Superhard Roller Bearing Elements with Oblique Side Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Roller bearing apparatuses tend to wear out and fail due to overheating, fatigue, and damage from friction and repeated loading, limiting their useful life and performance in applications such as construction, mining, and drilling systems.
Innovation Solution
The use of superhard bearing elements with oblique side surfaces and a support ring configuration that forms a superhard raceway, reducing deformation and fatigue by distributing load and minimizing contact with the support ring, and incorporating superhard rolling elements to enhance load capacity and reduce friction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional roller bearing apparatuses are used, then they provide basic load support and friction reduction, but they wear out and fail due to overheating, fatigue, and damage from repeated loading
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the bearing elements from traditional steel to superhard materials (such as diamond-like carbon or cubic boron nitride), which fundamentally alters the hardness, wear resistance, and thermal conductivity properties, thereby extending useful life and resisting fatigue
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing elements are constructed as composite structures with a superhard material coating or core combined with a substrate material, creating a composite that combines the wear resistance and hardness of superhard materials with the toughness and structural integrity of the substrate, improving overall reliability
2Strength
If superhard bearing elements with oblique side surfaces are used, then deformation and fatigue are reduced by distributing load, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing element is divided into distinct functional surfaces: oblique side surfaces for load distribution and bearing surfaces for rolling contact. This segmentation allows each surface to be optimized for its specific function, reducing overall deformation and fatigue while maintaining manufacturability
Solution Approach 2:
Different surfaces of the bearing element have different geometric properties: oblique side surfaces for load distribution and specific bearing surfaces for rolling contact. This local differentiation of quality optimizes performance for each function while managing overall complexity
3Force
If superhard rolling elements are used, then load capacity is increased and friction is reduced, but manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The superhard bearing elements are designed as replaceable components that can be manufactured using cost-effective coating processes on standard substrate materials, making them economically viable despite the complexity of creating solid superhard materials, thereby increasing load capacity without prohibitive manufacturing costs
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 solution extends the useful life of roller bearing assemblies by reducing deformation and fatigue, increasing load capacity, and minimizing friction, thereby improving the reliability and performance of roller bearing apparatuses in various mechanical systems.
Implementation Method 1
reducing deformation and fatigue by distributing load
Implementation Method 2
roller bearing apparatuses include two races, a plurality of rolling elements between the races... reduces rotational friction between the races
Data Source
AI summary
In an embodiment, a roller bearing assembly may include superhard bearing elements distributed circumferentially about an axis, with gaps located between adjacent ones of the superhard bearing elements. Each of the superhard bearing elements may include a bearing surface and a pair of side surfaces intersecting the bearing surface. Each of the side surfaces may form a respective oblique angle relative to the axis. The roller bearing assembly may include a support ring having the superhard bearing elements affixed thereto. The bearing surfaces of the superhard bearing elements may be positioned and configured to form at least a portion of a superhard raceway for rolling elements to roll over. The oblique angle may be selected to at least partially inhibit the gaps from impeding the rolling elements during operation.