B from being reduced, the lubricant holder 50 (50a to 50e) may omit the gap portion 53. In this case, the lubricant holder 50 (50a to 50e) has a seamless ring shape.

[0060] [Cylindrical member] 8C is a schematic diagram showing a cylindrical member constituting the lubricant holding member. As shown in FIG. 7, the second lubricant holding member 40B may be configured to include, instead of the elastic member 44, a cylindrical member 45 arranged radially inside the plurality of lubricant holders 50 (50a to 50e) stacked in the radial direction. As shown in FIG. 8C, the cylindrical member 45 has a cylindrical (annular) shape. As shown in FIG. 7, the cylindrical member 45 is arranged radially inside the first lubricant holder 50a. The outer diameter dimension of the cylindrical member 45 is approximately the same as the inner diameter dimension of the first lubricant holder 50a. The cylindrical member 45 is made of a non-elastic member. In this embodiment, the cylindrical member 45 is made of metal. Note that the cylindrical member 45 may also be made of resin, for example. By arranging the cylindrical member 45 radially inside the first lubricant holder 50a, the second lubricant holding member 40B can reliably suppress contraction of its radial dimension. Use of the second lubricant holding member 40B configured in this manner can prevent contact between the second lubricant holding member 40B and the cage 24. When the cylindrical member 45 prevents the inner diameter of the second lubricant holding member 40B from being reduced, the lubricant holding body 50 (50a to 50e) may omit the gap portion 53. In the second lubricant holding member 40B, the pin 43 may be a part of the cylindrical member 45.

[0061] [Other embodiments] In the above embodiment, the rolling bearing 20 is an angular contact ball bearing, but the rolling bearing 20 of the rolling bearing device 10 of the present disclosure may be a deep groove ball bearing or the like.

[0062] The above-described embodiments are illustrative in all respects and are not limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims rather than the above-described embodiments, and includes all modifications within the scope equivalent to the configurations described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 10: Rolling bearing device 10A: First rolling bearing device 10B: Second rolling bearing device 20: Rolling bearing 21: Outer ring 22: Inside 23: Ball (rolling element) 24: Retainer 25: Outer ring raceway 26: Inner ring raceway surface 40: Lubricant retaining member 40A: First lubricant retaining member 40B: Second lubricant holding member 41 :1st part 42:Second part 43: Pin 44: Elastic member 45: Cylindrical member 50: Lubricant holder 51: Original material 52: Edge 53: Gap (space) P: Center of the rolling element G: Lubricant

Claims

1. a rolling bearing including an outer ring having an outer ring raceway surface, an inner ring having an inner ring raceway surface, and rolling elements that roll on the outer ring raceway surface and the inner ring raceway surface; a lubricant retaining member for retaining lubricant; Equipped with the lubricant retaining members are disposed on axial end sides of the outer ring and the inner ring, a first portion disposed at a position overlapping with a center of the rolling element in the radial direction; a second portion that is positioned axially closer to the rolling element than the first portion and that is positioned radially inward or radially outward from the center of the rolling element.

2. The rolling bearing further includes a cage that holds the rolling elements, The rolling bearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the second portion is disposed at a position that does not overlap with the cage in the radial direction.

3. The lubricant retaining member is 3. The rolling bearing device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of lubricant holders for holding lubricating oil are stacked in the radial direction.

4. 4. The rolling bearing device according to claim 3, wherein said lubricant holding member further comprises pins that pierce radially through said plurality of lubricant holding bodies stacked in the radial direction.

5. 4. The rolling bearing device according to claim 3, wherein the lubricant retainer is formed from a strip-shaped original member, and is formed into a substantially annular shape by bending the original member so that its longitudinal ends are abutted against each other.

6. 6. The rolling bearing device according to claim 5, wherein the lubricant holder has a gap between the abutted ends.

7. 4. The rolling bearing device according to claim 3, wherein the lubricant holding member further comprises an elastic member disposed radially inside the plurality of lubricant holding bodies stacked in the radial direction.

8. 4. The rolling bearing device according to claim 3, wherein said lubricant holding member further comprises a cylindrical member disposed radially inside said plurality of lubricant holding bodies stacked in the radial direction.

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