JP4480639B2 - Needle roller bearing and outer ring manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a needle roller bearing that supports a crankshaft for an automobile engine, a camshaft, a balance shaft, a rocker shaft, and the like.

  Conventionally, as a bearing for supporting a crankshaft 1 or the like of an automobile as shown in FIG. 1, a split type sliding bearing is generally used. Since a slide bearing has a high load capacity, it is suitable as a bearing used in a high load environment.

  However, in recent years, a needle roller bearing is sometimes used in place of a sliding bearing in response to the demand for automobiles that are fuel-efficient and have low noise and vibration for environmental considerations. Needle roller bearings have a lower load capacity than sliding bearings, but since the frictional resistance during rotation is small, the amount of oil supplied to the support portion can be reduced, and noise and vibration can be suppressed.

  However, the needle roller bearing that supports the crankpin 2 of the crankshaft 1 cannot be assembled by being press-fitted in the axial direction. Therefore, a needle roller bearing used in such a place is described in, for example, US Pat. No. 1,192,488 (Patent Document 1). The needle roller bearing described in the publication can be incorporated into the crankpin 2 by having outer ring members 4a and 4b divided by a dividing line extending in the axial direction of the bearing as shown in FIG. Become.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the needle-like shape includes an outer ring 7, a plurality of needle rollers 8 that are arranged to roll on the raceway surface of the outer ring 7, and a cage 9 that holds the needle rollers 8. In the case of supporting the shaft 5 using the roller bearing 6, the shaft 9 is displaced in the axial direction by reducing the shaft diameter of both ends of the shaft 5 and projecting the cage 9 in the radial direction. The needle roller bearing 6 that has been prevented is described in JP-T-2002-525533 (Patent Document 2).
US Patent No. 1921488 JP-T-2002-525533

  A crankshaft 1 or the like as shown in FIG. 1 is subjected to a load that is biased in a predetermined direction during rotation. Therefore, on the circumference of the outer ring of the bearing, there is a region where the load is concentrated (hereinafter referred to as “load region”). When the needle roller bearing 3 as shown in FIG. 2 is incorporated into the shaft, the boundary 4c between the outer ring members 4a and 4b is not formed. Position it so that it is in the load area.

  However, in the needle roller bearing 3, the outer ring members 4a and 4b are only fixed to the housing by fitting, so that when the outer ring members 4a and 4b are subjected to a load during rotation, the outer ring members 4a and 4b may rotate in the housing. . At this time, if the boundary 4c between the outer ring members 4a and 4b moves to the load region, troubles such as poor rotation of the needle rollers and breakage of the outer ring members 4a and 4b may occur.

  Further, the needle roller bearing 6 as shown in FIG. 3 has a problem that the machining cost increases because the shaft 5 needs to be machined to prevent the cage 9 from shifting in the axial direction.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a needle roller bearing provided with a cage axial restriction means that does not involve processing of the peripheral structure in order to prevent the cage from shifting in the axial direction. To do.

A needle roller bearing according to the present invention includes a ring-shaped outer ring formed by bending a plurality of outer ring members obtained by bending a belt member into a predetermined curvature in a circumferential direction, and rolling on a raceway surface of the outer ring. A plurality of needle rollers that are movably disposed and a cage that holds the plurality of needle rollers. The strip has an engaging claw projecting laterally from the end in the width direction, and a plurality of through holes formed in the root portion of the engaging claw. The plurality of through holes have different sizes. Each outer ring member is obtained by bending the engaging claw in the thickness direction of the band material and then bending the entire band material to a predetermined curvature. The engaging claw projects and extends radially inward from the end portion in the width direction of the outer ring member, and restricts movement of the cage in the axial direction.

  With the above configuration, it is possible to restrict the movement of the cage in the axial direction without processing the peripheral structure such as the shaft. Further, by providing a hole penetrating the engaging claw, it is possible to relieve the compressive stress generated in the engaging claw by bending the outer ring member, so that deformation of the outer ring member during manufacturing can be suppressed.

  Preferably, the engaging claw is disposed in the entire region of the end portion in the width direction of the outer ring member. As in the above configuration, by providing a hole for relieving the compressive stress in the engaging claw, the engaging claw can be provided in the entire area of the end portion in the width direction of the outer ring member. As a result, since the catch between the cage and the end face of the engaging claw can be prevented, the rotation failure of the bearing can be prevented.

  The hole is, for example, a long hole that is long in the circumferential direction. Thereby, since the absorption capability of the compressive stress which arises in an engaging claw improves, the deformation | transformation at the time of manufacture, etc. can be suppressed more effectively.

  Preferably, the holes are provided at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction. Thereby, for example, even when the engaging claw is provided in the entire region of the end portion in the width direction of the outer ring member, it is possible to evenly absorb the compressive stress generated in each part in the circumferential direction of the engaging claw. .

  The plurality of holes may have different sizes, for example. For example, the magnitude of the compressive stress applied to the engaging claws is different between the center portion and both end portions of the outer ring member. Therefore, by providing a large hole in a portion with a large compressive stress and a small hole in a portion with a small compressive stress, it becomes possible to evenly absorb the compressive stress generated in each part of the engaging claw in the circumferential direction. .

Preferably, the outer ring member has a positioning engagement portion for engaging with the housing and positioning at a position shifted from the center in the circumferential direction. By providing the positioning engagement portion on the outer ring member as in the above configuration, rotation of the outer ring in the circumferential direction can be prevented. As a result, the boundary of the outer ring member does not move to the load region, so troubles such as poor rotation of the needle rollers and breakage of the outer ring member can be avoided.
A method for manufacturing an outer ring of a needle roller bearing according to the present invention is a method of manufacturing a ring-shaped outer ring by butting a plurality of outer ring members obtained by bending a belt member into a predetermined curvature in the circumferential direction. is there. First, a band member having an engaging claw projecting laterally from an end portion in the width direction and a through hole formed in a root portion of the engaging claw is prepared. Then, after the engaging claw is bent in the thickness direction of the band member, the band member is bent to a predetermined curvature to obtain an outer ring member.

  According to the present invention, a needle roller bearing that can prevent rotation of the outer ring in the circumferential direction when the bearing is used can be obtained by providing a positioning engagement portion that positions the outer ring in the circumferential direction. Further, by providing the engaging claws, it is possible to obtain a needle roller bearing capable of preventing the cage from being displaced in the axial direction without processing the peripheral structure.

  With reference to FIGS. 4-7, the needle roller bearing 11 which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated.

  As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the needle roller bearing 11 includes an outer ring 13 having two outer ring members 12 divided by a dividing line extending in the axial direction of the bearing, and a raceway surface of the outer ring 13. And a plurality of needle rollers 14 that are arranged so as to be freely rollable, and a cage 15 that holds the needle rollers 14.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, the outer ring member 12 includes a protrusion 12 a as a positioning engagement portion that engages with the housing at a position shifted from the center in the circumferential direction, and a width direction of the outer ring member 12. It has an engaging claw 12b that protrudes radially inward from the end and restricts movement of the cage 15 in the axial direction. The engaging claws 12b are provided in the entire region of the end portion in the width direction of the outer ring member 12, and holes 12f penetrating the engaging claws 12b are arranged at equal intervals in the root portion.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 5B and 5C, one end of the outer ring member 12 in the circumferential direction is a convex shape and the other end is a concave shape. By combining them, a cylindrical outer ring 13 is formed. Here, the dividing line of the outer ring 13 only needs to be able to divide the outer ring 13 in the radial direction, and does not have to exactly coincide with the axial direction.

  The cage 15 is formed of a resin material and has pockets for accommodating the needle rollers 14 at a plurality of locations on the circumference as shown in FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, the cage 15 is cut in the axial direction at one place on the circumference, and after the cage 15 is elastically deformed and incorporated into the shaft, the convex portion of the cut portion is formed. 15a and the recessed part 15b are engaged.

  The needle roller bearing 11 having the above-described configuration supports portions that cannot be press-fitted in the axial direction, such as an automobile crankshaft, camshaft, balance shaft, and rocker shaft, because the outer ring 13 and the cage 15 are partially cut. Can be used as a bearing.

  Further, by providing the outer ring member 12 with the protrusion 12a, the outer ring 13 is prevented from rotating in the circumferential direction, and the engagement claw 12b is provided to restrict the movement of the cage 15 in the axial direction. Can do.

  The outer ring member 12 having the above-described configuration is formed by pressing a strip such as a cold-rolled steel plate. As an order of processing, for example, the engaging claw 12b is bent in the thickness direction of the plate-shaped outer ring member 12, and then the entire outer ring member 12 is bent to a predetermined curvature. As a result, the engaging claws 12b may be subjected to compressive stress due to the bending process of the outer ring member 12, and may be deformed.

  Therefore, a hole 12f is provided in the root portion of the engaging claw 12b. As a result, the compression stress can be absorbed or relieved by the deformation of the hole 12f during bending of the outer ring member 12, so that the deformation of the engaging claws 12b can be suppressed.

  In the above embodiment, since the engaging claw 12b is provided in the entire region of the end portion in the width direction of the outer ring member 12, the retainer 15 and the end surface of the engaging claw 12b are not caught. As a result, smooth rotation of the needle roller bearing 11 can be ensured.

  At this time, in order to relieve a large compressive stress generated in each part of the engaging claw 12, the hole 12f is a long hole that is long in the circumferential direction having a high ability to absorb compressive stress. Furthermore, in order to absorb the compressive stress of each part of the engaging claw 12b evenly, the holes 12f are provided at a plurality of locations.

  In the needle roller bearing 11 having the above-described configuration, the outer ring member 12 has an intermediate region 12d which becomes a load region when the bearing is used at the center in the circumferential direction, and a non-load region when the bearing is used at both ends in the circumferential direction. An end region 12e is provided, and the protrusion 12a is located in the end region 12e.

  For example, when the protrusion 12a is formed by burring from the inner surface side of the outer ring member 12, a concave portion is formed on the raceway surface and the surface is not smooth, and the behavior of the needle roller passing over the concave portion is not good. It becomes stable. Therefore, it is possible to avoid these troubles by disposing the protrusion 12a in the end region which is a non-load region.

  Further, in the case where the outer ring 13 is constituted by two outer ring members 12, if the central angle with respect to the outermost end 12c in the circumferential direction of the outer ring member 12 is φ, the end region 12e is 5 ° ≦ φ ≦ Within 45 °.

  In order to set the intermediate region 12d as a load region as large as possible, the end region 12e as a non-load region needs to be set within 45 ° from both outermost ends of the outer ring member 12. On the other hand, if the projection 12a disposed in the end region 12e is too close to the outermost end 12c in the circumferential direction of the outer ring member 12, the influence of bending stress such as when the plate-like outer ring member 12 is bent into an arc shape is affected. Therefore, it is preferable that the distance is 5 ° or more from the circumferential outermost end 12c and closer to the intermediate region 12d.

  In the above embodiment, the outer ring 13 is configured by the outer ring member 12 that is divided into two in the radial direction. However, the outer ring 13 is not limited to this and may be divided into an arbitrary number.

  In the above embodiment, the example in which the protrusions 12a are arranged at one place on each outer ring member 12 has been shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it may be arranged only at one place on the entire circumference of the outer ring 13, The outer ring member 12 may be arranged at a plurality of locations.

  Further, the cage 15 is not limited to resin, and may be formed of a metal material by press working or the like, or may be a full roller bearing that does not require the cage 15.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the engaging claws 12b are provided in the entire region of the end portion in the width direction of the outer ring member 12 has been described. A plurality of divided engagement claws 12b may be used. In this case, it is preferable to provide at least one hole 12f provided in the root portion of the engaging claw 12b for each engaging claw 12b.

  Moreover, although the hole 12f provided in the base part of the engagement nail | claw 12b showed the example which is a long hole as shown to Fig.7 (a), as shown in FIG.7 (b), it does not restrict to this. In various forms that can absorb the compressive stress generated in the engaging claws 12b, such as a round hole or a plurality of holes having different sizes depending on the magnitude of the applied compressive stress, as shown in FIG. There may be.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the plurality of holes 12f are arranged at equal intervals has been shown. The number of holes 12f may be reduced in the portion that only occurs.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described with reference to drawings, this invention is not limited to the thing of embodiment shown in figure. Various modifications and variations can be made to the illustrated embodiment within the same range or equivalent range as the present invention.

  The present invention is advantageously used for a needle roller bearing that supports a crankshaft, a camshaft, a balance shaft, a rocker shaft, and the like of an automobile.

It is a figure which shows the crankshaft of a motor vehicle. It is the schematic which shows the outer ring | wheel used for the conventional needle roller bearing, Comprising: The outer ring | wheel which can be divided | segmented to radial direction. It is a figure which shows the conventional needle roller bearing provided with the axial direction control means of the holder | retainer. It is a figure which shows the needle roller bearing which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, Comprising: (a) is a front view, (b) is sectional drawing in AA '. It is a figure which shows the outer ring member of the needle roller bearing which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, Comprising: (a) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view, (b) is the figure which looked at (a) from the B direction, (c) is ( It is the figure which looked at a) from the C direction. It is a figure which shows the holder | retainer of the needle roller bearing which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, Comprising: (a) is a front view, (b) is sectional drawing in DD 'of (a). It is a figure which shows the shape of the hole provided in the engagement nail | claw root part of the outer ring member used for the needle roller bearing which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, Comprising: (a) is a long hole, (b) is round. Holes (c) are diagrams showing examples of holes having different sizes.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Crankshaft, 2 Crankpin, 3, 6, 11 Needle roller bearing, 4a, 4b, 12 Outer ring member, 4c Boundary, 5 shaft, 7, 13 Outer ring, 8, 14 Needle roller, 9, 15 Cage, 12a protrusion, 12b engaging claw, 12c circumferential outermost end, 12d intermediate region, 12e end region, 12f hole, 15a convex portion, 15b concave portion.

Claims (4)

An outer ring in which a plurality of outer ring members obtained by bending a band material to a predetermined curvature are butted in the circumferential direction and formed into a ring shape;
A plurality of needle rollers disposed on the raceway surface of the outer ring so as to be freely rollable;
A cage for holding the plurality of needle rollers,
The strip has an engaging claw projecting laterally from its widthwise end, and a plurality of through holes formed in the root portion of the engaging claw,
The plurality of through holes have different sizes from each other,
Each of the outer ring members is obtained by bending the engagement claw in the thickness direction of the band material and then bending the entire band material to a predetermined curvature.
The needle roller bearing according to claim 1, wherein the engagement claw projects and extends radially inward from an end in the width direction of the outer ring member, and restricts movement of the cage in the axial direction. The needle roller bearing according to claim 1, wherein the engaging claw is disposed in the entire region of the end portion in the width direction of the outer ring member. 3. The needle roller bearing according to claim 1, wherein the outer ring member has a positioning engagement portion that engages with the housing to perform positioning at a position shifted from the center in the circumferential direction. In the manufacturing method of the outer ring of the needle roller bearing in which a plurality of outer ring members obtained by bending the band material to a predetermined curvature are butted in the circumferential direction to form a ring shape,
Prepare a band member having an engaging claw projecting laterally from the end in the width direction, and a through hole formed in the root portion of the engaging claw,
A method for producing an outer ring of a needle roller bearing, wherein the outer ring member is obtained by bending the engagement claw in a thickness direction of the band member and then bending the band member to a predetermined curvature.

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