Bearing cap, bearing including bearing cap, and method of assembling bearing

Abstract

The present disclosure proposes a bearing comprising a bearing body (2) and at least one bearing cap (1). The bearing body comprises a bearing inner race (22) and a bearing outer race (21) located radially outward of the bearing inner race (22). The bearing outer race (21) comprises a blocking portion (211) located at an end surface of the bearing outer race and a sealing groove (212) abutting the blocking portion (211). And the bearing cap (1) is used for fitting with the bearing body (2) such that a bearing cavity is formed therebetween. The bearing cap includes: an inner lip segment (11) fitting with the bearing inner race (22) of the bearing body (2), an outer lip segment (13) fitting with the sealing groove (212) of the bearing body (2), and a connecting segment (12) located between the inner lip segment (11) and the outer lip segment (13). The ratio of the width of the sealing groove (212) to the original axial width of the outer lip (13) segment before being fitted is in the range of 0.4-0.65, and the outer lip (13) segment of the bearing cap (1) is deformed so as to be received in the sealing groove (212) of the bearing outer race (21) in the state where the bearing cap (1) is assembled with the bearing body (2).

Description

Bearing cap, bearing including bearing cap, and method of assembling bearingTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of bearings, in particular to a bearing cap, a bearing having the bearing cap, and a method of assembling the bearing.BACKGROUND

[0002] Bearings have been widely used in more and more fields and the market demands on bearings are more and more. For example, more and more bearings are required to be provided with bearing caps to avoid intrusion of external contaminants and leakage of lubricant. The metal bearing cap is mounted between the bearing inner race and the bearing outer race of the bearing by press-fitting, which easily causes deformation of the bearing outer race. In particular, for thin-section ball bearings, since the bearing outer race is thin, the bearing outer race is prone to bulge deformation after mounting the bearing cap of high rigidity, affecting the use of the bearing. Also, because of the thin cross-section, the internal axial space is very small, and conventional caps with wider outer lips and wider inner lips may interfere with the cage after assembled to the bearing outer race.

[0003] Therefore, it is desirable to provide a bearing cap and a bearing that have stable sealing properties, reduce deformation of the outer race of the bearing, and reduce the risk of interference.SUMMARY

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to solve at least the drawbacks existing in the prior art, proposing a bearing cap comprising: an inner lip segment having a base segment parallel to a radial direction of the bearing cap; an outer lip segment including a circular arc segment having a circular arc shape, a first segment and a second segment of which one end is adjacent to the circular arc segment and the other end is adjacent to the first segment; a connecting segment located between the inner lip segment and the outerlip segment, two ends of the connecting segment adjacent to the first segment and the base segment respectively. The maximum width of the outer lip segment in a direction perpendicular to the plane in which the base segment lies is between 1.09 mm and 1.21 mm.

[0005] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the bearing cap is a one-piece member.

[0006] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the radius of the circular arc segment is 1.9 to 2.1 times a plate thickness of the bearing cap.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the minimum distance of the circular arc segment from the center axis of the bearing cap is less than the minimum distance of the first segment from the center axis of the bearing cap.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the inner lip segment of the bearing cap further includes an end segment extending from one end of the base segment in a direction non-parallel to the base segment, the end segment being located on the same side of the base segment as the connecting segment.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the base segment of the inner lip segment and the connecting segment have an included angle between 120 ° and 140 °.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the maximum width of the inner lip segment in a direction perpendicular to the plane in which the base segment lies is from 2.4 to 2.6 times the plate thickness of the bearing cap.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the outer lip segment of the bearing cap comprises a plurality of open slots in at least a portion of the circular arc segment and at least a portion of the second segment, the number of the open slots being an odd number, a minimum distance between adjacent two of the plurality of open slots being in a range of 5-17 mm.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the number of open slots is equal to the nearest odd number of calculation result in millimeters of n * Do / ^, wherein Dois the outer diameter of the bearing cap.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a plate thickness of the bearing cap is in a range of 0.18 mm to 0.22 mm.

[0014] The present disclosure also provides a bearing comprising a bearing body and a bearing cap, wherein the bearing cap is fitted with the bearing body such that a bearing cavity is formed between the bearing cap and the bearing body, the bearing body comprising a bearing inner race and a bearing outer race radially outward of the bearing inner race. The bearing outer race comprises: a blocking portion located at an end surface of the bearing outer race and extending toward a radially inward direction, a sealing groove adjacent to the blocking portion, located axially inside the blocking portion and opening in a radially inward direction, and a stopper adjacent to the sealing groove, located on a side of the sealing groove opposite to the blocking portion, a minimum diameter of the stopper being smaller than a minimum diameter of the blocking portion.

[0015] An inner diameter of the bearing inner race is 65 mm or less, and the bearing cap is a one-piece member having a plate thickness in a range of 0.18 mm to 0.22 mm. The bearing cap is assembled with the bearing body such that the inner lip segment fits with the bearing inner race of the bearing body, and the outer lip segment of the bearing cap is squeezed and deformed to be received within the sealing groove of the bearing outer race.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the bearing cap comprising a plurality of open slots in at least a portion of the circular arc segment and at least a portion of the second segment, the number of the open slots being an odd number, the minimum distance between adjacent two of the plurality of open slots being in a range of 5-17 mm.

[0017] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the bearing satisfies: Do< di + A * di '9, wherein Dois the outer diameter of the bearing outer race, dtis the inner diameter of the bearing inner race, and A is a proportionality factor and is in a range of 0.4 to 0.62.

[0018] The present disclosure also provides a method of assembling a bearing comprising a bearing body and a bearing cap, wherein the bearing body comprises a bearing inner race and a bearing outer race radially outside the bearing inner race. The bearing outer race comprises: a blocking portion located at an end surface of the bearing outer race and extending toward a radially inward direction, a sealing groove adjacent to the blocking portion, located axially inside the blocking portion and opening in a radially inward direction, and a stopper adjacent to the sealing groove, located on a side of thesealing groove opposite to the blocking portion, a minimum diameter of the stopper being smaller than a minimum diameter of the blocking portion.

[0019] The bearing cap comprises: an inner lip segment having a base segment; an outer lip segment including a circular arc segment having a circular arc shape, a first segment and a second segment of which one end is adjacent to the circular arc segment and the other end is adjacent to the first segment; a connecting segment located between the inner lip segment and the outer lip segment, two ends of the connecting segment adjacent to the first segment and the base segment respectively.

[0020] The assembly method comprises: pushing the bearing cap in an axial direction into a bore defined by the stopper until the first segment of the bearing cap abuts in an axial direction against a blocking portion of the bearing outer race, wherein a ratio of a width in an axial direction of the sealing groove to a width in an axial direction of the undeformed outer lip segment is in a range of 0.4-0.65; applying an axially inward pressure to the bearing cap such that the outer lip segment deforms, the deformed outer lip segment decreasing in width in an axial direction to be received within the sealing groove of the bearing outer race, and increasing in maximum outer diameter in a radial direction to be press-fit with the bearing outer race.

[0021] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the ratio of the width in the axial direction of the sealing groove to the width in the axial direction of the undeformed outer lip segment is between 0.5-0.6.

[0022] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the undeformed outer lip segment is in transition fit with the blocking portion of the bearing outer race.

[0023] The present disclosure also provides a bearing assembled according to the assembly method of any one of the above embodiments.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional schematic view of a structure of a bearing cap according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the fitted state of the bearing cap of Figure 1 and a bearing body with an outer lip segment of the bearing cap received in a sealing groove;

[0026] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional schematic view of a bearing cap pushed into a bore defined by a blocking portion, wherein an outer lip segment of the bearing cap is not received in a sealing groove, according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0027] FIG. 4 shows a partial cross-sectional schematic view of a bearing cap pushed into a bore defined by a blocking portion, wherein an outer lip segment of the bearing cap is not received in a sealing groove, according to another embodiment of the disclosure;

[0028] FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a portion of a bearing cap according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] FIG. 6 shows a flow chart of a method of assembling a bearing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.DEENDED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In order to make the objectives, solutions and advantages of the technical solutions of the present disclosure more clear, a clear and complete description will be made hereinafter of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the specific embodiments of the present disclosure. Terms used herein have their ordinary meaning in the art unless otherwise specified. Like numbers refer to like parts in the drawings.

[0031] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be noted that, unless expressly specified and limited otherwise, the terms "mounted", "connected", "connected", and "connected" are to be understood broadly, e.g., fixedly connected, removably connected, or integrally connected; Mechanical or electrical connections; The connection may be direct or indirect through an intermediate medium, and may be internal to the two elements. The specific meanings of the above terms in the present disclosure can be understood in specific cases to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, "inner diameter" and "outer diameter" are to be understood in this technical field as well as in the present disclosure as the inner circle diameter and the outer circle diameter of a component.

[0032] In the present disclosure, FIGS. 1-4 are all schematic cross-sectional views without directly showing the ring shape or three-dimensional structure, but it isconceivable in connection with the ring shape shown in FIG. 5 that one side portion in a cross-section the corresponding bearing taken on a plane passing through the center axis of the bearing may be as shown in the corresponding schematic views 1-4.

[0033] For ease of description, in this disclosure, since the bearing body and the bearing cap are both annular components, the "radial" or "radial direction" is designated as the direction in which the radius of the annular bearing body and bearing cap lies, with radially inward designated as pointing toward the center of the ring, as opposed to the direction indicated by arrow R in FIG. 1 , and radially outward designated as facing away from the center of the ring, as indicated by arrow R in FIG. 1. Furthermore, "axial direction" or "axially" refers to the direction in which the axis of rotation of the bearing body lies, which is perpendicular to the radially outward direction R. Axially outward refers to a direction from the inside of the bearing towards the outside of the bearing, and axially inward refers to a direction from the outside of the bearing towards the inside of the bearing. And it is conceivable that, since both the bearing cap 1 and the bearing body 2 are rotating bodies, at any point in the bearing cap 1 and the bearing body 2, a circle passing through the point can be taken on the bearing cap 1 and the bearing body 2 with a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation, the larger the diameter of the circle passing through the point, i.e., the larger the distance of the point from the axis of rotation, the farther out the point in the radially outward direction, i.e., the farther away in the direction indicated by the arrow R (the farther to the right in Fig. 2).

[0034] The basic structural and assembly relationship of the bearing cap 1 and the bearing body 2 will be understood in conjunction with Figures 1 and 2. As shown in FIG.I, a bearing cap 1 according to the present disclosure may include an inner lip segmentI I, an outer lip segment 13, and a connecting segment 12. As shown in FIG. 2, the bearing body comprises an bearing outer race 21 which is press-fit with the outer lip segment 13and an bearing inner race 22 which is clearance-fit with the inner lip segment 11 to form an incompletely sealed bearing cavity 212. By a sufficiently narrow clearance between the bearing inner race 22 and the inner lip segment 11 ,the relative movement of the bearing inner race 22 and the inner lip segment 14 is not disturbed by the frictional forces therebetween, while disturbing the interior of the bearing cavity by external contaminants or other factors is largely prevented. The bearing according to the presentdisclosure has a bearing cap 1 on at least one side of the bearing, preferably having one on each side of the bearing. Within the bearing cavity 212 are the rolling bodies 24 and the rolling body cage 25 to fulfill the basic turning function of the bearing.

[0035] According to the bearing of some embodiments of the present disclosure, the bearing outer race 21 further comprises blocking portions 211 which may be disposed at both outer end faces of the bearing outer race 21 away from the bearing cavity 23. The blocking portion 211 may abut with at least portion of the outer lip segmentl3 when the outer lip segment 13 is received in the sealing groove 212, restricting the bearing cap 1 to reduce the possibility of accidental detachment of the bearing cap 1 caused by the relative movement of the bearing cap 1 away from the bearing cavity 23.

[0036] In some embodiments, the bearing outer race 21 may further comprise a sealing groove 212, which is a groove having an opening direction opposite to the radially outward direction R, may be adjacent to the blocking portion 211 on a side of the blocking portion 211 close to the bearing cavity 23. The sealing groove 212 is used to accommodate a portion of the outer lip segment 13 of the bearing cap 1. The sealability of the bearing cap being greatly increased by the press fit between the sealing groove 212 and the outer lip segment 13.

[0037] On a side of the sealing groove 212 close to the bearing cavity 23, i.e., on a side of the sealing groove 212 opposite to the blocking portion, a stopper 213 is provided, the minimum diameter of which is smaller than the minimum diameter of the blocking portion 211. The stopper 213 may abut at least part of the bearing cap 1, limiting the bearing cap 1, and reducing the possibility of the bearing cap 1 interfering with the rolling bodies 24 and the rolling body cage 25 inside the bearing cavity 23 which may arise due to a relative movement of the bearing cap 1 towards the bearing cavity 23.

[0038] In general, such an all-metal bearing cap 1 is rigid and mounting of the bearing cap 1 in the bearing body 2 is achieved by pressing. Since the width W1 of the outer lip segment 13 of the bearing cap 1 in the axial direction is larger than the width of the sealing groove 212, the outer lip segment 13 must have a large deformation to be accommodated in the sealing groove 212. This results in a large pressure on the bearing outer race in the radially outward direction R when press-fitting the bearing cap 1 ,resulting in a large deformation of the bearing outer race, which in particular for thin section type bearings may render the bearing unusable.

[0039] According to the above technical solution of the present disclosure, the structure of the outer lip segment is improved on the basis of the conventional bearing cap, which reduces the possibility that the outer race of the bearing is deformed considerably, thereby rendering the bearing unusable.

[0040] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the bearing satisfies the following relationship:Do< di + A * d9 9

[0041] Wherein, Dois the outer diameter of the bearing outer race 21, dtis the inner diameter of the bearing inner race 22, and A is a proportionality factor and is in the range of 0.4 to 0.62, preferably A is 0.45. The bearing outer race 21 of this type of bearing is easier to deform and is therefore more suitable for the bearing cap 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] According to the bearing of the present disclosure, the outer lip segment 13 may comprise a first segment 131, a second segment 132, and a circular arc segment 133, wherein the first segment 131 connects to the connecting segment 12, the circular arc segment 133 is located at the free end of the outer lip segment 13, and the second segment 132 is located between the first segment 131 and the circular arc segment 133. The first segment 131 may extend obliquely at an angle with respect to the radial direction of the bearing cap 1. It is advantageous to provide a smooth transition between the first segment 131 and the second segment 132 so that when the outer lip segment 13 is press-fitted, it is not directly bent into two sections of sharp included angle, thereby having a large effect on the bearing outer race. The second segment 132 is generally perpendicular to the radial direction of the bearing cap 1 to provide a partial width for the outer lip segment 13 in the axial direction of the bearing cap 1.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 1, the maximum width W1 of the outer lip segment 13 in the axial direction of the bearing cap 1 may be between 1.09 mm and 1.21 mm, which is reduced from the prior art, but is still greater than the width of the sealing groove. Therefore when the outer lip segment 13 is assembled, the amount of deformation of the outer lip segment 13 due to being received in the sealing groove 212 of the bearing outerrace is reduced, further reducing the pressure between the bearing cap 1 and the bearing body, which is advantageous for reducing the deformation of the bearing outer race of the bearing body.

[0044] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the bearing cap 1 should be selected according to the width of the sealing groove 212 of the bearing body 2, in particular the original axial width of the outer lip segment 13 of the bearing cap 1 not before being fitted (i.e. the width of the undeformed outer lip segment 13) is closely related to the width W3 of the sealing groove 212, which is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. A schematic illustration of a sealing groove 212 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 3, wherein a width W3 of the sealing groove 212 is defined as a chord length of a circular arc section segment of the sealing groove between a blocking portion 211 and a stopper 213, shown in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 as the minimum of the distance between the intersection of a straight line (dashed line shown in FIG. 3) in the axial direction at the minimum diameter of the blocking portion 211 and the stopper 213 and the intersection of said straight line and the blocking portion 211, which is well known to those skilled in the art. In some embodiments, in order to reduce the likelihood that the corner portion 214 at the abutment of the blocking portion 211 and the sealing groove 212 will damage the bearing cap 1 when assembled therewith or otherwise adversely affect the bearing cap 1 in use, the corner portion 214 may be rounded or chamfered, as shown in FIG. 4. Those skilled in the art will also understand that the rounding or chamfering should not have an influence on the definition of the width W3 of the sealing groove 212, which may be expressed as the chord length of a circular arc section segment of the sealing groove between the blocking portion 211 without being chamfered or before being rounded and the stopper 213, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 as the minimum of the distance between the intersection of a straight line (dashed line shown in FIG. 4) in the axial direction at the minimum diameter of the blocking portion 211 and the stopper 213 and the intersection of said straight line and the corresponding complete circular segment of the sealing groove 212 (i.e. the corresponding circular segment before being rounded, the missing portion being shown in dashed line in FIG. 4).

[0045] In some embodiments, a suitable bearing cap 1 may be chosen such that the ratio of the width W3 of the sealing groove 212 to the maximum width W1 in the axial direction of the bearing cap 1 may be in the range of 0.40 to 0.65, preferably in the range of 0.5 to 0.6, more preferably the ratio be 0.55. The above ratio range or ratio is advantageous in enhancing the engagement effect of the outer lip segment 13 of the bearing cap 1 with the sealing groove 212 after the outer lip segment 13 of the bearing cap 1 is pressed and deformed, ensuring the engagement strength without causing the bulging deformation of the bearing outer race 21 due to excessive engagement pressure, which will hinder the normal use.

[0046] In some embodiments, the bearing cap 1 with increased the maximum outer diameter of the outer lip segment 13 may be chosen such that its minimum diameter with the blocking portion 211 changes from a clearance fit to a transition fit. The clearance fit as well as the transition fit described herein are illustrated by way of example, and both refer to the fit between the outer lip segment 13 and the blocking portion 211 when the bearing cap 1 is inserted into the opening defined by the blocking portion 211 (i.e., when the bearing cap 1 is engaged with the blocking portion) and in a state where the bearing cap 1 has not been pressed to produce a deformation that becomes larger in radial dimension. A transition fit means that the maximum outer diameter of the outer lip segment 13 may be greater than the minimum diameter of the blocking portion 211 ; a clearance fit means that the largest outer diameter of the outer lip segment 13 is smaller than the smallest diameter of the blocking portion 211. In the prior art, the width of the outer lip is large, and the maximum outer diameter of the outer lip segment 13 and the minimum diameter of the blocking portion 211 are typically sized such that there is a clearance fit to allow for more deformation space. In contrast, according to some embodiments of the bearing cap of the present disclosure, the width W1 of the outer lip segment is reduced, the reserved deformation space is also correspondingly reduced, so that it can be installed with a transition fit, both guaranteeing a tight fit of the bearing cap 1 to the bearing outer race, and also greatly weakening and even avoiding the problem of deformation of the bearing outer race.

[0047] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the maximum outer diameter of the outer lip segment 13 may be greater than or equal to the minimumdiameter of the blocking portion 211 to further guarantee a tight fit of the bearing cap 1 to the bearing outer race 21.

[0048] The bearing cap 1 may be formed in one piece from a plate material, for example from a metal plate material. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the inner diameter of the bearing inner race 22 is 65 mm or less, and the thickness of the plate is in the range of 0.18 mm-0.22 mm, preferably 0.2 mm. The thickness of the plate material from which the bearing cap is made will be referred to herein as the plate thickness. The above range of the plate thickness is much smaller than in the prior art. Thus when the bearing cap 1 is pressed to deform, the deformation of the outer lip segment 13 is different from the prior art. The outer lip segment 13 will be more easily deformed, and the press-fit force generated between the bearing cap 1 and the bearing outer race 21 due to the deformation will not be locally excessive, so that the bearing outer race 21 is deformed to affect the use.

[0049] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the circular arc segment 133 has a circular arc shape, the provision of the circular arc segment 133 further facilitates curling of the outer lip segment 13 when the bearing cap 1 is press- fitted, for example as shown in FIG. 2, the curling facilitates evenly distributing the pressure between the bearing cap 1 and the bearing outer race, reducing the possibility of a local excessive pressure causing severe deformation of the bearing outer race. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the radius of the circular arc segment 133 is 1.9 to 2.1 times the plate thickness, preferably twice the plate thickness, the plate thickness referred to herein as the thickness of the plate material forming the bearing cap 1. For example when the plate thickness is 0.2 mm, the radius of the circular arc segment may be between 0.38 mm and 0.42 mm, preferably 0.4 mm.

[0050] Furthermore, the terminal end of the circular arc segment 133 may extend not beyond the junction of the connecting segment 12 and the outer lip segment 13, i.e., the circular arc segment 133 has a minimum distance from the central axis of the bearing cap that is smaller than the minimum distance of the first segment 131 from the central axis of the bearing cap, to prevent the length of the outer lip segment 13 from being too long which causes the interference of the outer lip segment 13 with the connecting segment 12 after the bearing cap 1 is fitted and deformed.

[0051] In addition, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the bearing cap further has advantages and improvements as follows.

[0052] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the bearing cap may be integrally formed from a plate metal material, preferably in the range of 0.18-0.22 mm, wherein the plate material is more preferably 0.2 mm thick, to facilitate a reduction in the thickness of the base segment 110 of the inner lip segment 11 of the bearing cap, forming a larger bearing cavity and facilitating a reduction in the risk of interference with the rolling bodies and / or rolling body cage.

[0053] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the inner lip segment 11 of the bearing cap may have a base segment 110 extending parallel to the radial direction of the inner lip segment 11 and a end segment 111 extending perpendicular to the base segment 110. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the end segment 111 extends towards the bearing cavity 23, and the provision of the end segment 111 greatly increases the tightness of the bearing cap. In some embodiments, the maximum thickness of the inner lip segment 11 in the axial direction of the bearing cap 1, i.e. at the end segment 111, may be between 2.4 and 2.6 times the plate thickness, preferably 2.5 times the plate thickness. The plate thickness referred to herein as the thickness of the plate material forming the bearing cap 1. In some embodiments, for example when the plate thickness is 0.2 mm, the maximum width W2 of the inner lip segment 11 in the axial direction of the bearing cap 1 may be between 0.48 mm and 0.52 mm, preferably 0.5 mm. The reduction of the maximum width W2 in the axial direction of the inner lip segment 11 compared to the prior art advantageously forms a larger bearing cavity and reduces the risk of interference with the rolling bodies and / or rolling body cages.

[0054] There is a connecting segment 12 between the outer lip segment 13 and the inner lip segment 11, the connecting segment 12 being inclined at an angle, which may be between 120 ° and 140 °, with respect to the base segment 110 of the inner lip segment 11. As shown in FIG. 1 , the connecting segment 12 extends from the inner lip segment 11 toward the side where the end segment 111 is located. As shown in FIG. 2, therefore after assembly of the bearing cap 1 with the bearing body 2, the inner lip segment 11 is further away from the bearing cavity 23 than the outer lip segment within the sealing groove 212 to form a larger bearing cavity 23, reducing the likelihood of interference.

[0055] Furthermore, referring to Figs. 1-5, the bearing cap 1 may further comprise, at least in part of its circular arc segment 133 and at least in part of the second segment 132, a plurality of evenly distributed open slots 14 (only a portion of the ring shape is shown in Fig. 5, and two open slots are shown), the number of the open slots 14 being odd. The plurality of open slots 14 are used to relieve stress when the bearing cap is fitted, so that the bearing cap 1 is easy to fit. When the number of the open slots 14 is even, it is necessary that the pairs of the open slots 14 are located at both ends of the diameter of the ring shape so as to face each other, which makes it easy to concentrate the stress at diameter of any pair of diametrically opposed open slots 14 when the bearing cap is pressed, thereby causing breakage. In contrast, the odd number of the open slots 14 reduces the possibility of this.

[0056] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the number of open slots 14 is determined according to the outer diameter of the bearing cap, which may be, for example, the nearest odd number of calculations in millimeters equal to n * Do / 9, wherein Dois the outer diameter of the bearing cap 1. For example, for a bearing cap with Do = 50mm, n * Do / = = 17.45, then the number of open slots 14 is 17.

[0057] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the number of open slots is determined according to the distance between the open slots 14 and the outer diameter of the bearing cap. Specifically, the distance L between the central axes of adjacent two open slots 14 of the plurality of open slots 14 ranges from 5 to 17 mm, and in combination with the outer diameter of the bearing cap 1, a suitable distance L can be chosen to determine the number of the open slots 14. This arrangement ensures that the distance between adjacent open slots 14 is not too large or too small due to the change of the outer diameter of the bearing cap, and further ensures that the plurality of open slots 14 serve to relieve stress when the bearing cap is assembled, so that the bearing cap 1 is easy to assemble.

[0058] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, an assembly method of the bearing is also proposed, as shown in FIG. 6. In some embodiments, the assembly method may be used to assemble the bearings of the embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 1-5. In step SI, the bearing cap 1 is pushed into the hole defined by the blocking part 211 in the axial direction until the first segment 131 of the bearing cap 1abuts the stopper 213 of the bearing outer race in the axial direction. In step S2, a pressure in the axial direction toward the bearing cavity 23 is applied to the bearing cap 1, so that the outer lip segment 13 is deformed. A width W1 of the deformed outer lip segment 13 in the axial direction is reduced to be able to be accommodated within the sealing groove 212 of the bearing outer race, and a maximum outer diameter in the radial direction is enlarged to be press-fit with the bearing outer race 21. The assembly method is simple and fast, and is compatible with the construction of the bearing according to the present disclosure, while being able to guarantee good sealing properties between the bearing cap and the bearing body without causing large deformations of the bearing body.

[0059] It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described embodiments (and / or aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from its scope. The functions or performances of the various elements or modules described herein are for illustration only and are in no way limiting, but are merely exemplary embodiments. Many other embodiments and modifications within the spirit and scope of the claims will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the disclosure should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

[0060] In the appended claims, the terms "including" and "in which" are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms "comprising" and "wherein." Moreover, in the following claims, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.REFERENCE NUMERALS1 bearing cap11 inner lip segment110 base segment111 end segment12 connecting segment13 outer lip segment131 first segment132 second segment133 circular arc segment14 open slot2 bearing body21 bearing outer race211 blocking portion212 sealing groove213 stopper214 corner portion22 bearing inner race23 bearing cavity24 rolling body25 rolling body cageR radially outward directionW1 maximum width of the outer lip segment in the axial directionW2 maximum width of the inner lip segment in the axial directionW3 width of sealing grooveL distance between central axes of adjacent two open slots

Claims

CLAIMS1. A bearing cap comprising an inner lip segment having a base segment parallel to a radial direction of the bearing cap; an outer lip segment including a circular arc segment having a circular arc shape, a first segment and a second segment of which one end is adjacent to the circular arc segment and the other end is adjacent to the first segment; a connecting segment located between the inner lip segment and the outer lip segment, two ends of the connecting segment adjacent to the first segment and the base segment respectively; wherein the maximum width of the outer lip segment in a direction perpendicular to the plane in which the base segment lies is between 1.09 mm and 1.21 mm.

2. The bearing cap according to claim 1, wherein the bearing cap is a one-piece member.

3. The bearing cap according to claim 1, wherein the radius of the circular arc segment is 1.9 to 2.1 times a plate thickness of the bearing cap.

4. The bearing cap according to claim 1, wherein the minimum distance of the circular arc segment from the center axis of the bearing cap is less than the minimum distance of the first segment from the center axis of the bearing cap.

5. The bearing cap according to claim 1, wherein the inner lip segment of the bearing cap further includes an end segment extending from one end of the base segment in a direction non-parallel to the base segment, the end segment being located on the same side of the base segment as the connecting segment.

6. The bearing cap according to claim 1, whereinthe base segment of the inner lip segment and the connecting segment have an included angle between 120 ° and 140 °.

7. The bearing cap according to claim 1, wherein the maximum width of the inner lip segment in a direction perpendicular to the plane in which the base segment lies is from 2.4 to 2.6 times the plate thickness of the bearing cap.

8. The bearing cap according to claim 1, wherein the outer lip segment of the bearing cap comprises a plurality of open slots in at least a portion of the circular arc segment and at least a portion of the second segment, the number of the open slots being an odd number, a minimum distance between adjacent two of the plurality of open slots being in a range of 5-17 mm.

9. The bearing cap according to claim 8, wherein the number of open slots is equal to the nearest odd number of calculation result in millimeters of n * Do / 9, wherein Dois the outer diameter of the bearing cap.

10. The bearing cap according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a plate thickness of the bearing cap is in a range of 0.18 mm to 0.22 mm.

11. A bearing comprising a bearing body and a bearing cap, wherein the bearing cap is fitted with the bearing body such that a bearing cavity is formed between the bearing cap and the bearing body, the bearing body comprising a bearing inner race and a bearing outer race radially outward of the bearing inner race, the bearing outer race comprising: a blocking portion located at an end surface of the bearing outer race and extending toward a radially inward direction, a sealing groove adjacent to the blocking portion, located axially inside the blocking portion and opening in a radially inward direction, anda stopper adjacent to the sealing groove, located on a side of the sealing groove opposite to the blocking portion, a minimum diameter of the stopper being smaller than a minimum diameter of the blocking portion, wherein an inner diameter of the bearing inner race is 65 mm or less, and the bearing cap is a one-piece member having a plate thickness in a range of 0.18 mm to 0.22 mm, the bearing cap is assembled with the bearing body such that the inner lip segment fits with the bearing inner race of the bearing body, and the outer lip segment of the bearing cap is squeezed and deformed to be received within the sealing groove of the bearing outer race.

12. The bearing according to claim 11, the bearing cap comprising a plurality of open slots in at least a portion of the circular arc segment and at least a portion of the second segment, the number of the open slots being an odd number, the minimum distance between adjacent two of the plurality of open slots being in a range of 5-17 mm.

13. The bearing according to claim 11, which satisfiesDo< dt + A * d°9wherein Dois the outer diameter of the bearing outer race, dt is the inner diameter of the bearing inner race, and A is a proportionality factor and is in a range of 0.4 to 0.62.

14. A method of assembling a bearing comprising a bearing body and a bearing cap, wherein the bearing body comprises a bearing inner race and a bearing outer race radially outside the bearing inner race, the bearing outer race comprising: a blocking portion located at an end surface of the bearing outer race and extending toward a radially inward direction, a sealing groove adjacent to the blocking portion, located axially inside the blocking portion and opening in a radially inward direction, and a stopper adjacent to the sealing groove, located on a side of the sealing groove opposite to the blocking portion, a minimum diameter of the stopper being smaller than a minimum diameter of the blocking portion,the bearing cap comprises: an inner lip segment having a base segment; an outer lip segment including a circular arc segment having a circular arc shape, a first segment and a second segment of which one end is adjacent to the circular arc segment and the other end is adjacent to the first segment; a connecting segment located between the inner lip segment and the outer lip segment, two ends of the connecting segment adjacent to the first segment and the base segment respectively; and the assembly method comprises: pushing the bearing cap in an axial direction into a bore defined by the blocking portion until the first segment of the bearing cap abuts in an axial direction against a stopper of the bearing outer race, wherein a ratio of a width in an axial direction of the sealing groove to a width in an axial direction of the undeformed outer lip segment is in a range of 0.4-0.65; applying an axially inward pressure to the bearing cap such that the outer lip segment deforms, the deformed outer lip segment decreasing in width in an axial direction to be received within the sealing groove of the bearing outer race, and increasing in maximum outer diameter in a radial direction to be press-fit with the bearing outer race.

15. The assembly method according to claim 14, wherein: the ratio of the width in the axial direction of the sealing groove to the width in the axial direction of the undeformed outer lip segment is between 0.5 -0.6.

16. The assembly method according to claim 15, wherein: the undeformed outer lip segment is in transition fit with the blocking portion of the bearing outer race.

17. A bearing assembled according to the assembly method according to any one of claims 14-16.

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