Rolling bearing with a lubrication channel

Abstract

Rolling bearing (1) comprising an outer ring (2), an inner ring (3), at least one row of rolling elements (4) disposed between said rings (2, 3), the outer ring (2) comprising an outer surface (2a), an inner surface (2b) and two lateral faces (2c, 2d) axially delimiting the inner and outer surfaces (2a, 2b), said inner surface (2b) comprising an inner raceway (5) for said row of rolling elements (4). The outer ring (2) is provided with only one lubrication channel (7) extending through the thickness of the outer ring (2) and opening onto the inner surface (2b) of the outer ring (2).

Description

[0001] 1 202400114

[0002] Title: Rolling bearing with a lubrication channel

[0003] Technical field of the invention

[0004] The present invention relates to rolling bearings, in particular rolling bearings having an inner ring, an outer ring and one or more rows of rolling elements, for example balls. The rolling bearings may be, for example, those used in industrial electric motors or in motor vehicle gearboxes.

[0005] The invention also relates to the field of rolling bearing lubrication and especially for high-speed machines.

[0006] Prior art

[0007] Today, rolling bearings include axial lubrication mechanisms or radial lubrication mechanisms. Radial lubrication is in principle carried out via at least two lubrication channels machined in the outer ring of the rolling bearing. The two-channel lubrication system is a conventional design for oil-air lubrication.

[0008] However, for airless lubrification, two-channel lubrication results in a lack of precision regarding the quantity of lubricant injected into the rolling bearing. This solution is also expensive and requires many machining.

[0009] Summary of the invention

[0010] The object of the invention is a rolling bearing comprising an outer ring, an inner ring, at least one row of rolling elements disposed between said rings, the outer ring comprising an outer surface, an inner surface and two lateral faces axially delimiting the outer and inner surfaces, said inner surface comprising an inner raceway for said row of rolling elements.

[0011] According to a general feature, the outer ring is provided with only one lubrication channel extending through the thickness of the outer ring and opening onto the inner surface of the outer ring.

[0012] The design of the rolling bearing comprising a single lubrication channel reduces the manufacturing costs of said rolling bearing. It also allows better control of the quantity and timing of injection of lubricant into the rolling bearing.

[0013] In one embodiment, the lubrication channel opens onto the inner surface of the outer ring in a zone axially offset towards one of the lateral faces with respect to the inner raceway. 2 202400114

[0014] In another embodiment, the lubrication channel opens onto the inner raceway of inner surface of the outer ring.

[0015] In one embodiment, the lubrication channel extends purely radially.

[0016] In another embodiment, the lubrication channel extends obliquely.

[0017] In one embodiment, the rolling elements are balls.

[0018] Advantageously, in a radial plan, the lubrication channel opens onto the inner raceway of inner surface of the outer ring in a zone axially offset towards one of the lateral faces with respect to the zone of contact of the considered ball with the inner raceway.

[0019] In one embodiment, the rolling bearing comprises an annular lubricant groove connected to the lubrication channel.

[0020] The annular lubricant groove firstly prevents lubricant leaks. Then it is filled with lubricant during operation of the rolling bearing so that a lubricant injection system into the rolling bearing does not need to be perfectly aligned with the through hole of the lubrication channel at of the outer surface of the outer ring.

[0021] The annular lubricant groove may be machined on the outer surface of the outer ring. Alternatively, the rolling bearing may be deprived of annular lubricant groove. In this case, the housing intended to receive the rolling bearing may be provided with the annular lubricant groove connected to the lubrication channel.

[0022] Advantageously, the lubrication channel opens onto the annular lubricant groove of the outer surface of the outer ring.

[0023] Brief description of the drawings

[0024] The present invention and its advantages will be better understood by studying the detailed description of specific embodiments given by way of nonlimiting examples and illustrated by the appended drawings on which:

[0025] [Fig 1] is an axial half-section of a rolling bearing according to a first example of the invention,

[0026] [Fig 2] is an axial half-section of a rolling bearing according to a second example of the invention, and

[0027] [Fig 3] is an axial half-section of a rolling bearing according to a third example of the invention. 3 202400114

[0028] Detailed description of the invention

[0029] In Figures 1, 2 and 3, a rolling bearing is illustrated, designated by the numerical reference 1, destined to be arranged in a housing and comprising an outer ring 2, an inner ring 3 and a row of rolling elements 4 disposed between said rings 2, 3. The outer ring 2 comprises an outer surface 2a, an inner bore or surface 2b radially opposite to the outer surface 2a and two lateral faces 2c, 2d axially delimiting the outer and inner surfaces 2a, 2b of the outer ring 2. The inner surface 2b of the outer ring 2 comprises a raceway 5 for rolling elements 4.

[0030] In this embodiment, the rolling elements 4 are balls 4. Alternatively, the rolling elements 4 may be rollers. In another variant, the rolling bearing 1 may comprise at least two rows of rolling elements 4.

[0031] In the illustrated examples, the rolling bearing 1 further comprises a cage R. arranged radially between the rings 2, 3 to maintain a regular circumferential spacing between the balls 4 and arranged axially on either side of the balls 4. A contact zone 6 is located between the balls 4 and the raceway 5, represented in the figures by a substantially axial ellipse.

[0032] The outer ring 2 further comprises a lubrication channel 7 which extends through the thickness of the outer ring 2 and opens onto the inner surface 2b of the outer ring 2. The lubrication channel 7 opens either into an offset zone axially to the raceway 5 as shown in the embodiments illustrated on Figures 1 and 3 or directly on the raceway 5 of the inner surface 2b of the outer ring 2 as shown in the embodiment illustrated on Figure 2.

[0033] Considering a radial plan, when the lubrication channel 7 opens onto the raceway 5, it preferably opens into a zone offset axially towards one of the lateral faces 2c, 2d of the outer ring 2 considering the contact zone 6 of the balls 4 with said raceway 5.

[0034] The outer surface 2a of the outer ring 2 further comprises an annular lubricant groove 8 which allows to prevent lubricant leaks into the rolling bearing 1 and to provide an extension to the lubrication channel 7. The lubrication channel 7 opens onto the annular lubricant groove 8 of the outer surface 2a. In 4 202400114 another embodiment not illustrated in the figures, the annular lubricant groove 8 is directly machining on the housing.

[0035] Moreover, the rolling bearing 1 can be provided with two O-rings to prevent lubricant leakage between the rolling bearing 1 and the housing. The O-rings can be inserted into grooves formed on the outer surface 2a of the outer ring 2 or can be interposed between the rolling bearing and the housing, directly placed on the outer surface 2a of the outer ring 2. In addition to prevent oil leakage, the annular lubricant groove 8 serves as part of the oil channel. During the rolling bearing operation, when it is moving, the annular lubricant groove 8 is filled with oil so the lubricant injection tube of a lubricant injection system does not need to align precisely with the lubrication channel 7. This design makes the rolling bearing 1 mounting easier.

[0036] According to the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, the lubrication channel 7 extends radially through the outer ring 2 from the annular lubricant groove 8 and opens into a zone offset axially from the raceway 5 of the inner surface 2b of the outer ring 2.

[0037] According to the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, the lubrication channel 7 extends radially through the outer ring 2 from the annular lubricant groove 8 and opens onto the raceway 5 of the inner surface 2b of the outer ring 2.

[0038] According to the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, the lubrication channel 7 extends obliquely through the outer ring 2 from the annular lubricant groove 8 and opens onto the cage R located axially on the left of the ball 4. The lubrication channel 7 may include an inclination p depending on the angle between the opening of the lubrication channel 7 on the outer surface 2a and the opening of the lubrication channel 7 on the inner surface 2b.

[0039] Generally, the lubrication channel 7 extends radially or obliquely through the outer ring 2 from the annular lubricant groove 8 and opens onto the inner surface 2b of the outer ring 2 in an outlet zone located between radial planes passing through the ends of the cage R and radial planes passing through the ends of the contact zone 6 of the balls 4 with the raceway 5. The outlet zone is therefore located between a radial plane PRa passing through a first end Ra of the cage R and a radial plane P6a passing through a first end 6a of the contact 5 202400114 zone 6 and between a radial plane PRb passing through a second end Rb of the cage R and a radial plane P6b passing through a second end 6b of the contact zone 6. The inclination p in Figure 3 is included in an interval which depends on the opening of the lubrication channel 7 on the inner surface 2b, between the radial plane PRa and the end of the raceway 5 between the radial planes PRa, P6a.

[0040] Lubrication of rolling bearing 1 is ideally carried out via a compressed air- free lubricant injection system which injects lubricant reducing lubricant mist emissions due to the dispersion of lubricant droplets into the air around the rolling bearing 1. The lubricant injection system includes a lubricant supply member, a fluid control component and a lubricant injection tube. The lubricant supply member may be a reservoir, a standalone reservoir, or a pressurized lubricant line. The fluid control component may be a piston mechanism including a smaller diameter than standard design of piston mechanism in lubricant injection systems, providing high precision in lubricant injection and allowing control of the volume of lubricant injected. The lubricant injection tube extends in the radial continuity of the lubrication channel 7 and makes it possible to precisely supply the lubricant into the rolling bearing 1.

[0041] In compressed air lubrication systems, there is always dirt in the air which can damage the surfaces of the parts. A lubricant injection system without compressed air has several advantages and in particular makes it possible to increase the lifespan of the parts of the rolling bearing 1, to reduce the costs and energy spent in the design of the lubricant and in the design of the outer ring 2 of the rolling bearing 1, and also makes it possible to reduce the noise produced by the interactions of the components with each other.

[0042] The lubricant injection tube of the lubricant injection system opens into the lubricant groove 8 of the outer ring 2. In addition, the lubricant groove 8 being an extension of the lubrication channel 7, said lubrication channel 7 does not need to be perfectly aligned with the lubricant injection tube of the lubricant injection system.

[0043] The rolling bearing 1 comprising a lubrication channel 7 as described in the embodiments makes it possible to reduce the manufacturing costs of said 6 202400114 rolling bearing 1 and to better control the quantity and timing of injection of lubricant into the rolling bearing 1.

[0044] The rolling bearing 1 illustrated in figures 1, 2 and 3 is provided with seal grooves on the ends of the inner surface 2b of the outer ring 2. The rolling bearing may be deprived of seal grooves.

Claims

7 202400114Claims1. Rolling bearing (1) comprising an outer ring (2), an inner ring (3), at least one row of rolling elements (4) disposed between said rings (2, 3), the outer ring (2) comprising an outer surface (2a), an inner surface (2b) and two lateral faces (2c, 2d) axially delimiting the outer and inner surfaces (2a, 2b), said inner surface (2b) comprising an inner raceway (5) for said row of rolling elements (4), characterized in that the outer ring (2) is provided with only one lubrication channel (7) extending through the thickness of the outer ring (2) and opening onto the inner surface (2b) of the outer ring (2).

2. Rolling bearing (1) according to claim 1, wherein the lubrication channel (7) opens onto the inner surface (2b) of the outer ring (2) in a zone axially offset towards one of the lateral faces (2c, 2d) with respect to the inner raceway (5).

3. Rolling bearing (1) according to claim 1, wherein the lubrication channel (7) opens onto the inner raceway (5) of inner surface (2b) of the outer ring (2).

4. Rolling bearing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lubrication channel (7) extends purely radially.

5. Rolling bearing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lubrication channel (7) extends obliquely.

6. Rolling bearing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the rolling elements (4) are balls.

7. Rolling bearing (1) according to claim 6 dependent to claim 3, wherein, in a radial plan, the lubrication channel (7) opens onto the inner raceway (5) of inner surface (2b) of the outer ring (2) in a zone axially offset towards one of the lateral faces (2c, 2d) with respect to the zone of contact (6) of the considered ball with the inner raceway (5).

8. Rolling bearing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprises an annular lubricant groove (8) connected to the lubrication channel (7).

9. Rolling bearing (1) according to claim 8, wherein the annular lubricant groove (8) is machining in the outer surface (2a) of the outer ring (2).8 20240011410. Rolling bearing (1) according to any one of claims 8 and 9, wherein the lubrication channel (7) opens onto the annular lubricant groove (8) of the outer surface (2a) of the outer ring (2).

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