Rolling bearing

• US 7,178,986 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2003
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd. (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ueno, Hiroshi, Fukuda, Shinji, Ohtsuki, Masaaki, Urano, Hiroyuki, Wijnen, Antonet, Grabosch, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Ridley; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): KRAUSE, JUSTIN MITCHELL
• Application Number:
  US10/492,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20040247215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 384/470, 384/463, 384/520, 384/523, 384/527, 384/572, 384/551, 384/576, 384/907
• US Class Current: 384/470
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/26 with a single row of rollers
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/4647 made from metal, e.g. two cast parts joined by rivets
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/565 Coatings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/6696 with solids as lubricant, e.g. dry coatings, powder

Abstract

In a rolling bearing including a cage arranged in an annular space between an outer ring and an inner ring, a plurality of rolling elements held by the cage, and a solid lubricating agent provided in the cage, the cage has a plurality of rolling element receiving pockets in a circumferential direction, and has recess portions between the rolling element receiving pockets in a circumferential direction, and each of the rolling elements is received in each of the rolling element receiving pockets. The solid lubricating agent is attached to the recess portions in such a manner as to be in a slidable contact with a rolling element raceway surface.

Claims

1. A rolling bearing, comprising:

an inner bearing ring;

an outer bearing ring disposed radially outward of said inner bearing ring;

a cage arranged in an annular space between said inner and outer bearing rings, said cage including rolling element receiving pockets arranged in a circumferential direction, and further including recess portions between the rolling element receiving pockets in the circumferential direction;

rolling elements which are received in the rolling element receiving pockets; and

at least one integrally formed solid lubricating agent which is at least partially received in the recess portions so as to captively move along with the cage and be in slidable contact with a rolling element raceway surface of one of said inner and outer bearing rings facing said cage.

2. A rolling bearing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one integrally formed solid lubricating agent has a first lubricating portion, which is slidably in contact with said raceway surface of said one of said inner and outer bearing rings, and a second lubricating portion, which is slidably in contact with a guide surface in a shoulder portion of said one of said inner and outer bearing rings.

3. A rolling bearing as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an inclined surface which is disposed in the recess portion pressing the at least one integrally formed solid lubricating agent in a diametrical direction in accordance with a rotating motion of the cage around the axis.

4. A rolling bearing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solid lubricating agent is formed by a graphite.

5. A rolling bearing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one integrally formed solid lubricating agent is engaged with the recess portion so as to be moveable in a peripheral direction with respect to the cage.

6. A rolling bearing as claimed in claim 5, wherein the at least one integrally formed solid lubricating agent is engaged with the recess portion so as to be slidably in contact with an adjacent one of the rolling elements.

7. A rolling bearing, comprising:

an inner bearing ring;

an outer bearing ring disposed radially outward of said inner bearing ring forming an annular space therebetween;

a cage arranged in the annular space between said inner and outer bearing rings, said cage having a plurality of rolling element receiving pockets arranged in a circumferential direction, said cage further including recess portions disposed between the rolling element receiving pockets in the circumferential direction, the recess portions each having a bottom surface and a pair of inclined surfaces inclined so as to be expanded from both sides of the bottom portion in a circumferential direction and radially outward;

a plurality of rolling elements received in the rolling element receiving pockets in the cage; and

at least one integrally formed solid lubricating agent being at least partially received in the recess portions in a state in which a back surface thereof is opposed to the inclined surface of the recess portion with a clearance therebetween, said at least one integrally formed solid lubricant including a first lubricating portion detachably fitted to the groove portion of the one bearing ring and a second lubricating portion bulged out to both sides of the first lubricating portion in the axial direction so as to be loosely fitted to the recess portion when at least partially received therein, a one of said inner and outer bearing rings including a groove portion forming a raceway surface of the rolling element on an opposing surface to another one of said inner and outer bearing rings, and a shoulder portion for holding the rolling element in both sides of the groove portion in an axial direction, both of said first and second lubricating portions having a back surface in a downstream side of said one of said bearing rings in a rotational direction.