Shaft with retainer

Abstract

To provide a bearing retainer capable of preventing noise due to vibration caused by a rolling element passing through a fixed point.SOLUTION: A bearing retainer 100 for retaining a ball 112 rolling between an inner ring and an outer ring of a bearing 102 includes an annular ring 114 with an axis of the bearing as a center, a base 116 protruding in an axial direction from the annular ring, a claw 118 protruding to a circumferential both sides of a distal end of the base, and a pocket formed between the adjacent bases so as to store the ball therein. The pocket has three or more kinds of widths in a circumferential direction, and the pocket includes a retaining pocket 120 having the narrowest width in the circumferential direction and extending along an outer surface of the ball, and a wide pocket 122 having a width in the circumferential direction wider than that of the retaining pocket and having two or more kinds of widths.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

【Technical Field】 , , , 【0001】 The present invention relates to a bearing cage for holding rolling elements of a bearing. 【Background Art】 【0002】 As a bearing, a bearing with a cage using a cage is known. The cage has a role of maintaining the interval between rolling elements and preventing the rolling elements from rubbing against each other by holding rolling elements (balls or rollers) in a plurality of pockets respectively. 【0003】 Cages of various shapes are provided, and one of them is a crowned cage. The crowned cage has pockets for accommodating rolling elements in an annular portion centered on the axis of the bearing and claw portions for preventing the rolling elements from dropping off. The pockets of the crowned cage are open in the axial direction. In the present application, a rod-shaped portion between pockets is referred to as a "base". However, by providing claw portions protruding from the opening of the pocket (the tip of the base), contact with the rolling elements is made to prevent the rolling elements from falling out of the pocket. 【0004】 On the other hand, in a bearing, abnormal noise may occur due to a resonance phenomenon caused by the fixed-point passing vibration of the rolling elements. In contrast, Patent Document 1 describes a rolling bearing device having a plurality of pockets in which a plurality of rolling elements are accommodated. In this rolling bearing device, the pitches of the plurality of pockets are all set to different values, and the plurality of pockets are arranged unevenly in the circumferential direction. Further, this rolling bearing device has an oil-air supply mechanism for supplying oil and air between the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring and the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring. 【0005】 In the rolling bearing device of Patent Document 1, since a plurality of rolling elements are arranged unevenly in the circumferential direction, the frequency of the wind noise generated when the rolling elements cross the air can be dispersed, and the wind noise does not have a single frequency. Therefore, it is said that the wind noise can be weakened and the annoying high-frequency noise can be suppressed. 【Prior Art Documents】 [Patent Documents] 【0006】 [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-85186 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve] 【0007】 In the rolling bearing device described in Patent Document 1, multiple rolling elements are simply arranged unevenly in the circumferential direction, and the arrangement (spacing) of the rolling elements themselves is regular (fixed). As a result, the vibration of the rolling elements passing through a fixed point does not completely lose its periodicity, and the bearing's natural frequency is generated, causing resonance and resulting in abnormal noise. 【0008】 In view of these problems, the present invention aims to provide a bearing cage that can prevent the generation of abnormal noise associated with vibrations as rolling elements pass through a fixed point. [Means for solving the problem] 【0009】 To solve the above problems, a typical configuration of the bearing cage according to the present invention is a bearing cage that holds rolling elements that roll between the inner and outer rings of a bearing, and comprises an annular portion centered on the axis of the bearing, a base portion projecting axially from the annular portion, claw portions projecting from both sides of the tip of the base portion in the circumferential direction, and a pocket formed between adjacent base portions for accommodating the rolling elements, wherein the pocket has three or more different widths in the circumferential direction, and includes a holding pocket with the narrowest circumferential width that follows the outer surface of the rolling element, and a wide pocket that is wider in the circumferential direction than the holding pocket and has two or more different widths. 【0010】 According to the above configuration, a retaining pocket and a wide pocket are arranged as pockets formed between adjacent bases. The retaining pocket is the narrowest in the circumferential direction and is aligned with the outer surface of the rolling element, and is a normal pocket that holds the rolling element. The wide pocket is wider in the circumferential direction than the retaining pocket. As a result, the rolling element in the wide pocket can swing freely within the circumferential range of the wide pocket, and rotates while changing its relative position with other adjacent retaining pockets or rolling elements in the wide pocket. Furthermore, since there are two or more different widths for the wide pockets (slightly larger than the width of the rolling element, even larger than that, etc.), the degrees of freedom of movement (range of swing) can also be made different. As a result, the rolling element fluctuates irregularly during the rotation of the bearing. This causes the vibration of the rolling element passing through a fixed point to lose its periodicity, the bearing's natural frequency does not occur, and resonance does not occur. Therefore, according to the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the generation of abnormal noise associated with the vibration of the rolling element passing through a fixed point. 【0011】 The circumferential widths of the multiple wide pockets described above should each be different. Because the circumferential widths of the wide pockets are all different, the rolling elements within each wide pocket will have different degrees of freedom of movement and will fluctuate more irregularly. This will help prevent the generation of abnormal noise. In the above configuration, there will be as many different widths for wide pockets as there are wide pockets. 【0012】 It is preferable that the retaining pockets and wide pockets described above be arranged alternately. This allows for both ensuring the retaining of the cage by the rolling elements through the retaining pockets, thereby guaranteeing the bearing's original function, and preventing the generation of abnormal noise by allowing the rolling elements more freedom of movement through the wide pockets. [Effects of the Invention] 【0013】 According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a bearing cage that can prevent the generation of abnormal noise associated with vibrations as rolling elements pass through a fixed point. [Brief explanation of the drawing] 【0014】 [Figure 1] This figure shows a bearing using a bearing cage according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing the retainer shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This figure shows the bearing with the balls housed in each pocket of the cage shown in Figure 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention] 【0015】 Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values ​​shown in these embodiments are merely examples to facilitate understanding of the invention and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanations, and elements not directly related to the present invention are omitted from the illustrations. 【0016】 Figure 1 shows a bearing 102 using a bearing cage (hereinafter referred to as cage 100) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The bearing 102 is an open-type ball bearing and has an inner ring 106 having a raceway surface 104 on its outer circumference, an outer ring 110 having a raceway surface 108 on its inner circumference, and a plurality of rolling elements (hereinafter referred to as balls 112) that roll between the raceway surfaces of the inner and outer rings. A cage 100 is provided between the inner ring 106 and the outer ring 110. 【0017】 Figure 2 shows the cage 100 of Figure 1. Figure 2(a) is a perspective view of the cage 100. Figure 2(b) schematically shows a part of the cage 100 shown in Figure 2(a) and illustrates the behavior of the balls 112 housed in each pocket. Figure 3 shows the bearing 102 with the balls 112 housed in each pocket of the cage 100 of Figure 2. 【0018】 The retainer 100 is a retainer for a ball bearing and is an integrally molded resin part. As shown in Fig. 2(a), the retainer 100 has a crown shape and includes an annular portion 114 centered on the axis of the bearing 102, a base portion 116 protruding axially from the annular portion 114, and claw portions 118 protruding from both sides in the circumferential direction at the tip of the base portion 116. In the retainer 100 of Fig. 1, the annular portion 114 is located on the left side in the figure, and the base portion 116 and the claw portions 118 protrude on the right side in the figure. 【0019】 Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 2(a), the retainer 100 has a plurality of holding pockets 120 and a plurality of wide pockets 122 that are alternately arranged as pockets formed between adjacent base portions 116 and axially open. In the figure, six holding pockets 120 and six wide pockets 122 are arranged, but the number of arrangements is not limited to this and may be appropriately changed according to the size of the ball 112 and the size of the annular portion 114, etc. 【0020】 The plurality (here six) of holding pockets 120 have the narrowest circumferential width among the pockets and have a shape (here an arc shape) along the outer surface of the ball 112 as shown in Fig. 2(b). In the holding pocket 120, the interval Wa between the claw portions 118, 118 protruding from the opening of the pocket is smaller than the diameter L of the ball 112, and the claw portions 118, 118 contact the ball 112 to prevent the ball 112 from falling out of the pocket. That is, the holding pocket 120 can hold the ball 112 in the pocket so that the ball 112 can smoothly slide and rotate. 【0021】 The plurality (here six) of wide pockets 122 are wider in the circumferential direction than the holding pockets 120 as shown in Fig. 2(a) and Fig. 3, and there are two or more types of this width. That is, since the pockets include the holding pockets 120 and the wide pockets 122, there are three or more types of circumferential widths. Here, as an example, the wide pockets 122 include wide pockets 122a, 122b, 122c, 122d, 122e, 122f with different circumferential widths, and there are six types of circumferential widths. 【0022】 The wide pocket 122a, typically shown in FIG. 2(b), has a shape that includes a straight bottom edge 124 along the circumferential direction, and arcuate front wall 126 and rear wall 128 that are continuous from both ends of the bottom edge 124, respectively. In the present embodiment, the wall located in the revolution direction of the ball 112 among the pockets is referred to as the "front wall", and the wall located in the direction opposite to the revolution direction is referred to as the "rear wall". By including the straight bottom edge 124, the wide pocket 122a has a shape that is wider in the circumferential direction than the holding pocket 120 with certainty, and the interval Wb between the claw portions 118 protruding from the opening of the pocket is larger than the diameter L of the ball 112. 【0023】 Therefore, the ball 112 accommodated in the wide pocket 122a can freely swing in the circumferential direction within the circumferential range of the wide pocket 122a, that is, within the range defined by the bottom edge 124, the front wall 126, and the rear wall 128 (see arrow A in FIG. 2(b)). Then, the ball 112 in the wide pocket 122a rotates while changing its relative position with respect to the ball 112 held in an adjacent other pocket (here, the holding pocket 120). As a result, during the rotation of the bearing 102 shown in FIG. 3, the ball 112 fluctuates irregularly. 【0024】 Thereby, the periodicity of the passing vibration of the ball 112 is lost, the natural frequency of the bearing 102 does not occur, and the resonance phenomenon does not occur. Therefore, according to the cage 100, the generation of abnormal noise associated with the passing vibration of the ball 112 can be prevented. 【0025】 Furthermore, in the cage 100, since there are two or more types (here, six types) of widths of the wide pockets 122, the degrees of freedom of movement (swinging range) of the balls 112 can also be made different. In the cage 100 of the present embodiment, the circumferential widths of the plurality of wide pockets 122a, 122b, 122c, 122d, 122e, 122f are different from each other. Thereby, the degrees of freedom of movement of the balls 112 in the respective wide pockets 122a, 122b, 122c, 122d, 122e, 122f are different from each other, and furthermore, they fluctuate more irregularly. For this reason, according to the cage 100, the generation of abnormal noise can be further prevented. 【0026】 In the bearing 102 shown in Figure 3, with the balls 112 held by the inner and outer rings, the cage 100 securely holds the balls 112 in retaining pockets 120 that are (just the right size) along the outer surface of the rolling elements, the balls 112. In other words, it can also be seen that the cage 100 is held in place by the rows of balls 112. If there were no retaining pockets 120, the wide pockets 122 would not be able to hold the balls 112, and the cage 100 would fall out of the bearing 102. 【0027】 Therefore, when considering the number of retaining pockets 120 required to hold the retainer 100 in the row of balls 112, it is necessary to ensure at least three points of support, so the minimum number is considered to be three. In contrast, the retainer 100 employs a configuration in which retaining pockets 120 and wide pockets 122 are arranged alternately, and moreover, six of each type of retaining pocket 120 and wide pocket 122 are arranged. 【0028】 Therefore, with the cage 100, by securely holding the balls 112 in the holding pockets 120, the cage 100 is securely held by the rows of balls 112, ensuring the original function of the bearing 102, while the wider pockets 122 allow for greater freedom of movement of the balls 112, thereby preventing the generation of abnormal noise. 【0029】 In the above embodiment, a retainer 100 in which retaining pockets 120 and wide pockets 122 are arranged alternately was described as an example, but the arrangement of pockets is not limited to this as long as both retaining pockets 120 and wide pockets 122 are installed. For example, a predetermined number of retaining pockets 120 and a predetermined number of wide pockets 122 may be arranged regularly. For example, one retaining pocket 120 and two wide pockets 122 may be arranged so that retaining pockets 120 are placed every two. 【0030】 Furthermore, while the cage 100 is exemplified as a cage for a ball bearing that holds balls 112 as rolling elements, it is not limited to this, and may be a cage applicable to roller bearings or tapered roller bearings. In such a cage, retaining pockets along the outer surface of the rolling elements are formed in a cylindrical or frustoconical shape, and both retaining pockets and wide pockets that are wider in the circumferential direction than the retaining pockets, with two or more different widths, can be installed. 【0031】 Furthermore, while the bearing 102, which is an open-type ball bearing as shown in Figure 1, is an example of a bearing to which the cage 100 is applied, it is not limited to this, and may also be a general sealed ball bearing with grease sealed inside. 【0032】 Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these examples. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the claims, and these will naturally also fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Industrial applicability] 【0033】 This invention can be used as a bearing cage for holding the rolling elements of a bearing. [Explanation of symbols] 【0034】 100... Cage, 102... Bearing, 104, 108... Raceway surface, 106... Inner ring, 110... Outer ring, 112... Ball, 114... Annular part, 116... Base, 118... Claw part, 120... Retaining pocket, 122, 122a, 122b, 122c, 122d, 122e, 122f... Wide pocket, 124... Base, 126... Front wall, 128... Rear wall

Claims

[Claim 1] A bearing cage that holds rolling elements that roll between the inner and outer rings of a bearing, The annular portion centered on the axis of the bearing, A base portion that protrudes axially from the annular portion, The base has claw portions that protrude from both sides of the tip in the circumferential direction, It has a pocket formed between adjacent base portions for housing the rolling element, The aforementioned pocket has three or more different widths in the circumferential direction. The narrowest width in the circumferential direction, and the retaining pocket that follows the outer surface of the rolling element, A bearing cage characterized by including wide pockets that are wider in the circumferential direction than the retaining pockets, and having two or more different widths. [Claim 2] The bearing cage according to claim 1, characterized in that the circumferential widths of the plurality of wide pockets are all different. [Claim 3] The bearing retainer according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the retaining pockets and the wide pockets are arranged alternately.

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