Thrust ball bearing unit

• US 4,699,530 A
• Filed: 06/30/1986
• Issued: 10/13/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Oiles Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Oiles Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Kojima, Masamitsu, Kamimura, Hiroto, Satoh, Eiji, Nishi, Yasunori, Iwakura, Mararu
• Primary Examiner(s): Levy, Stuart S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hannon, Thomas R.
• Application Number:
  US06/880,316
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 384/215, 384/452-455, 384/480, 384/592, 384/593, 384/607, 384/609-617, 280/668, 280/670, 280/673, 280/692, 280/696, 280/724
• US Class Current: 384/609
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 15/068 specially adapted for MacPherson strut-type suspension
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/46 camber angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/312 The spring being a wound spring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/124 Mounting of coil springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/1242 on a damper, e.g. MacPerson strut
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/128 Damper mount on vehicle body or chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/418 Bearings, e.g. ball or roller bearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/43 Fittings, brackets or knuckles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/44 Centering or positioning means
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/4502 using resilient buffer
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/61 Adjustable during maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/10 for axial load mainly
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/05 Vehicle suspensions, e.g. bearings, pivots or connecting rods used therein in general B60G
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 27/066 Ball or roller bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 27/08 primarily for axial load, e.g. for vertically-arranged shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/761 specifically for bearings with purely axial load

Abstract

A thrust ball bearing unit has a pair of ringed cylindrical upper and lower casings, each casing being made of synthetic resin, a pair of upper and lower races, and a buffer interposed between the upper casing and the upper race or between the lower race and the lower casing. Alternatively, two buffers are interposed between the upper casing and the upper race and between the lower race and the lower casing respectively. The upper and lower casings have peripheral sealing portions which are in a labyrinth or contact seal relationship with each other.

Claims

1. A thrust ball bearing unit comprising:

a ring-shaped cylindrical upper casing comprised of a synthetic resin, said upper casing including an outer peripheral wall having an inwardly extending lip, an annular cavity and an inner peripheral wall having an outwardly extending lip;

a ring-shaped cylindrical lower casing comprised of a synthetic resin, said lower casing including an outer peripheral wall having an outwardly extending lip, an annular cavity, and an inner peripheral wall having an inwardly extending lip;

an upper race extending in said annular cavity of said upper casing;

a lower race extending in said annular cavity of said lower casing;

a series of balls extending between said upper and said lower races;

a buffer extending between at least one of

said upper casing and said upper race and

said lower casing and said lower race; and

said upper casing and said lower casing being engaged tightly with each other with labyrinth sealing portions being defined therebetween, said labyrinth sealing portions comprised of said inwardly and said outwardly extending lips of said upper casing and said outwardly and said inwardly extending lips of said lower casing.

2. A thrust ball bearing unit as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said upper casing includes an annular groove extending therein that is open to said annular cavity at a bottom portion thereof.

3. A thrust ball bearing unit comprising:

a ring-shaped cylindrical upper casing comprised of a synthetic resin, said upper casing including an outer peripheral wall having an inwardly extending lip, an annular cavity, and an inner peripheral wall having an outwardly extending lip;

a ring-shaped cylindrical lower casing comprised of a synthetic resin, said lower casing including an outer peripheral wall having an outwardly extending lip, an annular cavity, and an inner peripheral wall having an inwardly extending lip;

an upper race extending in said annular cavity of said upper casing;

a lower race extending in said annular cavity of said lower casing;

a series of balls extending between said upper and said lower races;

a buffer extending between at least one of said upper casing and said upper race and said lower casing and said lower race;

said upper casing and said lower casing being engaged tightly with each other with labyrinth sealing portions being defined therebetween, said labyrinth sealing portions comprised of said inwardly and said outwardly extending lips of said upper casing and said outwardly and said inwardly extending lips of said lower casing; and

a plurality of projections extending from at least one of an upper face of said ring-shaped upper casing and a lower face of said ring-shaped lower casing.

4. A thrust ball bearing unit as claimed in claim 3,

wherein said plurality of projections comprise a plurality of ribs radially extending on and traversing said at least one of said faces of said cylindrical casings.

5. A thrust ball bearing unit as claimed in claim 3,

wherein said plurality of projections comprise a plurality of ribs radially extending on and traversing each of said faces of said cylindrical casings.

6. A thrust ball bearing unit as claimed in claim 3,

wherein said plurality of projections comprise a plurality of male lugs formed on said at least one of said faces of said cylindrical casings.

7. A thrust ball bearing unit as claimed in claim 3,

wherein said plurality of projections comprises a plurality of male lugs formed on each of said faces of said cylindrical casings.

8. A thrust ball bearing unit as claimed in claim 3,

wherein one of said cylindrical casings further includes a pair of rectangular or circular cavities formed diametrically on a respective said face of said one of said cylindrical casings.