GB2217793A

GB2217793A - Roller bearing assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2217793A
Application number: GB8901815A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jerome D Carter; Jr Donald R Duston; Robert Duane Richtmeyer
Original assignee: Torrington Co
Current assignee: Timken US LLC
Priority date: 1988-04-21
Filing date: 1989-01-27
Publication date: 1989-11-01
Also published as: SE8900466D0; JPH01269713A; KR890016303A; SE8900466L; AU2740788A; FR2630511A1; BR8901883A; GB8901815D0; DE3912856A1

Abstract

PURPOSE: To reduce the manufacturing cost of an inverted-shell-shaped bearing for use in an automobile transmission, etc., by limiting the axial movement, on an inner race member, of numerous rollers put in a retainer assembly. CONSTITUTION: A bearing assembly 10 is provided with an inner race 20 and a retainer-and-roller assembly 30. The inner race 20 has a cylindrical sleeve portion 22 having radially outwardly projected ends so as to form a first annular flange 24 and a second axially spaced flange 26. The retainer-and-roller assembly 30 has a retainer 32 having a first axial end 34 and a second axial end 36. The retainer 32 restrains the radially inward and outward movements of numerous rollers 40.

Description

1 2217793 INVERTED DRAWN CUP BEARING This invention relates to a drawn-cup

bearing for use in applications where the shaft on which the bearing is mounted cannot be hardened to form the inner raceway. More particularly, it relates to a bearing which has axially spaced flanges projecting radially outward from an inner raceway surface. This invention is well suited for use in an automobile transmission, either manual or automatic, where a bearing is mounted on a shaft which cannot be hardened. The bearing is press fitted onto the shaft, thereby positioning the entire bearing assembly axially without the use of any other components such as snap rings.

Prior art patents disclose structures which combine a sleeve, which can be used as an inner race and slipped over an unhardened shaft, with a full complement of rollers and means for retaining the rollers on the inner race. Typical means for retaining the rollers utilize the sleeve which is turned outward slightly more than ninety (90) degrees so as to form a retaining "lip" which overlaps a reduced diameter end of a needle roller, or trunnion, to retain the roller axially and radially. The second end of the sleeve has a separate retaining member added to the bearing assembly to function in substantially the same manner as the lip on the first end of the sleeve. An example of this type of prior art is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2, 567,242 for a "Roller

Bearing Assembly And Method Of Producing Same" issued in the name of Sydney Smith on September 11, 1951. Another example of the prior art is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,969,266 for a "Needle or Roller Bearing" issued in the name of Georg Shaeffler on January 24, 1961. Shaeffler discloses, in FIG. 3, an inner race with a cage-and-roller assembly positioned on the inner race and located axially by either (1) pins - 2 which project through an extended portion of the cage and into a groove in the inner race (for transporting or during assembly), or (2) axial discs mounted on the shaft adjacent the inner race (during normal operation).

A further example of the prior art is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,721, 775 for an "External Self-Retaining Needle Bearing" issued in the name of Alan D. Nusbaum on October 25, 1955. This patent discloses a bearing which has a twopiece inner race structure. Each of the two pieces has an outwardly projecting flange member which functions as an axial stop, and one of the flange members is bent an additional ninety (90) degrees over the bearing elements to restrain the bearing elements from outward radial movement.

One of the main problems with these prior art bearings is that more than one piece is required to form the inner race and axial stop structures. This results in increased manu- facturing and assembly costs. The bearing assembly of the present invention overcomes these problems with a one-piece structure for the inner race and axial stop means.

Briefly described, the bearing of this invention comprises an inner race member having at least one flange extending radially outward so as to limit axial movement of multiple rollers, contained in a cage or a retainer assembly, on the inner race member. The cage or retainer is preferably made of a plastic or similar material, although metal may be used.

This invention may be better understood by reference to the following detailed description and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view in elevation of the 1 1 A preferred embodiment of the bearing assembly of the present invention, the figure also showing a fragmentary view of the outer surface of the bearing assembly; FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, similar to that in 5 FIG. 1r of an alternate embodiment of the invention; and FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side sectional view in elevation of another alternate embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1, a bearing assembly 10 of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown having an inner race 20 and a cage-and-roller assembly 30. Inner race20 comprises a straight cylindrical sleeve portion 22 which has both of its ends projecting radially outward to form a first annular flange 24 and an axially spaced second annular flange 26.

The cage-and-roller assembly 30 comprises a cage 32 which has a first axial end 34 and a second axial end 36. Cage 32 restrains inward and outward radial motion of multiple rollers 40 and is preferably made of plastic. Cage 32 may be split so as to enable the cage, with rollers inserted, to be installed more easily around inner race 20 when the cage is radially expanded. Cage 32 may be made of metal, but installation would be made more difficult as a regult.

Locking means for a plastic cage 32 would preferably utilize the locking means disclosed in U.S.. Patent No. 4,472,007 for a "Cage Assembly" issued on September 18, 1984, in the name of Edward F. DeVito and assigned to The Torrington Company.

Similar locking means could also be utilized without affect ing the proper operation of the bearing assembly of the pre sent invention. When cage 32 is installed on inner race 20, axial movement of cage ends 34 and 36 is limited by flanges 24 and 26. Thus, means for limiting axial movement of the 1 4 cage-and-roller assembly 30 are integrally formed from the material at the axial ends of the sleeve portion 22 of the inner race 20.

Turning to FIG. 2, an alternate embodiment of the present 5 invention is illustrated. An inner race 50 is configured in exactly the same manner as race 20 in FIG. 1. First and second annular flanges 52 and 54 project radially outward from sleeve portion 55. Flange 52 has an outer surface 56, and flange 54 has an outer surface 58. Cage-and-roller as- sembly 60 is likewise constructed in a fashion very similar to assembly 30 in FIG. 1. Cage 62 has a first axial end 64 and a second axial end 66, and contains multiple rollers 70. Each roller 70 has a first end surface 72 and a second end surface 74. The main difference between the embodiments il- lustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is that the axial length of cage 62 is relatively greater in FIG. 2 with respect to the axial separation of the inner race flanges. FIG. 1 depicts the cage-and-roller assembly 30 positioned between flanges 24 and 26, while FIG. 2 shows assembly 60 situated so that the axial ends 64 and 66 of cage 62 are positioned on the outer surfaces 56 and 58 of flanges 52 and 54, respectively. Cage 62 can be constructed in one piece so that when it has rollers 70 installed, the assembly 60 can be forced over inner race 50 axially in order to assemble race 50 and assem- bly 60 together. Cage 62 ia made of plastic as in FIG. 1, and. a split construction could be used in order to facilitate assembly of inner race 50 and cage-and-roller assembly 60. Cage 62 could also be made of metal. After race 50 and assembly 60 have been assembled together, assembly 60 is held in place axially by the limiting action of flanges 52 and 54 acting against the end surfaces 72 and 74, respectively, of rollers 70. In general, this allows more axial movement for the assembly 60 shown in FIG. 2 than for the assembly 30 depicted in FIG. 1. Also, where the axial distance between flanges 72 and 74 is fixed, longer rollers 70 may be installed in assembly 60 than in assembly 30.

Turning now to FIG. 3, a third embodiment of the present in vention is illustrated with an inner race 80 having only one annular flange 82 projecting radially outward at an angle of approximately ninety (90) degrees from a straight cylindri cal sleeve portion 84 of race 80. A cage-and-roller assem bly 90 comprises a cage 92 having a radially inwardly pro- jecting annular lip 94 which hooks over flange 82 to provide axial stop means for assembly 90. Cage 92 holds multiple rollers 99 in place. When assembly 90 moves toward the left in FIG. 3, rollers 99 come in contact with flange 82 of inner race 80 and thereby stop further axial movement of assembly 90. When assembly 90 moves toward the right in FIG. 3, lip 94 comes to rest against flange 82 and again stops further axial motion of assembly 90. Cage 92 can be made of either plastic or metal.

The advantages of the present invention include the fact 20 that all three embodiments described above have a one-piece construction for the inner race and axial restraining means for the cage-and-roller assembly. This results in substantial savings in manufacturing costs associated with this bearing assembly. The inner race can be force fitted on an unhardened shaft which does not provide an inner raceway surface, thereby axially positioning the bearing assembly on a relatively permanent basis. FIGS. 1-3 are described in conjunction with cage-and-roller assemblies. It should be understood that a retainer-and-roller assembly can be used in place of a cage-and-roller assembly throughout the description of the figures and the remainder of the specification.

1 6

Claims

CLAIMS:

1% -A bearing assembly comprising:

a member having circ ' umferentially separated roller pockets and two axial ends; multiple rollers in said roller pockets; an inner race having a cylindrical sleeve raceway and at least one integral flange extending radially outward; and means, including said at least one flange, for limiting axial movement of said member.

2. A bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein said inner race has two flanges extending radially outward, and said two axial ends of said member are positioned between said two flanges of said inner race.

3. A bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein said inner race has two flanges extending radially outward and having outer surfaces, and said two axial ends of said member are positioned on said outer surfaces of said two flanges of said inner race.

4. A bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein said member has a first annular flange extending radially inward from one of said two axial ends of said member; and said inner race has a second annular flange projecting radially outward so as to cooperate with said first annular flange of said member and thereby provide means for limiting axial movement of said member and said rollers.

Z 1 1 7

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