Multi-part Roller Bearing Cage with Elastomer Bonded Sectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing roller bearing cages are complex and costly to produce, with significant material waste during machining and inadequate connection stability between components.
Innovation Solution
A roller bearing cage composed of sector elements and web elements, where the sector elements are connected through penetrations that allow for a stable and cost-effective assembly, potentially using plastic or elastomer to fill gaps for enhanced stability and manufacturing tolerance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If roller bearing cages are machined from hollow-cylindrical blanks, then structural integrity is maintained, but significant material waste occurs and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cage is divided into multiple identical sector elements that can be separately manufactured from simple bar or strip material through cutting operations. This segmentation allows each element to be produced with minimal material waste, and the elements are subsequently connected to form the complete cage structure, eliminating the need for complex machining from solid blanks.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the manufacturing approach from subtractive machining (removing material from blanks) to additive construction (assembling pre-cut elements). By changing the production parameter from machining to cutting and assembly, material waste is dramatically reduced while maintaining structural integrity through the connection of sector elements.
2Stability of the object's composition
If sector elements are connected through penetrations with bar elements, then assembly stability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connection between sector elements and bar elements utilizes composite joining methods, where mechanical interference fit through penetrations is combined with material filling (plastic or elastomer) to achieve stable connections. This composite approach allows for greater manufacturing tolerances in the penetration geometry while still achieving the required connection stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The bar elements act as intermediaries that connect adjacent sector elements through the penetrations. This intermediary component distributes stresses and provides a mechanical bridge between sector elements, enhancing overall connection stability while accommodating reasonable manufacturing tolerances in the penetration dimensions.
3Manufacturing precision
If plastic or elastomer is used to fill gaps between sector and bar elements, then manufacturing tolerances can be relaxed, but additional manufacturing steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical state and properties of the connection interface by introducing plastic or elastomer material that flows into and fills the gaps between sector elements and bar elements. This parameter change from rigid mechanical fit to flexible material-filled joint allows for relaxed manufacturing tolerances while maintaining connection integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection system becomes composite, combining the structural metal components (sector elements and bar elements) with the flexible plastic or elastomer filling material. This composite construction allows the softer material to compensate for dimensional variations in the metal parts, enabling relaxed tolerance requirements while adding the filling step to the manufacturing process.
Data Source
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Figure 2
AI summary
The multi-part roller bearing cage has a circular rim with straps (20) at right angles to it to hold the rollers between them. The circular rim has a number of sector elements (10), each with a shaped projection (30) and a corresponding side shaped recess (50) to hold a roller loosely. The separate sectors and straps are bonded together to form the cage and form the circular rim. The gaps between the straps and the sectors are filled with an elastomer bonding material.