Bearing assembly for a drive component of an electric drive mechanism

Abstract

The invention relates to a bearing assembly for a drive component of an electric drive mechanism, in particular for an electric motor or a transmission, comprising a bearing-accommodating part and a bearing seat which is formed in the bearing-accommodating part and which can contain a drive-component bearing for the rotatable mounting of a drive-component shaft, a radial bearing receptacle of the bearing seat having multiple radially projecting deformable portions which bear against the bearing located in the bearing seat. A bore is provided adjoining each of the deformable portions in the bearing-accommodating part, the bores each having a wall between the bore and an inner wall of the bearing receptacle in the radial direction, and an expansion element having been pressed into each of the bores in order to make the walls between the bores and the inner wall of the bearing receptacle bulge and to form the radially projecting deformable portions. The invention further relates to a method for producing a corresponding bearing-accommodating part and to a drive component of an electric drive mechanism, in particular an electric motor or a transmission, comprising a housing, a shaft, a bearing and a bearing-accommodating part having such a bearing assembly.

Description

[0001] Bearing arrangement for a drive component of an electric drive

[0002] Description

[0003] The present invention relates to a bearing assembly for a drive component of an electric drive, in particular for an electric motor or a transmission, comprising a bearing receiving part and a bearing seat formed in the bearing receiving part, in which a bearing of the drive component can be arranged for the rotatable mounting of a shaft of the drive component, wherein a radial bearing receptacle of the bearing seat has a plurality of deformable sections projecting in the radial direction, which bear against the bearing arranged in the bearing seat. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for producing a corresponding bearing receiving part and to a drive component comprising a housing, a shaft, a bearing, and a bearing receiving part with such a bearing assembly.

[0004] For example, electric motors generally require a motor bearing for the rotatable support of a motor shaft and a rotor arranged thereon, which bearing is fixed in a bearing seat of a bearing receiving part. The bearing receiving part is usually connected to the motor housing or formed by the motor housing. DE 43 22 575 A1 shows a known bearing arrangement for small electric motors designed as external rotor motors, in which a motor bearing is fitted into a bearing receptacle of the stator for the rotatable support of a rotor, the bearing receptacle being formed on the one hand by three dimensionally stable holding sections distributed around the circumference and on the other hand by at least one section that is elastically deformable in the radial direction for frictional contact with the motor bearing.

[0005] The malleable materials used in the manufacture of components for electric drives, such as plastics and cast metals, require comparatively high manufacturing tolerances and exhibit dimensional changes with age or prolonged operation, for example, due to moisture absorption. In contrast, bearings, especially rolling bearings or ball bearings, require the most precise and consistent dimensions of the bearing support to enable a secure preloaded connection between the bearing and the bearing support, particularly through a press fit of the bearing in the bearing seat.

[0006] For simple drive components with injection-molded plastic housing parts, ensuring the required bearing seat accuracy in the bearing mount area requires relatively high levels of effort. The contour of the bearing bore often deviates from the required cylindrical contour, necessitating additional machining of the inner surfaces of the bearing bore to create a perfect and precise bearing seat for the bearing. While such additional machining processes to prevent eccentricity and misalignment of the bearing seat improve the service life of the respective drive components and reduce their running noise, they also lead to significantly higher manufacturing costs.

[0007] Due to the low strength and flow behavior of plastics, the use of a purely cylindrical bearing seat and a simple press fit of the bearing in the bearing housing is often insufficient to achieve a secure and permanent attachment of the bearing in the bearing housing. These properties of plastic prevent both secure press-in of the bearing and a permanent connection, as a plastic bearing seat changes over time and does not reliably hold the bearing. This can cause the bearing to slip in the bearing bore, move within it, or fall out completely.Even manufacturing a bearing support part with a large oversize bearing bore to adapt to the usual manufacturing tolerances during injection molding and the production-related deviations in the dimensions of the bearing seat and then gluing the bearing into the oversized bearing support does not result in a permanent connection between the bearing and the bearing support part, since conventional adhesives do not form a permanently secure bond with the plastics used.

[0008] The known use of bearing support parts made of aluminum, manufactured using a metal injection molding process, can indeed improve the press fit of bearings in appropriately designed bearing seats and their durability during operation, but such components also have a relatively low strength, so that they deform significantly when screwing or pressing in the bearing and can then no longer provide the necessary accuracy for use as a bearing support.

[0009] From the publication DE 43 22 575 A1, a generic bearing arrangement for external rotor electric motors is known, wherein a motor bearing seated in a bearing mount is provided for the rotatable mounting of a rotor. The bearing mount consists, on the one hand, of three dimensionally stable holding sections distributed around the circumference, by means of which the motor bearing is positioned in the bearing bore, and, on the other hand, of at least one section that is elastically deformable in the radial direction and holds the motor bearing in position by means of a force-fitting contact. Bores are provided in the area of ​​the dimensionally stable sections in order to fasten the bearing mount part to the stator by means of screw connections. The elastically deformable sections are curved inwards in the radial direction before the motor bearing is fitted and are pressed outwards when the motor bearing is installed.The publication DE 10 2011 1 13029 A1 also describes an electric motor with an improved bearing arrangement in a plastic bearing part, in which the motor mount is secured in the bearing seat by several spring elements arranged around the circumference of the bearing seat. After the motor mount is fitted into the bearing bore, the spring arms are pushed radially outward, thus creating a preload against the motor mount.

[0010] Furthermore, JP 2008 138779 A discloses a shaft support device and a preloading method for a cylindrical roller bearing. A cylindrical roller bearing is secured between a shaft and a shaft housing using a preloading method. An additional element is pressed into recesses in an inner diameter surface of the shaft housing and an outer diameter surface of an outer ring of the cylindrical roller bearing, which are opposite one another. This additional element presses the outer ring of the bearing inward. A disadvantage of this is that the deformation of the outer ring impairs the running surface of the rolling elements in the bearing. In addition, the friction during pressing in of the element can damage the surface of the outer ring.

[0011] The present invention is therefore based on the object of providing a bearing arrangement for a drive component which enables a reliable connection of a bearing in a bearing receiving part in order to realize an exact, stable and as consistent as possible arrangement of the bearing.

[0012] This object is achieved in a generic bearing arrangement in that a bore is provided in the bearing receiving part adjacent to the deformable sections, wherein the bores each have a wall in the radial direction between the bore and an inner wall of the bearing receiving part, and wherein an expansion element is pressed into each of the bores in order to bulge the walls between the bores and the inner wall of the bearing receiving part and to form the deformable sections protruding in the radial direction. In the assembled state, the deformable sections bear against the bearing in a press fit and enable a stable, consistent connection to the bearing seat. The press fit generates the necessary preload for permanently fixing the bearing in the bearing seat and enables centering of the bearing in accordance with the number and arrangement of the deformable sections protruding in the radial direction.The radial bearing recess formed by the bearing seat extends at a distance around the shaft of the drive component and is sufficiently high in the axial direction, i.e. in the direction of the shaft's axis of rotation, to accommodate the bearing. The expansion elements pressed into the bores are essentially non-deformable in order to enable a corresponding bulging of the wall between the bores and the inner wall of the bearing seat. Since the bearing recess is made of a relatively soft and deformable material, in particular plastic, the pressing in of the expansion elements essentially only bulges the wall of the bearing bore in the direction of the bearing seat, with the outer ring of a bearing inserted into the bearing recess remaining practically undeformed. This means that the running surface of the rolling elements in the bearing is not deformed and the bearing runs without any impairment of the running surface even when pressed in.Furthermore, when the expansion elements are pressed into the bore, no friction occurs between the expansion element and the surface of the bearing outer ring. This eliminates the risk of damage to the surface of the bearing outer ring. The bearing receiving part can be a separate component or part of the housing of the drive component. The deformable sections formed by the expansion elements in the bearing seat of the bearing receiving part are deformed when the bearing is pressed in and can therefore hold the pressed-in bearing snugly even during later operation, reliably preventing the bearing from slipping or rotating. It is also possible to first insert the bearing into the bearing seat and then press the expansion elements into the bores. Depending on the elasticity of the bearing receiving part compared to the bearing outer ring, there is a lower risk of damage to the surface of the bearing outer ring.The deformation of the inner wall of the bearing housing only exerts pressure on the bearing outer ring, which is made of a harder material than the bearing housing. This enables the provision of a cost-effective bearing assembly for a drive component of an electric drive, particularly for an electric motor or transmission, with a reliable connection for the drive component's bearing.

[0013] A preferred embodiment provides that an intermediate region is provided between each two deformable sections, which has a clearance relative to a bearing that can be arranged in the bearing seat, so that the bearing seat forms a polygonal bearing receptacle. These intermediate regions, which are essentially free of contact with the bearing in the assembled state, together with the deformable sections projecting in the radial direction, form an oscillating contour of the bearing seat with relatively short deformable sections projecting in the radial direction. Such a polygonal bearing receptacle enables easy pressing of the bearing and secure molding of the deformable sections to the outer circumference of the bearing.

[0014] A suitable design provides for the radially protruding deformable sections to be evenly distributed around the circumference of the radial bearing mount, with at least three radially protruding deformable sections preferably being provided. The even distribution of the radially protruding deformable sections facilitates the assembly of the bearing and its centering in the radial bearing mount. Furthermore, the use of at least three radially protruding deformable sections facilitates a uniform, snug fit of the sections against a pressed-in bearing.

[0015] Advantageously, the bores in the bearing support part can extend axially parallel to the shaft's axis of rotation. The bearing, which can be arranged in the bearing seat of the bearing support part, serves to rotatably support the shaft of the drive component about its axis of rotation and thus defines an axial direction of the bearing arrangement, in which the bores preferably extend. Accordingly, a radial direction of the bearing arrangement extends perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The axially parallel design of the bores in the bearing support part to the shaft's axis of rotation enables a uniform bulge of the deformable sections projecting in the radial direction and thus also a secure press fit of a bearing held by the projecting deformable sections.

[0016] A useful modification of the bearing assembly provides that the wall thickness of the wall between the bores in the bearing support part and the inner wall of the bearing support, or the original cylindrical bearing bore, is smaller than the diameter of the bore, preferably smaller than the bore radius. This enables the formation of sufficiently radially protruding deformable sections. At the same time, sufficient wall thickness relative to the inner wall of the bearing bore can prevent crack formation and minimize the probability of failure. The selected wall thickness depends not only on the difference between the radially protruding deformable sections and the respective intermediate regions of the bearing seat, but also on the Young's modulus of the material of the bearing assembly.

[0017] For simplification purposes, the expansion elements pressed into the bores can be designed as cylindrical pins. This allows for a uniform bulging of the wall between the bores and the bearing bore, particularly in relation to the other deformable sections protruding in the radial direction. Such essentially non-deformable cylindrical pins are usually available as standard parts and can therefore be provided cost-effectively.

[0018] To ensure secure shaping of the deformable sections protruding in the radial direction, the expansion elements can have a diameter oversize of at least 5%, preferably at least 10%, relative to the bores in the bearing support. This allows for uniform expansion of the bores and, at the same time, sufficient bulging of the radially protruding sections, enabling a permanently secure press fit of a pressed-in bearing despite simple production with low scrap.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the expansion elements are essentially non-deformable and consist of a harder material than the bearing support part. The expansion elements can be made of aluminum, steel or an aluminum or steel alloy. The non-deformability refers to the radial expansion of the expansion element and its mechanical resistance to external deformation forces. Depending on the excess diameter compared to the bore, the expansion elements should be made of a material that is at least as hard as, and preferably significantly harder than, the bearing support part. This means that when the expansion element is inserted into the bore, the bore is expanded and the expansion element is not crushed. Aluminum, steel or metal alloys are generally suitable for expanding plastics.If the bearing support part is made of steel, for example, then the expansion elements must be made of an even harder material or have a significantly larger diameter than the bore.

[0020] In a further preferred embodiment, the bearing support part is made of a material that is readily plastically deformable or ductile, in particular plastic, aluminum, or an aluminum or steel alloy. Various plastics are suitable as bearing support parts. Plastics that are readily deformable and not brittle or have a low plastic deformability are particularly suitable. Metals such as aluminum or steel alloys can also be plastically deformed to a comparatively high degree before they break due to the deformation. Due to their plastic deformability, such metals are well suited as bearing support parts.

[0021] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a drive component of an electric drive, in particular an electric motor or a gearbox, comprising a housing, a shaft, a bearing for rotatably supporting the shaft, and a bearing receiving part as described above with a bearing arrangement, wherein the bearing is arranged in a bearing seat of the bearing arrangement. The bearing receiving part can be a separate component fastened to the housing or a component that is rotationally connected to the housing, or it can be formed as part of the housing. The deformable sections projecting in the radial direction bear against the bearing in a press fit, wherein the intermediate regions provided between two deformable projecting sections have a play, preferably a gap, relative to the bearing.This enables a tight press fit of the bearing, whereby in such a polygonal bearing mount, only the protruding deformable sections between the preload-free or contact-free intermediate areas rest against the bearing, thus reliably preventing slippage or movement of the bearing. At the same time, the provision of several, preferably at least three, radially protruding deformable sections in conjunction with the preload-free or contact-free intermediate areas enables precise centering of the bearing in the bearing seat.

[0022] Advantageously, the bearing of the drive component can be designed as a rolling bearing, preferably as a ball bearing, wherein the bearing in particular comprises an outer bearing shell arranged with a press fit in the bearing seat, a plurality of rolling elements, and an inner bearing shell arranged with a press fit on the shaft. Rolling bearings and ball bearings, with a conventional bearing structure consisting of a bearing shell, rolling elements, and inner bearing shell, enable good, low-friction, and durable support of the shaft. Furthermore, rolling bearings and ball bearings are standardized components that can be supplied inexpensively in good quality.

[0023] One embodiment provides that the bearing seat in the bearing receiving part has a radially extending stop step against which the outer shell of the bearing rests in the axial direction. The outer bearing shell protrudes radially from the radial bearing receptacle of the bearing seat in the direction of the shaft to enable secure axial arrangement and permanent positioning of the bearing in the bearing receiving part.

[0024] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for producing a bearing receiving part for a drive component of an electric drive, in particular for one of the previously described drive components, preferably with one of the bearing arrangements described above, comprising the steps of: providing a bearing receiving part with a cylindrical bearing bore for arranging a bearing and with bores arranged on the circumference of the bearing bore at a distance from the bearing bore; wherein the bores each have a wall in the radial direction between the bore and the inner wall of the cylindrical bearing bore; pressing in expansion elements, in particular cylindrical pins,into the bores arranged around the circumference of the bearing bore; bulging the walls between the bores and the inner wall of the cylindrical bearing bore, and forming the radially projecting deformable sections of a radial bearing seat for receiving the bearing in the bearing bore of the bearing seat part by pressing in the expansion elements. This process enables the production of a cost-effective bearing seat part for a drive component with a secure bearing arrangement for a bearing, whereby the bearing can be pressed snugly into the bearing seat and is held there permanently and slip-proof by the radially projecting deformable sections. The expansion elements can be inserted before inserting the bearing into the bearing seat,are pressed into the bores. This creates the protruding, deformable sections on the bearing seat before the bearing is pressed into the bearing mount. It is also possible to first insert the bearing into the bearing mount and then press the expansion elements into the bores, whereby the resulting protruding, deformed sections hold the bearing in the bearing seat.

[0025] Non-limiting embodiments of the present invention are explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary drawings. In the drawings:

[0026] Figure 1 : a sectional view through the bearing area of ​​a drive component,

[0027] Figure 2: a plan view of the bearing seat of the bearing receiving part of the drive component from Figure 1 before the expansion pins are pressed in;

[0028] Figure 3: a perspective view of the bearing seat of Figure 2; and

[0029] Figure 4: a perspective view of the bearing seat from Figure 3 after pressing in the expansion pins.

[0030] The sectional view in Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section through a bearing area of ​​a drive component 1 of an electric drive, for example an electric motor or a gearbox, along the axial axis of rotation A of the shaft 2. The shaft 2 is rotatably mounted in a bearing receiving part 4 by means of a bearing 3. Beyond the bearing 3, the shaft 2 has a tapered shaft end 5 which extends below the bearing 3 through a shaft opening 6 in the bearing receiving part 4. On the area of ​​the shaft 2 extending above the bearing 3, a rotor element 7 is provided which is connected to the shaft 2. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the bearing 3 is designed as a ball bearing 8 with an inner bearing shell 9 which is pressed onto the shaft 2, a plurality of bearing balls 10 and an outer bearing shell 11 which is arranged in a press fit in the bearing seat 12 of the bearing receiving part 4.

[0031] The bearing seat 12 for the bearing 3 is formed in a cylindrical bearing bore 13 of the bearing receiving part 4 and, in addition to a radial bearing receptacle 14, also has an axial stop step 15 that extends radially inward from the inner wall 16 of the cylindrical bearing bore 13 in the direction of the axial axis of rotation A and forms a support for the outer bearing shell 11 of the ball bearing 8. The radial bearing receptacle 14 of the bearing seat 12 has several deformable sections 17 that protrude in the radial direction and are evenly distributed around the circumference of the cylindrical bearing bore 13 and accommodate the bearing 3 in a press fit. The protruding deformable sections 17 bear against the outer bearing shell 11 of the ball bearing 8 used here with a preload and enable a stable, essentially consistent positioning of the bearing 3 in the bearing receiving part 4.

[0032] To form the deformable sections 17 projecting radially into the cylindrical bearing bore 13, a plurality of bores 18 are provided at a relatively small distance from the inner wall 16 of the cylindrical bearing bore 13, each of which is provided with an expansion element 19. The bores 18 each have a wall of a certain thickness in the radial direction between the bore 18 and the inner wall 16 of the bearing receptacle 14, wherein the expansion element 19 pressed into the bores 18 bulges the wall, i.e. the wall of a certain thickness, between the bores 18 and the bearing receptacle 14, in order to form the deformable sections 17 projecting radially into the cylindrical bearing bore 13.As can be clearly seen in the plan view of the bearing seat 12 of the bearing receiving part 4 in Figure 2, the bores 18 are evenly distributed around the circumference of the cylindrical bearing bore 13 in order to achieve the best possible centering of the bearing 3 and thus also of the shaft 2 relative to the bearing receiving part 4. In the plan view, in addition to the shaft end 5 of the shaft 2 and the shaft opening 6, the cylindrical bearing bore 13 and the axial stop step 15 in the cylindrical bearing bore 13 can also be seen. The cylindrical bearing bore 13 has a circumferential chamfer 20 on the inner wall 16 opposite the surface of the bearing receiving part 4, which chamfer facilitates the pressing of the bearing 3 into the radial bearing seat 14 during assembly.

[0033] The radially protruding deformable sections 17 of the bearing seat 12 are formed by the non-deformable expansion elements 19 pressed into the bores 18, which are pressed into them with a relatively large oversize of at least 5%, preferably at least 10%, compared to the diameter of the bores 18. By pressing in the expansion elements 19, the wall 21 of the bearing receiving part 4 expands in the radial direction between the bore 18 and the inner wall 16 of the cylindrical bearing bore 13, so that the radially protruding deformable sections 17 of the radial bearing receiving part 14 form the bearing seat 12. For this purpose, the bearing receiving part 4 is made of a deformable or ductile material, in particular of plastic, aluminum or an aluminum or steel alloy, wherein the material of the bearing receiving part enables the wall 21 to expand in the direction of the cylindrical bearing bore 13.Cylindrical pins are preferably used as expansion elements 19, which can be provided inexpensively as standard parts in the required dimensions. The expansion elements 19 are preferably made of aluminum, steel or an aluminum or steel alloy and have a greater hardness than the material of the bearing receiving part 14. The length of the expansion elements 19 is shorter than the depth of the bores 18 designed as blind holes, so that the pressed-in expansion elements 19 do not protrude from the surface of the bearing receiving part 4. As can be seen in Figure 2, circumferential bore chamfers 22 are provided at the open ends of the bores 18 to make it easy to press in the expansion elements 19, which chamfers enable the expansion elements 19 to be inserted into the bores 18 despite the large oversize of the expansion elements 19.In contrast to the sectional view in Figure 1, the bearing support part 4 in Figure 2 shows the bores 18 without the pressed-in expansion elements 19 and thus also without deformable sections 17 projecting in the radial direction.

[0034] By pressing the expansion elements 19 into the wall of the bearing bore 13, the wall between the bore 18 and the inner wall 16 is bulged toward the bearing seat 12, whereby the outer bearing shell 11 of the ball bearing 8 remains virtually undeformed. Thus, the running surface of the bearing balls 10 in the outer bearing shell 11 of the ball bearing 8 is also not deformed, and the ball bearing 8 runs without impairment even when pressed in. Furthermore, if the ball bearing 8 is already inserted into the bearing shell 11, no friction occurs between the expansion elements 19 and the outer bearing shell 11 of the ball bearing 8 when the expansion elements 19 are pressed into the bore 18, thereby preventing damage to the surface of the outer bearing shell 11.

[0035] Between the deformable sections 17 protruding in the radial direction, intermediate regions 23 are provided in the radial bearing receptacle 14, which have the original radius of the cylindrical bearing bore 13 with respect to the axis of rotation A, since these intermediate regions 23 are not deformed by the pressing of the expansion elements 19 into the bores 18, see Figure 1. In contrast to the radially protruding sections 17, these intermediate regions 23, in an assembled state with a bearing 3 resting in a press fit against the radially protruding sections 17, have a play relative to the outer bearing shell 11. The play between the outer bearing shell 11 of the bearing 3 and the inner wall 16 of the radial bearing receptacle 14 can comprise both contact-free positioning with a gap between the outer bearing shell 11 and the inner wall 16 and also preload-free contact of the outer bearing shell 11 against the inner wall 16.

[0036] The manufacture of a bearing arrangement according to the invention for a drive component 1 is explained below using the bearing receiving part 4 shown in Figures 3 and 4. First, the bearing receiving part 4 is provided as a separate component or as part of the housing of the drive component 1. The bearing receiving part 4 or the housing of the drive component 1 is made of a deformable material, for example plastic or an aluminum alloy, and is usually manufactured using an injection molding or die-casting process. An initially cylindrical bearing bore 13 is provided in the bearing receiving part 4, which has a circumferential chamfer 20 at the edge adjacent to the surface of the bearing receiving part 4 in order to allow better centering and easier pressing in of the bearing 3 during final assembly.At the bottom of the cylindrical bearing bore 13, a shaft opening 6 is provided centrally through which the shaft 2 of the drive component 1 is guided outwards in the assembled state. Adjacent to the inner wall 16 of the cylindrical bearing bore 13, the axial stop step 15 can be seen on the bottom, against which the bearing 3 or the outer bearing shell 11 of a ball bearing 8 rests in the assembled state. On the circumference of the cylindrical bearing bore 13, at a short distance from the inner wall 16, three bores 18 designed as blind holes with bore chamfers 22 are provided evenly distributed on the surface of the bearing receiving part 4.During the manufacture of the radial bearing support 14, a spreading element 19 is pressed into each of these bores 18, wherein the spreading elements 19 are preferably designed as cylindrical pins with regard to the cylindrical bores 18, which are completely received in the bores 18 and thus do not protrude from the surface of the bearing support part 4.

[0037] Figure 4 shows the bearing support part 4 after the expansion elements 19 have been pressed into the bores 18 at the edge of the cylindrical bearing support 13. As a result of the expansion elements 19 being pressed in, the wall 21 between the bores 18 and the inner wall 16 of the cylindrical bearing bore 13 bulges in the direction of the axis of rotation A and thus forms the radially projecting deformable sections 17 of the radial bearing support 14. Between the radially projecting deformable sections 17, intermediate regions 23 can be seen in which the inner wall 16 of the cylindrical bearing bore 13 has not deformed. As can be clearly seen in Figure 4, the deformable sections 17 protrude radially inward essentially over the entire axial height of the inner wall 16.

[0038] When a bearing 3 is pressed into the bearing seat 12 of the bearing receiving part 4, the radially protruding sections 17 of the radial bearing seat 14 are deformed, while the bearing 3 slides into the intermediate regions 23 without preload. The three radially protruding deformable sections 17 evenly distributed around the circumference center the bearing 3 in the cylindrical bearing bore 13. The chamfer 20 provided on the surface of the bearing receiving part 4 around the cylindrical bearing bore 13 facilitates the guidance and reception of the bearing 3 when it is pressed into the bearing seat 12. The bearing 3 is pushed into the radial bearing seat 14 against the preload of the radially protruding deformable sections 17 until the bearing 3 rests against the axial outer bearing shell 15.In the area of ​​the radially protruding sections 17, the pressed-in bearing 3 is held firmly in place, since the sections 17, which protrude significantly radially relative to the inner wall 16 of the cylindrical bearing bore 13, apply a relatively high preload to the outer bearing shell 11 of the bearing 3. The polygonal design of the bearing seat 12 by the radially protruding deformable sections 17 and intermediate regions 23 arranged alternately in the cylindrical bearing bore 13 can reliably prevent slipping or movement of the bearing 3 in the cylindrical bearing bore 13 during operation.

[0039] It is also possible to first insert the bearing 3 into the bearing seat 12 of the bearing support part 4 and then press the expansion elements 19 into the bores 18. Depending on the elasticity of the bearing support part 4 relative to the outer bearing shell 11, there is a lower risk of damaging the surface of the outer bearing shell 11. The deformation of the wall between the bores 18 and the bearing support 14 only exerts pressure on the surface of the outer bearing shell 11, which is made of a harder material than the bearing support part 4.

[0040] The inventive design of a bearing arrangement for a drive component 1 enables the cost-effective provision of a bearing receiving part 4 and the secure connection of the bearing 3 to the bearing receiving part 4. The cylindrical bearing bore 13 and the additional bores 18 for the expansion elements 19 can be formed simply and inexpensively during the manufacture of the bearing receiving part 4. At the same time, no particularly stringent requirements are placed on the tolerances for the cylindrical bearing bore 13 and the additional bores 18, since the arrangement of the bearing 3 in the bearing seat 12 is determined by the deformation of the radially projecting sections 17 and is centered between them. The expansion elements 19 can also be designed as simple cylindrical pins and provided cost-effectively as standard parts for production.Furthermore, to form the radial bearing support 14, the expansion elements 19 are simply pressed flush with the surface of the bearing support part 4 or countersunk into the bores 18. The polygonal design of the bearing seat 12 enables uniform fixation of the bearing 3 by means of a high preload via the radially projecting, deformable sections 17 distributed in the cylindrical bearing bore 13. The dispersion of the contact pressure of the radial bearing support 14 on the bearing 3 is significantly lower than with conventional manufacturing methods, thereby reducing scrap during the manufacture of the bearing support parts 4 of drive components 1. List of reference symbols:

[0041] 1 antenna component

[0042] 2nd wave

[0043] 3 camps

[0044] 4 Bearing support part

[0045] 5 Shaft end

[0046] 6 shaft opening

[0047] 7 Rotor element

[0048] 8 ball bearings

[0049] 9 bottom bracket shell

[0050] 10 bearing balls

[0051] 11 Outer bearing shell

[0052] 12 bearing seat

[0053] 13 cylindrical bearing bore

[0054] 14 radial bearing mounts

[0055] 15 axial stop step

[0056] 16 inner wall

[0057] 17 protruding deformable sections

[0058] 18 holes

[0059] 19 Spreader element

[0060] 20 chamfer

[0061] 21 Wall

[0062] 22 bore chamfers

[0063] 23 intermediate areas

[0064] A axis of rotation

Claims

Claims 1 . A bearing arrangement for a drive component (1) of an electric drive, in particular for an electric motor or a transmission, comprising a bearing receiving part (4) and a bearing seat (12) formed in the bearing receiving part (4), in which a bearing (3) of the drive component can be arranged for rotatably supporting a shaft (2) of the drive component (1), wherein a radial bearing receiving part (14) of the bearing seat (12) has a plurality of deformable sections (17) projecting in the radial direction, which bear against the bearing (3) that can be arranged in the bearing seat (12), characterized in that a bore (18) is provided in the bearing receiving part (4) adjacent to the projecting deformable sections (17), wherein the bores (18) each have a wall (21) in the radial direction between the bore (18) and an inner wall (16) of the bearing receiving part (14), and wherein an expansion element (19) is pressed into each of the bores (18).to bulge the walls (21) between the bores (18) and the inner wall (16) of the bearing support (14) and to form the deformable sections (17) projecting in the radial direction.

2. The bearing arrangement for a drive component (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that between each two projecting deformable sections (17) there is provided an intermediate region which has a play with respect to a bearing (3) which can be arranged in the bearing seat (12), so that the bearing seat (12) forms a polygonal bearing receptacle.

3. The bearing arrangement for a drive component (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the deformable sections (17) projecting in the radial direction are arranged uniformly distributed on the circumference of the radial bearing holder (14), wherein preferably at least three deformable sections (17) projecting in the radial direction are provided.

4. The bearing arrangement for a drive component (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the bores (18) in the bearing receiving part (4) extend axially parallel to the axis of rotation A of the shaft (2).

5. The bearing arrangement for a drive component (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the wall thickness of the wall (21) between the bores (18) in the bearing receiving part (4) and the inner wall (16) of the bearing receiving part (14) is smaller than the bore diameter of the bore (18), preferably smaller than the bore radius of the bore (18).

6. The bearing arrangement for a drive component (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the expansion elements (19) pressed into the bores (18) are designed as cylindrical pins.

7. The bearing arrangement for a drive component (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the expansion elements (19) have an oversize diameter of at least 5%, preferably at least 10%, compared to the bores (18) in the bearing receiving part (4).

8. The bearing arrangement for a drive component (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the expansion elements (19) are essentially non-deformable and consist of a harder material than the bearing receiving part (4).

9. The bearing arrangement for a drive component (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the expansion elements (19) are made of aluminum, steel or an aluminum or steel alloy.

10. The bearing arrangement for a drive component (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the bearing receiving part (4) is made of a material which is easily plastically deformable, in particular of plastic, aluminum or an aluminum or steel alloy.

11. A drive component (1) of an electric drive, in particular an electric motor or a gear with a housing, a shaft (2), a bearing (3) for rotatably supporting the shaft (2) and a bearing receiving part (4) with a bearing arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the bearing (3) is arranged in a bearing seat (12) of the bearing arrangement, characterized in that the deformable sections (17) projecting in the radial direction bear against the bearing (3) in a press fit, and wherein the intermediate regions (23) provided between two projecting deformable sections (17) have a play with respect to the bearing (3).

12. The drive component (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that the bearing (3) is designed as a rolling bearing, preferably as a ball bearing (8), wherein the bearing (3) has an outer bearing shell (11) which is arranged with a press fit in the bearing seat (12), a plurality of rolling elements and an inner bearing shell (9) which is arranged with a press fit on the shaft (2).

13. The drive component (1) according to claim 12, characterized in that the bearing seat (12) in the bearing receiving part (4) has a radially extending stop step (15) against which the outer bearing shell (11) of the bearing (3) rests in the axial direction.

14. A method for producing a bearing support part (4) for a drive component of an electric drive, in particular an electric motor or a transmission (1), comprising the steps: Providing a bearing receiving part (4) with a cylindrical bearing bore (13) for arranging a bearing (3) and with at least three bores (18) arranged on the circumference of the bearing bore (13) at a distance from the bearing bore (13); wherein the bores (18) each have a wall (21) in the radial direction between the bore (18) and the inner wall (16) of the cylindrical bearing bore (13); Pressing expansion elements (19) into the bores (18) arranged on the circumference of the bearing bore (13); Arching the walls (21) between the bores (18) and the inner wall (16) of the cylindrical bearing bore (13) and forming the deformable sections (17) projecting in the radial direction of a radial bearing receptacle (14) for receiving the bearing (3) in the bearing bore (13) of the bearing receptacle part (4) by means of pressing in the spreading elements (19).

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