Bearing Arrangement

• US 20070248295A1
• Filed: 10/04/2005
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Kerr, John
• Application Number:
  US11/665,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20070248295A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 384/470
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/06 with a single row or balls
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2360/23 Gas turbine engines in general F02C
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/3843 formed as one-piece cages, i.e. monoblock cages
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/6677 from radial inside, e.g. via a passage through the shaft and/or inner ring
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/6681 Details of distribution or circulation inside the bearing, e.g. grooves on the cage or passages in the rolling elements

Abstract

A bearing arrangement incorporates a cage in order to locate bearings between races. The bearing cage is associated with channels such that oil flow is specifically directed by those channels for oil lubricant control. The channels typically have a central channel which diverges at either end in to channels such that grooves, slots or fluting specifically guides and directs oil flow in order to lubricate opposing surfaces of the arrangement, remove excess lubricant oil and provide a more even oil distribution. In such circumstances higher bearing arrangement performance can be achieved without provision of directed oil feed passages within the arrangement.

Claims

1. A bearing arrangement comprising a bearing cage for bearings, the bearing cage spacing the bearings and carried by those bearings, the cage being associated with surface channels for guiding oil flow stimulated by cage carriage upon the bearings for specifically directing that oil flow relative to a facing surface of the cage.

2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surface channels are formed in the cage.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surface channels comprise fluting or grooves or scallops formed in the facing surface of the cage.

4. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surface channels incorporate a central channel.

5. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein end portions of the surface channels diverge from the central channel to facilitate distribution of the oil flow.

6. An arrangement as claimed in claim 4 wherein such divergence comprises a fish-tail pattern generally symmetrical about the central channel.

7. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein surface channels are provided on both sides of the cage.

8. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surface channels have a variable depth across and/or along their respective channels.

9. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surface channels are angled to utilize any centrifugal force if the cage is displaced when carried upon the bearings.

10. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein several individual channels are located side by side in order to form the surface channels.

11. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bearing cage incorporates recesses to accommodate bearings with the surface channels associated with the interstitial lands between such apertures.

12. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surface channels facilitate lubrication of cage guide lands.

13. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surface channels remove excess oil from the bearing arrangement about the bearing cage.

14. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surface channels provide an even oil distribution for more efficient lubrication.

15. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the channels are shaped to facilitate oil flow.

16. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bearing cage is located between an inner and outer race of the bearing arrangement.

17. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bearing cage is guided by guide lands between at least one of the inner or the outer race and an opposed surface of the cage.

18. A turbine engine incorporating a bearing arrangement as claimed in claim 1.