Fully Circular Aperture For Ball Patents (Class 384/528)
  • Patent number: 10520033
    Abstract: A rolling-element bearing assembly includes an inner race and an outer race and a plurality of rolling elements between inner and outer races, the rolling elements being mounted in pockets between axial bridges of a cage having first and second axial side rings. One or both of the side rings has at least one corrugated surface, and the corrugations project axially and/or radially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Aktiebolaget SKF
    Inventors: Juergen Weiglein, Franziska Meyer
  • Patent number: 10151348
    Abstract: A bearing retainer for use in a bearing is provided. The bearing includes an inner ring, rolling elements and an outer ring. The bearing retainer has a body. The body defines an inner periphery and an outer periphery of the body. The body further defines a plurality of openings extending from the inner periphery to the outer periphery of the body. The plurality of openings are adapted to retain the rolling elements in a spaced apart relationship. The body further defines opposed faces extending from the inner periphery to the outer periphery of the body. The body further defines a plurality of face pockets formed in at least one of the faces of the body. The face pockets are adapted to storing lubrication. The body further includes a pathway from at least one face pocket of the body to the inner periphery of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Regal Beloit America, Inc.
    Inventor: Anil Venkatray Kamath
  • Patent number: 9416821
    Abstract: A cage for a rolling bearing having a film, formed on a surface thereof, which wears little over a long period of time from an initial stage of sliding contact between the film and rolling elements as well as other members and does not peel off the surface of a base material of the cage or dissolve in lubricating oil containing a sulfur-based additive and a rolling bearing having the cage. A cage (2) retains needle rollers (3) which are rolling elements of a needle rolling bearing (1). Of an entire outer surface of the cage (2), a tin alloy film consisting of tin and a metal other than the tin is formed on at least a sliding-contact surface of the cage (2) to be subjected to sliding contact with the needle rollers (3) and a sliding-contact surface thereof to be subjected to sliding contact with other members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoji Sato, Masami Tada, Hidenobu Mikami
  • Patent number: 9086093
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: NEW HAMPSHIRE BALL BEARINGS, INC.
    Inventor: Alex Metrikin
  • Patent number: 9022662
    Abstract: A retainer of synthetic resin is provided in such a way that abnormal heat generation in a bearing and wear of the retainer due to interference between the retainer and balls are less likely to arise while the bearing is rotating at a high speed. A retainer (5) of synthetic resin includes two annular members (10) made of synthetic resin and facing each other in the axial direction, the annular members defining therebetween a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart pockets (11) in which respective balls (4) are received. Concave spherical surfaces (23) are formed at the circumferential ends of the respective pockets (11) so as to extend along the outer peripheries of the balls (4), and cylindrical surfaces (22) are formed at the axial ends of the respective pockets (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Chiharu Ito, Hikaru Ishida
  • Patent number: 9004764
    Abstract: A linear guide assembly has a bar device, multiple partitions, multiple containing spaces and multiple rolling balls. The partitions are mounted between two bars of the bar device at intervals to form the containing spaces. The rolling balls are respectively and rotatably mounted in the containing spaces. Each partition has multiple first protrusions and multiple second protrusions. Each rolling ball is in point-contact with the first protrusions and the second protrusions of adjacent two of the partitions. With the point-contact configuration, an outer surface of each rolling ball is lubricated by much oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Precision Motion Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Meng-Yi Chen, Wayne Cheng
  • Patent number: 8864386
    Abstract: A roller bearing comprises an inner ring, an outer ring and an annular cage. The annular cage retains and guides at least one roller body. The annular cage comprises at least one pocket for retaining the roller body and at least one retaining rim disposed on one axial end of the pocket. The retaining rim extends at least in the radial direction relative to a main body of the cage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Aktiebolaget SKF
    Inventors: Aurelien Ghilbert-Simon, Helmut Hauck, Thomas Heege, Hubert Herbst, Sandra Kamm
  • Patent number: 8834033
    Abstract: A bearing includes a first race including first and second segments, forming aligned pairs of first surfaces, spaced angularly about an axis; a second race including second surfaces, each second surface aligned with one of the pairs of first surfaces; balls, each ball contacting the surfaces of the first and second races; and a cage retaining each ball and engaging the first and second segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Steven G. Thomas, Michael Tekletsion Berhan
  • Patent number: 8746983
    Abstract: A rolling bearing for a turbocharger, which has an outer ring with a first rolling element raceway, an inner ring with a second rolling element raceway, and several rolling elements accommodated in rolling element pockets of a rolling element cage. The rolling element cage has a guide surface, which is guided on an inner surface of the outer ring and arranged on a smaller radius than the radius of the first rolling element raceway. The rolling element cage has an extension, which is arranged over the circumference of the rolling element cage and extended annularly in the radial direction, on the side opposite the guide surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Christopher Mitchell, Christian Schaefer, Heiko Schmidt, Peter Solfrank
  • Publication number: 20120207419
    Abstract: A rolling body cage for a hall bearing in the form of a ring with receptacles, which are distributed over the circumference of the cage, for retaining and guiding rolling bodies. The receptacles are formed as cutouts which form spherically curved encircling retaining edges that are matched to the spherical surface of the rolling bodies and at which the rolling bodies can be snapped, in a self-retaining manner, in the cutouts such that they can be engaged around by the retaining edges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2010
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Fugel, Alexander Reimchen
  • Patent number: 7938584
    Abstract: A cage for inclined ball bearings with adjacent ball pockets separated from each other by webs. Elastically-deformable retainer lugs extend from the webs with flanks facing opposing directions and facing each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Schaeffler KG
    Inventors: Norbert Felis, Alexander Haepp
  • Publication number: 20100098366
    Abstract: A cage (5) for a ball bearing assembly has a pocket (11) for accommodating one of balls defined at a plurality of locations in a direction circumferentially thereof and each of the pockets has an inner surface so shaped as to represent a concaved spherical surface. A concaved portion (13) extending from an open edge on the cage inner diametric side towards the cage outer diametric side is provided in an inner surface of each of the pockets (11). The sectional shape of the inner surface of this concaved portion (13) in a cage circumferential direction is represented by an arcuate shape of a radius of curvature (Rb) smaller than the radius of curvature (Ra) of the concaved spherical surface defining the inner surface of the respective pocket (11). The inner surface of each of the pockets (11) may be formed with a film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2008
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Applicant: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Norihide Sato, Tomoya Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 7507028
    Abstract: A bearing assembly and method includes a two-piece ball bearing retainer. The retainer has a first set of fluid passage apertures penetrating into ball bearing sockets, and has a supplemental set of fluid passage apertures penetrating from one side of the retainer to the other. The two halves can be snap fit together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: SPX Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen L. Markle
  • Patent number: 7059776
    Abstract: An angular ball bearing is provided which can suppress runout of a retainer during high-speed rotation. A retainer of a synthetic resin is mounted between an outer ring and an inner ring, and balls are housed in pockets formed in the retainer. The pockets are cylindrical. Conical guide surfaces are formed on the cylindrical inner surface of each pocket at its inner-diameter end in the circumferential direction of the retainer. The radius of curvature of the conical guide surfaces at the large diameter ends thereof is greater than the radius of curvature of the cylindrical inner surfaces, thereby preventing the contact points between the balls and the conical guide surfaces from becoming markedly displaced in the diametric direction during high-speed rotation, and thus suppressing runout of the retainer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Umemitsu Kobayashi, Kaoru Ueno
  • Patent number: 7033081
    Abstract: A ball bearing in which an annular cage with a plurality of pockets formed through the annular cage is incorporated between inner and outer rings, a ball is housed in each pocket, the annular cage is guided by the outer ring, and a relationship between a radial clearance (guide clearance) ? of the annular cage with respect to the outer ring and an axial clearance (pocket clearance) ? of an inner wall face of the pocket with respect to the ball is set at ???.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seiji Tada
  • Patent number: 7033082
    Abstract: An angular contact ball bearing includes an outer ring having an outer ring race formed on an inner surface thereof, an inner ring having an inner ring race provided on the outer surface thereof, a plurality of rolling elements provided between the outer ring and the inner ring, an annular cage for retaining the rolling elements, and seals provided on openings between the respective ends of the inner and outer rings. The cage is made of a synthetic resin material and is supported through the guide of the rolling elements. The cage includes a plurality of cylindrical pockets arranged peripherally for retaining the rolling elements and a reduced diameter portion formed at ends of the pocket for regulating the radial movement of the cage while being in contact with the rolling element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Yakura, Takaaki Anzai, Yasushi Morita, Naoki Matsuyama
  • Patent number: 6969235
    Abstract: An air turbine starter for use in aircraft or other gas turbine engine applications. In a particular embodiment, the air turbine starter has a thrust bearing having an outer ring, an inner ring, a cage and balls. The outer ring has a first shoulder, a second shoulder and a race surface therebetween to receive the balls. The second shoulder is smaller than the first shoulder. The orientation of the cage is such that the pilot of the cage is aligned to the first shoulder of the outer ring. The raceway curvature of the inner ring, the internal clearance, and clearance between the pilot and outer ring are all increased. An improved thrust bearing is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert H. Feest
  • Publication number: 20040252925
    Abstract: A retainer for a ball bearing formed in a generally annular shape and having a plurality of pockets arranged in a circumferential direction, respectively, to rollably hold a plurality of balls along a pitch circle, respectively, the pockets each having an inner peripheral surface comprising a radially inner section which is located inward of the pitch circle of the balls in the radial direction of the retainer, and has an inner diameter larger than the diameter of the balls, such that the gap between the radially inner section of the inner peripheral surface of the pockets and the rolling surface of the balls gradually increases toward the opening of the pockets on the inner side in the radial direction of the retainer, and that the maximum inscribing circle of the opening of the pockets on the outer side in the radial direction of the retainer has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the balls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2003
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Inventor: Fusasuke Gotoh
  • Publication number: 20040234181
    Abstract: An angular ball bearing is provided which can suppress runout of a retainer during high-speed rotation. A retainer of a synthetic resin is mounted between an outer ring and an inner ring, and balls are housed in pockets formed in the retainer. The pockets are cylindrical. Conical guide surfaces are formed on the cylindrical inner surface of each pocket at its inner-diameter end in the circumferential direction of the retainer. The radius of curvature of the conical guide surfaces at the large diameter ends thereof is greater than the radius of curvature of the cylindrical inner surfaces, thereby preventing the contact points between the balls and the conical guide surfaces from markedly displacing in the diametric direction during high-speed rotation, and thus suppressing runout of the retainer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2004
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Inventors: Umemitsu Kobayashi, Kaoru Ueno
  • Patent number: 6749341
    Abstract: A ball bearing construction including a plurality of balls supported in a cage and each ball within a row is off-set relative to each other. In certain applications the rolling surface of the balls bear against the rotating shaft and the case enclosing the bearing. The number of balls and the number of rows are predicated on the particular application. This invention is particularly efficacious for use for medical instruments. In other embodiments an inner race and/or outer race can be utilized with this configured balls and cage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: The Anspach Effort, Inc.
    Inventor: Eddy Del Rio
  • Patent number: 6709163
    Abstract: A sheet-metal cage for rolling-contact bearings, comprising at least one cage segment which is bent into a circular shape, of a punched-out sheet-metal strip which interlocks in a dovetailed manner at the joint between segment ends, the joint being fixed with a plastic locking part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: FAG Industrial Bearings AG
    Inventor: Henri van der Knokke
  • Patent number: 6206575
    Abstract: The invention has plural plate-like members, each molded by a metal die using a synthetic resin material in a shape having pockets for retaining rolling elements. A shape obtained by mutually connecting each of the plural plate-like members with connecting portions at both ends is a substantially cylinder shape. A shape of a section between both end portions of each plate-like member has a convex warped shape constituting a part of the cylinder by being subjected to a distortion action owing to heat contraction after being molded by the metal die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsugio Matsushita, Shigetaka Ashida
  • Patent number: 6010248
    Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide a pressed retainer which can meet requirements for operation at high temperature and high speed, can sufficiently retain lubricant, does not allow ceramic balls, if used, to cut away track surfaces and is superior in wear resistance, and also intended to provide a ball bearing comprising the pressed retainer.In order to solve problems, in the pressed retainer, wherein two ring-shaped retainer plates, having ball retaining portions and flat portions at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction thereof, are combined to face with each other so as to form pockets for accommodating balls, a first spherical concave portion and a second spherical concave portion having a curvature radius smaller than that of the first spherical concave portion are formed at the ball retaining portions, and a nitrided layer is formed on the surfaces of the ring-shaped retainer plates. The ball bearing of the present invention uses the pressed retainer and ceramic balls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ueno, Kazuhisa Kajihara, Ikuo Ito
  • Patent number: 5906441
    Abstract: The inlet diameter A of the outer side of a pocket 4a is larger than the diameter Dw of a ball 3 to be housed. The inner side section of the wall surface of the pocket 4a is drawn with a spherical surface 4a1 of the radius R of curvature {the dimension obtained by adding the pocket clearance (corresponding to one side) to the radius (Dw/2) of a ball 3}, the center of curvature of which is made point 0 (the intersection of the pitch circle of the ball 3 and the contact angle line L), the outer side section of the wall surface of the pocket 4a is drawn with a cylindrical surface 4a2 of the radius R of curvature having its center of curvature on the contact angle line L, and the spherical surface 4a1 of the inner side is smoothly continued with the cylindrical surface 4a2 of the outer side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1999
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventor: Shinji Seki
  • Patent number: 5642945
    Abstract: A ball bearing assembly is provided with a ball retainer having a radially extending guide portion that serves to guide the ball retainer relative to either an inner or an outer ring of the ball bearing assembly. The ball retainer is provided with a series of ball pockets with each of the ball pockets having a central cylindrical portion that transitions smoothly into inner and outer portions having spherical configurations. The diameter of the central cylindrical portion is smaller than the diameters of the inner and outer spherical portions. The configurations of the ball pockets ensures that a clearance will be maintained between each of the balls and the edge portions of the ball pockets even when the ball retainer is deflected relative to the inner and outer rings of the ball bearing assembly. The internal configuration of the ball pockets ensures that the amount of lubricant retained within the ball pockets is optimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1997
    Assignee: Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinji Abe
  • Patent number: 5394284
    Abstract: The instability of a cage in a precision ball bearing at high speeds may be eliminated by controlling the position of the cage. The control of a position of a cage is accomplished by forming three ball pockets or holes in the cage for the balls of the ball bearing assembly to a dimension that will result in a tight running fit between the ball and the ball pocket. A tight running fit between the ball and the cage is found in three of the ball pockets in a ball bearing assembly while the diameter of the large ball pockets or other remaining ball pockets is enlarged to provide a clearance between the balls and the cage which is at least twice the clearance between the ball and the guide ball pocket having the tight running fit, and preferably three to five times that clearance. When properly lubricated, the tight running fit will insure stabilization and control of the cage so that the cage remains stable at high rotational speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1995
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corp.
    Inventors: Glenn A. Benson, Peter M. Herman, Richard W. Luoma
  • Patent number: 5230570
    Abstract: A high performance rolling element bearing (5) which is particularly suitable for use in a cryogenically cooled environment, comprises a composite cage (45) formed from glass fibers disposed in a solid lubricant matrix of a fluorocarbon polymer. The cage includes inserts (50) formed from a mixture of a soft metal and a solid lubricant such as a fluorocarbon polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1993
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Roger W. Bursey, Jr., John B. Olinger, Jr., Samuel S. Owen, William E. Poole, David A. Haluck
  • Patent number: 5122001
    Abstract: A split ring antifriction bearing retainer assembled from two mating annular split rings. Each split ring has a plurality of ball pockets. When the two split rings are assembled, the ball pockets of one split ring are aligned with the ball pockets of the other split ring. The ends of one split ring are angularly offset from the ends of the other split ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1992
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventors: Richard L. Alling, Richard W. Shepard
  • Patent number: 4844628
    Abstract: A cage for an antifriction bearing is an elongate strip of injection molded plastic in the form of individual cage sections. Each section has lateral sides and cross webs which together define a pocket for a respective bearing rolling element. Adjacent cage sections are connected by thin strip connecting webs which are of a length to define an open space between adjacent sections. Respective connecting hooks are defined at the cross webs of each cage section. Following separation of two sections by breaking the connecting webs therebetween, the sections can be later reconnected for defining a complete circular cage by hooking the respective hooks at the cross webs of the neighboring sections to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1989
    Assignee: FAG Kugelfischer Georg Schafer (KGaA)
    Inventor: Bernhard Knappe