Roller Bearing Charge Discharge Conductor for Tight Installation Space
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing roller bearings with conduction apparatuses require significant installation space, are labor-intensive and costly to produce, and risk losing contact due to improperly sized conductors, leading to potential damage from vagrant currents.
Innovation Solution
A roller bearing with a conduction apparatus featuring an elastic conductor with a first section inserted into a recessed bearing ring and a second section contacting a freely moving bearing ring, allowing for easy and cost-effective mounting without clamping, using carbon fiber assemblies or metal wires, and providing a stable connection through recesses and prestressing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conduction apparatus is disposed adjacent to the roller bearing, then electrostatic charges can be conducted, but a relatively large installation space is required which is often not available
Solution Approach 1:
The conduction apparatus is nested within the roller bearing structure itself. The elastic conductor is inserted into the roller bearing and clamped between the bearing rings, with the conductor's curved form (U-shaped, V-shaped, wave form, or spiral form) allowing it to bridge the space between bearing rings while remaining contained within the bearing's footprint, thus eliminating the need for additional external installation space.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductor is given a curved three-dimensional form (U-shaped, V-shaped, wave form, or spiral form) that allows it to span the radial and axial dimensions between bearing rings. This dimensional transformation enables the conductor to achieve the necessary electrical connection path without increasing the bearing's external footprint or requiring additional installation space.
2Area of stationary object
If an elastic conductor with curved form is used to bridge space between bearing rings, then no additional installation space is required, but the conductor must be inserted while prestressing which is labor and cost-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The conductor's physical parameters (curvature radius, length, cross-section) are optimized to achieve the necessary prestressing force with minimal complexity. The curved form parameters are specifically designed to provide adequate electrical contact pressure between bearing rings while allowing straightforward insertion and mounting procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductor is designed as a separate, pre-formed elastic element that can be independently manufactured and then inserted into the roller bearing. This segmentation allows the conductor to be produced using standard manufacturing processes and then assembled into the bearing, reducing overall production complexity compared to integrating the conduction function directly into the bearing rings.
3Ease of operation
If the conductor is too large or too wide for the roller bearing, then it cannot be clamped into the roller bearing, but a conductor which is too small or not wide enough risks falling out during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The conductor is designed with elastic properties that allow it to dynamically adapt to the bearing dimensions. The elastic material enables the conductor to be compressed during insertion and mounting, then maintain continuous contact pressure against the bearing rings during operation. This dynamic behavior ensures both easy mounting and reliable contact stability without requiring precise dimensional matching.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductor employs curved forms (U-shaped, V-shaped, wave form, or spiral form) that naturally distribute contact forces and provide mechanical interlocking with the bearing structure. The curved geometry creates friction and geometric constraints that prevent the conductor from falling out during operation while still allowing straightforward insertion during mounting.
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
Enables reliable and efficient electrostatic charge conduction without additional installation space, reducing the risk of conductor dislodgment and ensuring stable operation by using recesses for precise conductor placement and prestressing for secure contact.
Implementation Method 1
an electrically conductive connection being established between the first bearing ring and the second bearing ring by means of the conductor
Implementation Method 2
the conductor having a curved form, e.g., a U-shaped form, a V-shaped form, a wave form, a spiral form or the like, via which the conductor bridges a space between the bearing rings when contacting the same. The conductor must be inserted into the roller bearing while a prestressing of the conductor takes place
Data Source
AI summary
A roller bearing including a conduction apparatus and a method for conducting electrostatic charges at a roller bearing, the conduction apparatus including at least one elastic conductor having a first conductor section and a second conductor section for forming a contact assembly on the roller bearing, the first conductor section being mounted on a first bearing ring of the roller bearing and the second conductor section being mounted on a second bearing ring of the roller bearing, an electrically conductive connection being established between the first bearing ring and the second bearing ring. The conductor is supported at the first bearing ring, the first conductor section being inserted into at least a straight recess of the first bearing ring.