Abstract: An angular contact bearing including an inner ring and an outer ring. Each ring includes a raceway. A plurality of balls are in rolling contact with the raceways. The bearing includes a retainer having a width being the distance between a first side and a second side of the retainer, an outer surface extending between the first side and the second side and an inner surface opposing the outer surface. The retainer also has a central portion having a first thickness T1, and tapered portions each having a second thickness T2. Each tapered portion 1) extends from one of said sides to said central portion up to 28% of the length of said retainer width, 2) tapers towards the inner surface of the retainer at an angle of 20° or less relative to said central portion, and 3) tapers away from the inner diameter surface of the outer ring.

Abstract: An angular contact bearing including an inner ring and an outer ring. Each ring includes a raceway. A plurality of balls are in rolling contact with the raceways. The bearing includes a retainer having a width being the distance between a first side and a second side of the retainer, an outer surface extending between the first side and the second side and an inner surface opposing the outer surface. The retainer also has a central portion having a first thickness T1, and tapered portions each having a second thickness T2. Each tapered portion 1) extends from one of said sides to said central portion up to 28% of the length of said retainer width, 2) tapers towards the inner surface of the retainer at an angle of 20° or less relative to said central portion, and 3) tapers away from the inner diameter surface of the outer ring.

Abstract: The retainer of the present invention is made of a composite material having a body made from a polymer, a layer of solid lubricant formed over the body by chemically coating the body with a porous layer of solid lubricant and impregnating the solid lubricant with another lubricant using conventional methods such as vacuum impregnation. The retainer is placed between an outer raceway and an inner raceway to form a self-lubricating bearing. The bearing made in this manner has high lubrication tolerance (i.e. it performs well in the absence of external lubrication). Because of its high lubrication tolerance, the bearing is suitable for use in various applications such as dental/medical hand pieces that are periodically sterilized and other applications which occasionally experience periods of lubrication starvation.

Abstract: The retainer of the present invention is made of a composite material having a body made from a polymer, a layer of solid lubricant formed over the body by chemically coating the body with a porous layer of solid lubricant and impregnating the solid lubricant with another lubricant using conventional methods such as vacuum impregnation. The retainer is placed between an outer raceway and an inner raceway to form a self-lubricating bearing. The bearing made in this manner has high lubrication tolerance (i.e. it performs well in the absence of external lubrication). Because of its high lubrication tolerance, the bearing is suitable for use in various applications such as dental/medical hand pieces that are periodically sterilized and other applications which occasionally experience periods of lubrication starvation.

Abstract: A high-speed bearing vibrational analysis system for testing a bearing includes a bearing holding member to accommodate a shaft and the bearing. The bearing holding member is adapted to rotate the bearing at high-speeds. The shaft is inserted into an accommodation portion of the bearing holding member. A vibration sensor is in contact with the bearing to detect vibrations of the bearing, while it is rotated at high speeds, and to transmit data for analysis. A computer system is provided for executing a software program that receives and analyzes the data from the vibration sensor.