Rolling Contact Bearing Axial Locking Cap Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rolling contact bearings with preassembled axial locking caps face issues during assembly, lengthening the process, and during transport, where the cap tends to detach due to vibrations, compromising the assembly's integrity.
Innovation Solution
A rolling contact bearing design featuring an axially mounted locking cap with a mounting seat in the outer ring, secured by screws to the frame, and an annular extension that radially overlaps the cap to prevent disassembly, ensuring stability during transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the axial locking cap is mounted separately during pinion unit assembly, then the bearing can be transported with the cap attached, but the assembly cycle time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The axial locking cap is pre-mounted to the outer ring before the bearing is assembled into the pinion unit. This preliminary action allows the cap to be securely attached in advance, preventing detachment during transport, while also eliminating the need for separate cap mounting during final assembly, thus reducing assembly cycle time.
2Productivity
If the axial locking cap is preassembled to the bearing, then assembly efficiency improves, but the cap detaches during transport due to vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is pre-assembled to the outer ring before bearing installation, but with an improved retention mechanism that includes a retention element extending into a recess in the outer ring. This preliminary assembly maintains productivity benefits while the retention element prevents cap detachment during transport vibrations.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention element is nested within the outer ring structure, with the retention element extending into a recess formed in the outer ring. This nesting arrangement secures the cap to the outer ring, preventing detachment during transport while maintaining a compact design.
3Device complexity
If a separate axial locking cap is used, then the bearing structure remains simple, but an additional mounting step is required
Solution Approach 1:
The axial locking cap and the outer ring are merged into a single integrated component, with the cap directly attached to the outer ring. This merging eliminates the need for separate cap mounting operations during assembly, simplifying the assembly process while maintaining relatively simple bearing structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A rolling contact bearing (1) providing a radially inner ring (2) into which a shaft of a pinion unit can engage, a radially outer ring (3) which can be inserted into a cylindrical seat (4) provided in a frame (5), a plurality of rolling bodies (6) arranged between the two rings (2, 3) so as to allow the radially inner ring (2) to rotate with respect to the radially outer ring (3), and an axial locking element (10) which is mounted on a lateral annular recess obtained in the radially outer ring (3) and can be screwed to the frame (5) so as to axially lock the radially outer ring (3) within the cylindrical seat (4); an axial retaining element (37), is associated with the radially outer ring (3) and radially interferes with the locking element (10) so as to secure the locking element (10) within the annular recess (11).