Ball Bearing Cage With Axial Ball Pockets for Precise High-Speed Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed ball bearings with plastic snap cages face inaccuracies due to injection molding, leading to performance losses, as the radially introduced ball pockets require movable slides causing uneven shrinkage and webbed formation, which are not present in stamped steel cages.
Innovation Solution
A ball bearing cage design with axially projecting webs forming one-sided ball pockets, where the web length corresponds to the ball diameter plus an overhang, allowing shoulder-guided mounting for precise alignment and eliminating the need for snap mechanisms, enabling a simpler tool concept and improved accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If plastic snap cages are manufactured by injection molding with radially inserted ball pockets using movable slides, then the cages can be produced without machining, but this causes uneven shrinkage and webbing formation leading to significant inaccuracies
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the orientation of ball pocket insertion from radial to axial direction. The axial insertion direction allows the use of simple, stationary injection mold components instead of complex movable slides, eliminating the root cause of uneven shrinkage and webbing while maintaining manufacturing simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates the problematic movable slide mechanism from the injection mold. By removing this complex component and replacing it with a simpler axial insertion approach, the source of manufacturing inaccuracies is removed while the ease of manufacture is preserved
2Strength
If conventional snap cages use a snap mechanism with radially inserted ball pockets, then the cage structure is reinforced, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex and less accurate
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the ball pocket insertion direction from radial to axial, the invention simplifies the injection mold structure while maintaining cage strength through alternative design features that do not require complex movable components
3Loss of energy
If high-speed ball bearings use plastic snap cages with conventional design, then low frictional torque is achieved, but performance losses occur due to manufacturing inaccuracies
Solution Approach 1:
The axial insertion direction eliminates manufacturing inaccuracies that compromise performance consistency, while the resulting cage design maintains the low frictional torque characteristics essential for high-speed bearing operation
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a ball bearing cage, and to a ball bearing having such a ball bearing cage. The invention relates to a ball bearing cage (2), comprising a radially encircling, annular body (4), on which in the circumferential direction (6), substantially evenly distributed, axially (14) projecting webs (18) having a predefinable axial length (16) are arranged, which form a plurality of axially (14) open ball pockets (8) on one side for accommodating a corresponding number of balls (10) having a predefinable ball diameter (12). At least for one web (18), a guide section (24) is formed to bring same into an engagement with a running groove (46, 48) of a ball bearing ring (42, 44). The axial length (16) of the webs (18) corresponds to at least the ball diameter (12).