ROLLING-ELEMENT BEARING AND METHOD OF COUNTERING LOAD APPLIED TO ROLLING-ELEMENT BEARING

• US 20160208850A1
• Filed: 01/06/2016
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: DURLING, Christopher J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,951,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/28 with two or more rows of rollers
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/522 related to load on the bearing, e.g. bearings with load sensors or means to protect the bearing against overload
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 21/00 Combinations of sliding-contact bearings with ball or roller bearings, for exclusively rotary movement F16C17/24, F16C19/52 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2240/40 Linear dimensions, e.g. length, radius, thickness, gap
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2361/61 Toothed gear systems, e.g. support of pinion shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 32/064 the liquid being supplied under pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 32/0685 for radial load only
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/6651 in recesses or cavities provided in retainers, races or rolling elements
• 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 39/04 using hydraulic or pneumatic means

Abstract

A rolling-element bearing includes an inner bearing ring and an outer bearing ring. The inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring define an axial direction and a circumferential direction. The rolling-element bearing includes a plurality of rolling elements. The rolling elements are configured to roll circumferentially between the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring. The rolling-element bearing includes at least one oil chamber. The oil chamber is between the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring. Each oil chamber is defined by the inner bearing ring, the outer bearing ring and an oil chamber housing. The oil chamber housing is fixed to one of the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring. The rolling-element bearing includes at least one duct corresponding to each oil chamber. The at least one duct is for a supply of oil to the corresponding oil chamber. Each duct extends through the bearing ring to which the oil chamber housing is fixed.

Claims

1. A rolling-element bearing comprising:

an inner bearing ring and an outer bearing ring defining an axial direction and a circumferential direction;

a plurality of rolling elements configured to roll circumferentially between the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring;

at least one oil chamber between the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring, each oil chamber being defined by the inner bearing ring, the outer bearing ring and an oil chamber housing fixed to one of the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring; and

at least one duct connected to each oil chamber for a supply of oil to the connected oil chamber.

2. The rolling-element bearing of claim 1, wherein the at least one oil chamber is spaced from or adjacent to the rolling elements in the axial direction.

3. The rolling-element bearing of claim 1, comprising two axially spaced rows of rolling elements, wherein each oil chamber is axially between the two rows of rolling elements.

4. The rolling-element bearing of claim 1, wherein each oil chamber extends circumferentially between the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring over an arc subtending an angle of less than 180°

.

5. The rolling-element bearing of claim 4, wherein the angle is at least 110°

.

6. The rolling-element bearing of claim 1, wherein the oil chamber housing is accommodated adjacent to the bearing ring to which it is not fixed with so narrow a clearance that the oil chamber is a self-sealed space.

7. The rolling-element bearing of claim 1, wherein the oil chamber housing comprises at least one hole for supplying oil from the oil chamber to the rolling elements.

8. The rolling-element bearing of claim 1, comprising a plurality of oil chambers spaced from each other in the axial direction.

9. The rolling-element bearing of claim 8, wherein a plurality of axially spaced oil chambers extend circumferentially between the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring over the same arc subtending the same angle.

10. The rolling-element bearing of claim 8, comprising two axially spaced rows of rolling elements and three axially spaced sets of oil chambers, wherein one of the sets of oil chambers is axially between the two rows of rolling elements and each row of rolling elements is axially between two of the sets of oil chambers.

11. The rolling-element bearing of claim 1, comprising a plurality of oil chambers that extend circumferentially between the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring over non-overlapping arcs.

12. A gas turbine engine comprising:

a rolling-element bearing comprising;

an inner bearing ring and an outer bearing ring defining an axial direction and a circumferential direction;

a plurality of rolling elements configured to roll circumferentially between the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring;

at least one oil chamber between the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring, each oil chamber being defined by the inner bearing ring, the outer bearing ring and an oil chamber housing fixed to one of the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring; and

at least one duct connected to each oil chamber for a supply of oil to the connected oil chamber.; and

further comprising;

a rotating object integral with, or in an interference fit with, the bearing ring to which the oil chamber is not fixed; and

a load applying component that applies a load on the rolling-element bearing in a load direction (X), which is radial with respect to the rolling-element bearing, wherein at least one oil chamber is between the applied load and the bearing ring to which the corresponding oil chamber housing is fixed, such that oil supplied to the oil chamber acts on the bearing ring to which the oil chamber housing is not fixed so as to oppose the applied load.

13. The gas turbine engine of claim 12, comprising an oil supply system configured to supply oil through the at least one duct to the connected oil chamber.

14. The gas turbine engine of claim 13, arranged such that the supply of oil to at least one of the oil chambers is controllable independently from the supply of oil to at least one other of the oil chambers.

15. A method of countering a load applied to a rolling-element bearing that comprises:

an inner bearing ring and an outer bearing ring defining an axial direction and a circumferential direction;

a plurality of rolling elements configured to roll circumferentially between the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring;

at least one oil chamber between the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring, each oil chamber being defined by the inner bearing ring, the outer bearing ring and an oil chamber housing fixed to one of the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring; and

at least one duct corresponding to each oil chamber for a supply of oil to the corresponding oil chamber;

wherein the method comprises supplying oil to the at least one oil chamber, such that oil supplied to the at least one oil chamber acts on the bearing ring to which the oil chamber is not fixed so as to oppose the applied load.