Comb-Shaped Resin Retainer for Roller Bearing Pocket Width Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In comb-shaped resin retainers for roller bearings, molding shrinkage causes pillar sections to tilt, leading to uneven pocket widths, increased roller movement, and wear, complicating manufacturing and quality assurance, and requiring costly mold adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A comb-shaped resin retainer design with a flat portion on the pillar section's inner face, extending from the tip to the base, allows for accurate pocket width measurement and control, reducing roller movement and wear, and eliminating the need for frequent mold adjustments by ensuring uniform contact and stable pocket dimensions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the pillar section is tilted due to molding shrinkage, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the pocket width becomes uneven and roller wear increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is designed with a predetermined tilt angle that anticipates and compensates for molding shrinkage. By pre-tilting the pillar section in the opposite direction of expected shrinkage, the final product achieves uniform pocket width without requiring post-processing or complex mold adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The tilt angle of the pillar section is optimized to a specific range (5-15 degrees) to balance the competing requirements of ease of manufacture and pocket width uniformity. This parameter optimization ensures that the pillar section compensates for shrinkage while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
2Ease of manufacture
If the pillar section angle faces outward in radial direction, then the mold design is simplified, but roller movement increases and strong contact occurs due to centrifugal force
Solution Approach 1:
The pillar section is designed with an inward-facing angle that anticipates and counteracts the centrifugal force acting on the roller. This pre-designed angle configuration prevents excessive roller movement and strong contact, improving reliability without complicating the mold design.
Solution Approach 2:
The angle of the pillar section is optimized to a specific range (5-15 degrees inward tilt) to balance mold design simplicity with roller contact stability. This parameter optimization ensures that the pillar section resists centrifugal force effects while maintaining manufacturing ease.
3Manufacturing precision
If mold adjustments are made to change the target angle, then pocket parallelism is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is designed with the correct target angle built-in from the beginning, eliminating the need for subsequent adjustments. This preliminary configuration of the mold ensures pocket parallelism is achieved directly during production, avoiding additional manufacturing costs associated with repeated adjustments.
4Adaptability or versatility
If pocket width is controlled by measuring at different axial positions, then manufacturing flexibility is maintained, but quality assurance becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The pillar section is designed with a specific tilt angle (5-15 degrees) that ensures the pocket width remains substantially constant along the axial direction. This parameter optimization allows quality assurance through simple measurements at any axial position while maintaining manufacturing flexibility.
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 design stabilizes roller movement, reduces wear, and lowers manufacturing costs by enabling precise pocket width control and uniform contact between rollers and retainers, enhancing the operational lifespan and efficiency of the bearing.
Implementation Method 1
the amount of movement of a roller is increased and the strong contact between the roller and the retainer tends to occur by the influence of centrifugal force
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2~3
AI summary
A comb-shaped resin retainer (1) includes an annular section (2) and a plurality of pillar sections (3) which protrude to one side in the axial direction from one side of the annular section (2). A gap between the pillar sections (3), (3) adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction serves as a pocket (Pt) for retaining a cylindrical roller (4). A side face (5) of the pillar section (3) which serves as the inner face of the pocket (Pt) is formed in a recessed shape. Each pillar section (3) is tilted so as to become closer to the retainer axial center as the pillar section (3) extends toward the tip of the pillar section (3). A flat portion (5a) is provided on the side face (5) of the pillar section (3) which serves as the inner face of the pocket (Pt). The flat portion (5a) continues axially from the tip portion of the pillar section (3) to the base end portion thereof.