BALL BEARING ASSEMBLY NOTIFICATION MECHANISM

• US 20140358363A1
• Filed: 06/03/2013
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garrett Transportation I Inc. (Garrett Motion, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Mavrosakis, Peter, Kanigowski, Voytek
• Granted Patent: US 9,115,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/32.7
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/14 for both radial and axial load
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/183 with two rows at opposite angles
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/184 in O-arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/52 with devices affected by abnormal or undesired conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/527 related to vibration and noise
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2233/00 Monitoring condition, e.g. temperature, load, vibration
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2360/24 Turbochargers
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/585 of raceways, e.g. ribs to guide the rollers
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 41/00 Other accessories, e.g. devices integrated in the bearing not relating to the bearing function as such
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 41/008 Identification means, e.g. markings, RFID-tags; Data transfer means
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/045 Acoustic or vibration analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/00 Registering or indicating the working of vehicles

Abstract

A ball bearing assembly can include an outer race that includes an inner surface; an inner race that comprises an outer surface that includes an imperfection and a shoulder disposed at a shoulder angle where the imperfection is disposed at an angle in a range from about 50% of the shoulder angle to about 100% of the shoulder angle; and balls disposed between the inner surface of the outer race and the outer surface of the inner race. Various other examples of devices, assemblies, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A ball bearing assembly comprising:

an outer race that comprises an inner surface;

an inner race that comprises an outer surface that comprises an imperfection and a shoulder disposed at a shoulder angle wherein the imperfection is disposed at an angle in a range from about 50% of the shoulder angle to about 100% of the shoulder angle; and

balls disposed between the inner surface of the outer race and the outer surface of the inner race.

2. The ball bearing assembly of claim 1 wherein the imperfection comprises a deviation in the outer surface of the inner race wherein the deviation comprises at least one member selected from a group consisting of a raised deviation and a recessed deviation.

3. The ball bearing assembly of claim 1 wherein the imperfection comprises surface roughness of the outer surface of the inner race.

4. The ball bearing assembly of claim 1 wherein the imperfection is part of a notification mechanism.

5. The ball bearing assembly of claim 4 wherein the notification mechanism generates an audible notice responsive to contact between the balls and the imperfection of the outer surface of the inner race.

6. The ball bearing assembly of claim 1 comprising from about 5 to about 15 balls.

7. The ball bearing assembly of claim 1 wherein the outer race comprises a unitary outer race.

8. The ball bearing assembly of claim 1 wherein the inner race comprises a turbine side or a compressor side inner race.

9. A ball bearing assembly comprising:

an outer race that comprises an inner surface;

a first inner race that comprises an outer surface that comprises an imperfection and a shoulder disposed at a shoulder angle wherein the imperfection is disposed at an angle in a range from about 50% of the shoulder angle to about 100% of the shoulder angle;

a second inner race that comprises an outer surface that comprises an imperfection and a shoulder disposed at a shoulder angle wherein the imperfection is disposed at an angle in a range from about 50% of the shoulder angle to about 100% of the shoulder angle;

a first set of balls disposed between the inner surface of the outer race and the outer surface of the first inner race; and

a second set of balls disposed between the inner surface of the outer race and the outer surface of the second inner race.

10. The ball bearing of claim 9 wherein, for a given rotational speed of the inner races, the imperfection of the first inner race generates a first frequency upon contact with the first set of balls and the imperfection of the second inner race generates a second frequency upon contact with the second set of balls.

11. The ball bearing of claim 10 wherein the first frequency differs from the second frequency.

12. The ball bearing assembly of claim 9 wherein the imperfection of the first inner race comprises a deviation in the outer surface of the first inner race where the deviation comprises at least one member selected from a group consisting of a raised deviation and a recessed deviation.

13. The ball bearing assembly of claim 9 wherein the imperfection of the second inner race comprises a deviation in the outer surface of the second inner race where the deviation comprises at least one member selected from a group consisting of a raised deviation and a recessed deviation.

14. A system comprising:

a turbocharger that comprises a ball bearing assembly that comprises balls and an imperfection;

a sensor to sense acoustic energy; and

circuitry to issue a notification based at least in part on sensed acoustic energy being generated by at least some of the balls contacting the imperfection.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the imperfection comprises an imperfection in an outer surface of an inner race of the ball bearing assembly.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the outer surface of the inner race comprises an outer surface of a shaft.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the imperfection comprises an imperfection in an inner surface of an outer race of the ball bearing assembly.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the imperfection comprises an imperfection in a ball separator that guides at least some of the balls.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the imperfection comprises an imperfection in one of the balls.

20. The system of claim 14 comprising a variable geometry unit and circuitry to implement a test regimen by adjusting the variable geometry unit.