Bearing arrangement for a medical device

• US 20060159379A1
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AB SKF
• Original Assignee: AB SKF
• Inventors: Olschewski, Armin, Breunig, Heinz, Neder, Jurgen, Brandenstein, Manfred, Neder, Gunter
• Granted Patent: US 7,441,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 384/535
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/035 Mechanical aspects of CT
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/163 with angular contact
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2226/16 by wedge action, e.g. by tapered or conical parts
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2300/14 Large applications, e.g. bearings having an inner diameter exceeding 500 mm
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2316/10 in medical appliances, e.g. in diagnosis, dentistry, instruments, prostheses, medical imaging appliances
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 27/066 Ball or roller bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/586 outside the space between the races, e.g. end faces or bore of inner ring
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/067 Fixing them in a housing with interposition of an element F16C35/07
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/073 between shaft and inner race ring

Abstract

A bearing arrangement for a medical device in which a rotating component is supported relative to a stationary housing includes a bearing with an inner ring and an outer ring. The inner ring is connected to the component which is to be supported and the outer ring is connected to the housing by way of at least one damping element. To increase quiet running of the rotating component, both the inner ring and also the outer ring are made as integral elements and have an essentially hollow cylindrical base contour, with an extension of the outer ring in the radial direction being at least twice the extension of the inner ring in the radial direction.

Claims

1. Bearing arrangement in a medical device in which a rotating component is supported relative to a stationary housing, the bearing arrangement comprising a bearing that comprises an inner bearing ring and an outer bearing ring, the inner bearing ring being connected to the component which is to be supported and the outer ring being connected to the housing by way of at least one damping element, both the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring are made as integral one-piece elements possessing a hollow cylindrical base contour, a radial extension of the outer bearing ring in the radial direction being at least twice the radial extension of the inner bearing ring in the radial direction.

2. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 1, wherein the radial extension of the outer bearing ring in the radial direction is at least three times the radial extension the inner bearing ring in the radial direction.

3. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 1, wherein the radial extension of the inner bearing ring in the radial direction is between 15 mm and 30 mm, and an inside diameter of the inner bearing ring is between 1000 and 2000 mm.

4. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 1, wherein the component which is to be supported is drum-shaped and has a stiffness which is low relative to the stiffness of the outer bearing ring of the bearing.

5. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 1, wherein the bearing is a roller bearing and comprises roll bodies positioned between the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring.

6. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 5, wherein the inner bearing ring, the outer bearing ring, and the roll bodies located in between are subject to tolerances such that there is prestress in the bearing.

7. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of damping elements distributed equidistantly over a periphery of the outer bearing ring.

8. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one damping element is located in at least one recess in the outer bearing ring, the at least one damping element and the recess being shaped such that the damping element in the installed state continues the hollow cylindrical base contour of the outer bearing ring.

9. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 8, wherein the at least one recess in the outer bearing ring, seen in an axial direction, is arc-shaped.

10. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one damping element contacts a contact surface of the housing and the outer bearing ring possesses an axial width, the at least one damping element extending axially from the contact surface of the housing between 30% and 70% of the axial width of the outer bearing ring.

11. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 8, wherein an axial extent of the at least one damping element in an axial direction is greater than an axial width of the at least one recess in the outer bearing ring.

12. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 11, wherein the axial extent of the at least one damping element in the axial direction is between 102% and 107% of the axial width of the at least one recess.

13. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 8, wherein the at least one damping element and the at least one recess are positioned at one end of the outer bearing ring, and comprising another damping element positioned in another recess at an opposite end of the outer bearing ring.

14. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 8, further comprising at least one fastener extending axially through the outer bearing ring, the at least one damping element and the housing to fix the outer bearing ring on the housing.

15. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one damping element is covered by a covering part extending over part of an outer periphery of the outer bearing ring and fixed to the outer bearing ring.

16. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 1, further comprising means for setting prestress in the bearing.

17. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 16, wherein the means for setting prestress comprises an axially movable conical sleeve adjoining one of the inner and outer bearing rings.

18. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 17, wherein the conical sleeve engages the inner bearing ring.

19. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 18, wherein the conical sleeve is located between the component and the inner bearing ring.

20. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 17, wherein the conical sleeve is a plastic conical sleeve.

21. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 17, wherein the conical sleeve is formed by a plurality of individual segments bordering one another in a peripheral direction.

22. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one damping element is made of rubber or of an elastomer material, especially of thermoplastic or of duroplastic.

23. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 1, wherein the inner and outer bearing rings are made of nonmagnetic material.

24. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one damping element is made of thermoplastic or duroplastic.

25. Bearing arrangement in a medical device according to claim 1, wherein the medical device is a computer tomograph.

26. A bearing arrangement forming part of a computer tomograph to support a drum of the computer tomograph relative to a housing, the bearing arrangement comprising:

an inner bearing ring mounted on the drum, the inner bearing ring being a one-piece integral inner bearing ring possessing a hollow cylindrical configuration;

an outer bearing ring connected to the housing, the outer bearing ring being a one-piece integral outer bearing ring possessing a hollow cylindrical configuration;

a plurality of roll bodies positioned between the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring;

the outer bearing ring being connected to the housing by way of a damping element;

the outer bearing ring having a radial extent in the radial direction that is at least twice the radial extent of the inner bearing ring in the radial direction; and

the damping element being in contact with the housing and the outer bearing ring, and being positioned between facing surfaces of the housing and the outer bearing ring.

27. A bearing arrangement forming part of a computer tomograph according to claim 26, further comprising a fastener extending through the damper element, the housing and the outer bearing ring to secure together the housing and the outer bearing ring while compressing the damping element.