US-12618440-B2 - Bearing assembly

US12618440B2US 12618440 B2US12618440 B2US 12618440B2US-12618440-B2

Abstract

Disclosed is a bearing assembly, in particular a large bearing assembly, including at least one inner ring and at least one outer ring, between which at least one circumferential seal is disposed that slips on a circumferential slip surface of the inner ring or of the outer ring, wherein guide channels are formed on the slip surface or the circumferential seal.

Inventors

Klaus Dahinten
Werner Schimmel
Jesko-Henning Tanke

Assignees

AKTIEBOLAGET SKF

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20210726
Priority Date: 20200731

Claims (6)

1 . A large bearing assembly comprising: at least one first bearing ring, at least one second bearing ring having a first slip surface, and a first seal having a seal lip, the first seal being mounted to the at least one first bearing ring with the seal lip in contact with the first slip surface, wherein the first slip surface includes guide channels, wherein the guide channels have a pitch of greater than or equal to 4 mm per rotation, wherein a circumferential distance between the guide channels is smaller than the pitch, wherein the at least one second bearing ring includes a second slip surface configured to be contacted by a seal lip of a second seal, wherein the second slip surface includes guide channels, and wherein the guide channels in the first slip surface are oriented oppositely to the guide channels in the second slip surface.
2 . A large bearing assembly comprising: at least one first bearing ring, at least one second bearing ring having a first slip surface, and a first seal having a seal lip, the first seal being mounted to the at least one first bearing ring with the seal lip in contact with the first slip surface, wherein the first slip surface includes guide channels, and wherein a circumferential distance between the guide channels is smaller than a pitch of the guide channels, and the circumferential distance between the guide channels is less than or equal to 0.1 mm.
3 . A large bearing assembly comprising: at least one first bearing ring, at least one second bearing ring having a first slip surface, and a first seal having a seal lip, the first seal being mounted to the at least one first bearing ring with the seal lip in contact with the first slip surface, wherein the first slip surface includes guide channels, wherein a circumferential distance between the guide channels is smaller than a pitch of the guide channels, and wherein the first slip surface has a surface roughness that is less than or equal to 0.1 μm.
4 . A large bearing assembly comprising: at least one first bearing ring, at least one second bearing ring having a first slip surface, and a first seal having a seal lip, the first seal being mounted to the at least one first bearing ring with the seal lip in contact with the first slip surface, wherein the first slip surface includes guide channels, wherein a circumferential distance between the guide channels is smaller than a pitch of the guide channels, wherein the at least one second bearing ring includes a second slip surface configured to be contacted by a seal lip of a second seal, wherein the second slip surface includes guide channels, and wherein the guide channels in the first slip surface are oriented oppositely to the guide channels in the second slip surface.
5 . A large bearing assembly comprising: at least one first bearing ring, at least one second bearing ring having a first slip surface, and a first seal having a seal lip, the first seal being mounted to the at least one first bearing ring with the seal lip in contact with the first slip surface, wherein the first slip surface includes guide channels, wherein a circumferential distance between the guide channels is smaller than a pitch of the guide channels, and wherein at least one of the guide channels extends at least 360 degrees around the at least one second bearing ring.
6 . A large bearing assembly comprising: at least one first bearing ring, at least one second bearing ring having a first slip surface, and a first seal having a seal lip, the first seal being mounted to the at least one first bearing ring with the seal lip in contact with the first slip surface, wherein the first slip surface includes guide channels, wherein a circumferential distance between the guide channels is smaller than a pitch of the guide channels, and wherein one of the guide channels is partially defined by a rib, and wherein the rib extends at least 360 degrees around the at least one second bearing ring.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE This application claims priority to German patent application no. 10 2020 209 677.5 filed on Jul. 31, 2020, the contents of which are fully incorporated herein by reference. TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a bearing assembly configured for improved sealing. BACKGROUND In bearing assemblies, for example, in large bearings, seals are used in order to seal the bearing inwardly and outwardly. In this way, for example, a leakage of lubricant can be prevented. In order to achieve a good seal tightness, a slip surface of the seal, i.e., a surface of the inner or outer ring on which the seal or a seal lip of the seal slips, is processed to make it as smooth as possible, for example, by grinding. With large bearing diameters, weight-optimized housings are often used that lead to an elasticity of the entire system. This elasticity can lead to deformations of the entire system and thus to deformations of the seal, which deformations result in a serpentine contact path between the seal and the slip surface. Deformations of the seal in the contact region of the seal to the slip surface can thus arise that are locally larger than the bearing experiences on average. These deformations can be relatively long due to the large seal diameter and reduce the sealing capacity of the seal. SUMMARY It is therefore an aspect of the present disclosure to provide a bearing assembly that compensates for reductions of seal capacity caused by deformations. The disclosed bearing assembly includes at least one inner ring and at least one outer ring, between which at least one circumferential seal is disposed that slips on a circumferential slip surface of the inner ring or the outer ring. The bearing assembly can in particular be a large bearing assembly having an outer diameter of more than 2 m, in particular more than 4 m. The bearing assembly can be configured as a rolling-element bearing, for example, as a ball bearing or roller bearing, but also as a plain bearing. As explained above, the sealing ability can be reduced by the deformation of the seal. In order to compensate for this reduced sealing ability, according to the bearing assembly proposed here it is provided to actively pump, inwardly or outwardly, a medium to be sealed against that could move through the seal due to the reduced sealing capacity. For this purpose, in the bearing assembly proposed here guide channels, in particular having constant, controlled orientation, are formed on the slip surface of the bearing ring. Alternatively in the bearing assembly proposed here, guide channels, in particular having constant, controlled orientation, are formed on the circumferential seal, preferably on a circumferential seal lip of the bearing assembly. In contrast to known slip surfaces, which are formed as smooth as possible in order to minimize the wear of the slipping seal lip, here controlled guide channels are introduced into the slip surface. Due to these guide channels, it can be achieved that the medium to be sealed against is pumped inward or outward, depending on the desired seal effect in the bearing assembly. Here the guide channels have a magnitude that exceeds the local deformations of the seal, or of a seal lip of the seal, and in operation thus generates a pumping effect relative to the seal lip. The medium to be sealed against can be a lubricant that is pumped through the guide channels into the bearing interior. Alternatively, for example, water, but also superfluous lubricant, can be pumped out from the bearing interior through the guide channels. The direction of the pumping effect can be changed by a changing of the rotational direction of the bearing assembly. The guide channels can be configured as a plurality of recesses in the slip surface. Alternatively the guide channels can be defined by spaces between ribs that are formed on the slip surface. Depending on the requirement, the guide channels and their pitch can be configured with different widths or slopes, wherein preferably the width of the guide channels is constant over the circumference of the slip surface. The guide channels can be configured as a plurality of recesses in the circumferential seal. Alternatively a seal lip can have a constant pitch circumferentially, and thus, in the manner of a thread of a screw, a circumferential screw-like recess between the circumferential passages of the seal lip. Thus the guide channels are formed having constant pitch between the circumferential seal lips. Alternatively a plurality of seal lips can also be formed circumferentially in the manner of a multiply threaded screw, and guide channels form between them. The guide channels are preferably distributed uniformly circumferentially. Due to the uniform distribution, the desired constant pitch can be ensured over the entire slip surface of the seal. According to a further embodiment, the guide channels have a separation defining the pitch of greater than or equal to 0.