Rolling Bearing Discharge Conductor for Stable Electrostatic Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing discharge devices for rolling bearings require significant installation space, are complex and costly to manufacture, and risk losing contact during operation, leading to potential damage from undischarged electrostatic charges.
Innovation Solution
A discharge device using flexurally elastic conductors with sections inserted into straight recesses or grooves on bearing rings, allowing secure mounting without complex shapes and minimizing the risk of disconnection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a flexible conductor is clamped between bearing rings to dissipate electrostatic charge, then the discharge device does not require additional installation space, but the conductor must have a complex curved shape and requires precise manufacturing to fit the bearing
Solution Approach 1:
The conductor is divided into multiple straight sections connected by bending zones. Each straight section can be inserted into a separate recess in the bearing ring, while the bending zones provide the necessary curvature. This segmentation allows the conductor to achieve complex spatial configuration without requiring the entire conductor to be manufactured as a single complex curved piece.
Solution Approach 2:
The straight sections of the conductor are inserted into recesses that are formed within the bearing ring structure. The conductor sections are nested within the recesses of the bearing rings, allowing the discharge device to be integrated into the bearing without protruding externally, thus eliminating additional installation space requirements.
2Ease of operation
If a conductor is made too large or too wide for the rolling bearing, then it cannot be clamped into the bearing, but making it smaller or shorter risks it falling out during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The conductor has different properties in different sections: straight sections are designed to fit precisely into recesses for stable mounting, while bending zones provide flexibility for spatial configuration. The recesses in the bearing rings are specifically shaped to receive and secure the straight conductor sections, providing local retention without requiring the entire conductor to be oversized.
Solution Approach 2:
The recesses are pre-formed in the bearing rings at specific locations and orientations. The straight conductor sections are designed to be inserted into these pre-prepared recesses, ensuring proper fit and retention before the bearing is assembled and put into operation. This preliminary preparation of mounting locations ensures both easy installation and reliable retention.
3Strength
If a conductor is installed with excessive preload to ensure firm holding, then it may pop out of the bearing during operation, but insufficient preload risks loss of contact and electrostatic charge accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The conductor is secured at specific local positions through recesses in the bearing rings rather than applying uniform preload along the entire conductor length. The recesses provide localized retention points that firmly hold the straight conductor sections without requiring excessive overall preload that could cause the conductor to pop out.
Solution Approach 2:
By dividing the conductor into multiple straight sections separated by bending zones, each section can be independently secured in its own recess. This segmentation allows for distributed retention forces rather than concentrating all holding requirements in a single clamped region, reducing the risk of pop-out while maintaining reliable contact.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a simple, cost-effective, and reliable electrostatic charge dissipation without additional space, ensuring stable contact and reduced risk of conductor loss, thus protecting the rolling bearing from damage.
Implementation Method 1
an electrically conductive connection is established between the first bearing ring and the second bearing ring by means of the conductor
Implementation Method 2
the discharge device comprises at least one flexurally elastic conductor
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to an anti-friction bearing (10) comprising a discharging device (17), and to a method for discharging electrostatic charges on an anti-friction bearing, wherein the discharging device comprises at least one resilient conductor (18), wherein the conductor has a first conductor section (21) and a second conductor section (22) for forming a contact arrangement (23) on the anti-friction bearing, wherein the first conductor section is applied to a first bearing ring (12) of the anti-friction bearing, and the second conductor section is applied to a second bearing ring (13) of the anti-friction bearing, wherein an electrically conducting connection between the first bearing ring and the second bearing ring is established by means of the conductor, wherein the conductor is secured to the first bearing ring, wherein the first conductor section is inserted into at least one rectilinear recess (25) in the first bearing ring.