Tapered Roller Bearing Cage Segments With Concave Guide Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tapered roller bearings face challenges in supporting large mechanical loads, particularly in wind turbines, due to increased weight and the need for more stable cage arrangements, while maintaining low weight and cost-effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
The design features cage segments with conical rolling elements, opposing circumferential and connecting webs forming pockets, and concave guide surfaces that securely accommodate and guide rolling elements, ensuring captive fixing and easy assembly, while maintaining low weight and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the size of roller bearings is increased to handle larger mechanical loads, then the load-bearing capacity is improved, but the weight of the roller bodies increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cage is divided into multiple cage segments that are lined up on their end faces to form a complete cage. This segmentation allows the cage to be manufactured with less effort and reduces the overall weight while maintaining structural integrity for large roller bearings
2Force
If the weight of roller bodies increases to support larger loads, then the load-bearing capacity is improved, but the stability requirements for cage arrangements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting webs feature concavely shaped guide surfaces that are curved to match the geometry of the rolling elements. This curvature provides precise guidance and stable positioning of the rolling elements within the pockets, ensuring reliable cage arrangement stability under heavy loads
3Manufacturing precision
If cage segments are designed with complex structures to guide rolling elements precisely, then the guidance precision is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cage is segmented into multiple identical or similar cage segments that can be manufactured using the same process. Each segment contains simplified guiding features (concave guide surfaces on connecting webs) that, when assembled together, provide precise guidance for all rolling elements, reducing individual manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The guide surfaces are located specifically on the connecting webs at the circumferential ends, rather than throughout the entire cage structure. This localized approach provides necessary guidance precision only where needed, simplifying the overall manufacturing process
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a cage segment (7) of a tapered-roller bearing, having two circumferential webs (10), which are situated opposite one another and which extend in each case between a first circumferential end (13) and a second circumferential end (14) of the cage segment (7), and having at least two connecting webs (11) which are situated opposite one another and which connect the two circumferential webs (10) to one another and, together with the circumferential webs (10), form at least one pocket (12) for receiving a conical rolling body (6). The circumferential webs (10) and the connecting webs (11) have pocket sides which delimit the pocket (12). The circumferential webs (10) and the connecting webs (11) arranged in the region of the first circumferential end (13) and of the second circumferential end (14) have surroundings sides situated opposite the pocket sides. The connecting webs (11) arranged in the region of the first circumferential end (13) and of the second circumferential end (14) have, in each case on the pocket side thereof and on the circumferential side thereof, a concavely shaped first guide surface (16) for partially engaging around a rolling body (6) in the circumferential direction thereof. The circumferential webs (10) project beyond the first circumferential end (13) and the second circumferential end (14) at a maximum to such an extent that they cannot make contact with the circumferential webs (10) of a further cage segment (7) of identical design when a rolling body designed to be received in the pocket is arranged between the first circumferential end (13) of the cage segment (7) and the second circumferential end (14) of the further cage segment (7), and the cage segment (7), the further cage segment (7) and the rolling body (6) are arranged in a way which corresponds to the installed state in the tapered-roller bearing.