Self-Aligning Roller Bearing Sealing and Assembly Design
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Self-aligning roller bearings face challenges in achieving improved sealing and lubrication functionality while facilitating assembly and disassembly, with existing designs often allowing contaminants and lubricant leakage.
Innovation Solution
The self-aligning roller bearing incorporates a retaining flange with a filling slot and a rotatable sealing ring element that seals against a mating surface located axially outside the filling slot, providing comprehensive sealing and facilitating assembly, along with an optional lubrication reservoir and detachable resilient seal ring for enhanced performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a filling slot is provided in the retaining flange to facilitate assembly, then the ease of assembly is improved, but the sealing performance deteriorates because the filling slot creates an opening that may allow contaminants to enter
Solution Approach 1:
The filling slot is segmented from the main sealing surface by positioning it axially inside the sealing surface. This segmentation allows the slot to serve its assembly function while the sealing surface maintains its integrity for preventing contaminant entry.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves the sealing function to a different axial dimension than the filling slot. By locating the sealing surface axially outside the filling slot, the patent creates a dimensional separation where the slot handles radial assembly needs while the sealing surface handles axial sealing needs.
2Reliability
If the sealing surface is located axially outside the filling slot to achieve complete circumferential sealing, then the sealing performance is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the specific spatial arrangement requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The retaining flange is given multiple functions: it provides structural support, contains the filling slot for assembly, and supports the sealing surface for sealing. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby reducing overall device complexity while achieving complete circumferential sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the sealing surface and filling slot into a single integrated retaining flange structure. This combination eliminates the need for separate sealing components and simplifies the spatial arrangement by consolidating functions into one element.
3Reliability
If a rotatable sealing ring element is used to seal against the sealing surface, then the sealing performance is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the additional moving component
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing ring element is designed to rotate rather than remain fixed. This dynamic capability allows the sealing ring to adapt to misalignments and maintain effective sealing contact with the sealing surface, improving sealing performance while the rotation mechanism itself is simple and integrated.
Data Source
AI summary
A self-aligning roller bearing having inner and outer bearing ring elements and at least one row of roller elements disposed in between. The inner bearing ring element having a retaining flange provided on a first axial side of the roller bearing being configured for preventing the roller elements from falling out from the roller bearing. The roller bearing having a first sealing ring element located at the first axial side for sealing the first axial opening, the first sealing ring being rotatable in relation to the inner bearing ring and seals against a sealing mating surface of the inner bearing ring. The retaining flange has at least one filling slot configured for allowing the roller elements to be inserted in-between the inner and the outer bearing ring elements during assembly of the roller bearing, and the sealing mating surface being axially outside the at least one filling slot.