Self-Aligning Roller Bearing Assembly for Balanced Two-Row Loads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Double-row self-aligning roller bearings face issues with uneven load distribution and automatic alignment during assembly or installation, leading to potential protrusion and instability, especially when used in applications like wind power generators where axial and radial loads differ.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates rollers with different shapes or contact angles in each row, along with a protrusion prevention jig that attaches to the inner or outer ring, ensuring equal contact surface pressures and preventing automatic alignment, thereby enhancing load capacity and stability during assembly and installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If rollers in two rows have the same shape and contact angle, then the bearing structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but unequal loads are applied to rollers causing uneven wear and reduced rolling life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by making rollers in the first row have a different contact angle than rollers in the second row. Specifically, rollers in the first row have a larger contact angle to better withstand axial loads, while rollers in the second row have a smaller contact angle optimized for radial loads. This asymmetric design ensures equal load distribution and contact surface pressure across both rows, thereby extending the rolling life of the bearing.
2Reliability
If rollers have different shapes or contact angles to balance load capacity, then the rolling life of both rows becomes substantially the same, but the center of gravity and center position in the bearing width direction do not coincide causing automatic aligning operation during assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the counterweight principle by providing weights on the inner ring or outer ring that are positioned to counterbalance the asymmetry created by the different roller configurations. These weights are strategically placed to shift the center of gravity, ensuring it coincides with the center position in the bearing width direction. This eliminates the automatic aligning operation during assembly, making the bearing easier to handle and install while maintaining the balanced load capacity and rolling life achieved through asymmetric rollers.
Data Source
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AI summary
A double-row self-aligning roller bearing has rollers interposed, in two rows aligned in a bearing width direction, between an inner ring and an outer ring. The outer ring has a spherical raceway surface. Each of the rollers has an outer circumferential surface having a cross-sectional shape that matches the raceway surface of the outer ring. Either or both of shapes and contact angles of the rollers are different from each other. An attachment hole to which a protrusion prevention jig is attachable is provided in an end surface of at least either one of the inner ring and the outer ring. The protrusion prevention jig prevents protrusion of the end surface of the inner ring in the bearing width direction with respect to the end surface of the outer ring.