Toroidal Roller Bearing Cage Geometry for Low-Friction Axial Loads
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional angular contact self-aligning toroidal roller bearings face issues with high friction and wear due to the use of guiding flanges, which interfere with the internal geometry's ability to guide rollers, leading to reduced service life and increased power losses under high axial loads and misalignment conditions.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a cage with pockets that have an inclination angle relative to the orbital trajectory of the rolling elements, allowing the rollers to self-orient axially and find their optimal position based on load conditions, reducing friction and wear by guiding the rollers in the unloaded zone and avoiding the need for a guiding flange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a guiding flange is used to prevent rolling elements from going outside their intended track, then the bearing can handle larger contact angles and higher axial loads, but friction and wear increase, causing power losses and reduced service life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the guiding flange from the bearing design, extracting the harmful element that caused excessive friction and wear. The rolling elements are allowed to self-guide through the inherent geometry of the raceways and rolling elements themselves, eliminating the need for the additional guiding structure and its associated friction losses.
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing design enables the rolling elements to self-orient and self-guide through the raceways without external guidance structures. The internal geometry of the bearing components works together to naturally steer the rolling elements along their intended paths, eliminating the need for guiding flanges and reducing friction.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a guiding flange is added to guide rolling elements, then roller position stability improves, but device complexity increases and service life decreases due to additional friction and wear
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding flange is completely removed from the bearing design, simplifying the structure by eliminating the additional component. The rolling element guidance function is achieved through the inherent geometry of the remaining components, reducing structural complexity while maintaining operational stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The raceways and rolling elements perform multiple functions: they support loads, guide the rolling elements along their paths, and provide self-alignment capabilities. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate guiding structures, reducing overall device complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If two self-aligning ball bearings or spherical roller bearings are used to accommodate misalignment and shaft deflections, then misalignment compensation improves, but the locating bearing generates friction, vibration, axial forces, and heat that reduce service life
Solution Approach 1:
The toroidal roller bearing inherently provides self-aligning capabilities through its geometry, allowing the inner ring to move independently of the outer ring. This self-alignment function is built into the basic bearing structure, eliminating the need for separate self-aligning bearings and their associated friction and heat generation issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The toroidal geometry of the raceways and rolling elements provides inherent self-aligning capabilities. The curved surfaces allow the inner ring to accommodate misalignment and shaft deflections through controlled movement, reducing friction and improving reliability compared to conventional bearing arrangements.
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
This solution enhances the bearing's performance by reducing friction and wear, enabling it to handle higher axial loads without a guiding flange, resulting in a more cost-efficient and longer-lasting bearing with improved load distribution and reduced power losses.
Implementation Method 1
The use of a guiding flange interferes with the intended function of letting the internal geometry guide the roller in position, causing friction and wear of the bearing
Implementation Method 2
a set of rolling elements formed of rollers arranged in an intermediate configuration between the inner and outer rings
Implementation Method 3
reducing friction and wear by guiding the rollers in the unloaded zone and avoiding the need for a guiding flange
Data Source
AI summary
An angular contact self-aligning toroidal rolling element bearing includes an inner ring, an outer ring, a set of rolling elements formed as rollers arranged in between the inner and outer rings, and a cage having a plurality of pockets, each pocket retaining one roller of the set of rolling elements. Each roller has a curved raceway-contacting surface arranged for being in load carrying contact with a curved inner raceway of the inner ring and in load carrying contact with a curved outer raceway of the outer ring. A contact angle between each roller and the inner and/or outer raceway is inclined, and each roller is arranged to self-orient in its axial direction in relation to the inner and outer rings in a loaded zone during operation of the bearing. At least one of the pockets present an inclination angle in relation to an orbital trajectory of rotation of the rolling elements during operation of the bearing.