JP6414663B2 - Rolling bearing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a rolling bearing device.

Conventionally, grease lubrication has been widely used as a lubrication method for rolling bearing devices.
In grease lubrication, in order to maintain the lubrication performance even under severe lubrication conditions such as high temperature, high speed rotation, and heavy load, a grease reservoir is provided in the outer ring spacer of the bearing, and the base oil contained in the grease held in the grease reservoir Is supplied into the bearing. As rolling bearing devices having this type of mechanism, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 below are known.

  Patent Document 1 discloses an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of balls as rolling elements interposed between the inner ring and the outer ring, a cage for holding the plurality of balls at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction, and the inner ring. A seal that seals one axial end of the annular space between the outer ring and the outer ring, and an annular grease reservoir that is provided close to the annular groove adjacent to the guide surface of the outer ring that guides the rotation of the cage. A rolling bearing device comprising a member is disclosed.

  Patent Document 2 discloses communication between an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of rolling elements interposed between raceways of the inner and outer rings, a grease pool forming component provided in contact with the outer ring, and the vicinity of the raceway surface of the outer ring from the grease pool. A rolling bearing provided with a gap forming piece that forms a gap along the inner surface of the outer ring is disclosed.

International Publication No. 2010/010897 JP 2005-180629 A

  If you continue to use a grease-filled type rolling bearing device, cracks (voids) may occur near the communication path between the grease reservoir and the bearing as the base oil contained in the grease in the grease reservoir is supplied. There is. If this crack continues over the entire circumference, the grease base oil in the vicinity of the bearing will be depleted and the supply of base oil to the rolling bearing will cease even though grease remains in the grease reservoir. Will occur. When the supply of the base oil is interrupted, the lubrication performance of the bearing is lost when the base oil in the rolling bearing is completely consumed, and thereafter it is difficult to use the rolling bearing device for a long period of time.

  On the other hand, Patent Document 2 discloses a structure in which a minute gap is formed between an outer ring and a gap forming piece, so that the base oil of grease can be supplied to the vicinity of the raceway surface of the outer ring. Attempts to achieve this are disclosed. However, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a problem that the structure is complicated because it is necessary to precisely design the shape of the gap forming piece to form a minute gap.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a rolling bearing device that has a simple structure and can continue to supply the base oil contained in the grease to the bearing over a long period of time, thereby realizing a long life. It is.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 includes a rolling bearing (3) having an inner ring (5), an outer ring (6), and a plurality of rolling elements (7) disposed between the inner and outer rings. The grease bearing is adjacent to one side in the axial direction of the rolling bearing and is formed in a groove shape along the circumferential direction. The grease reservoir (25) stores grease (G), and the grease reservoir is stored in a plurality of storage chambers (41). A spacer (4, 15, 16, 18) in which a plurality of partition walls (40; 240) partitioned in the circumferential direction and a flow passage (24) communicating the respective storage chambers with the inside of the rolling bearing are formed. look including the door, between the partition wall in one circumferential direction which is defined by and / or the other circumferential side of said grease is received in the receiving chamber and the partition wall between said from said flow passage Along the axial direction of the seat Grooves toward the side are formed, the rolling bearing device; providing (1 201).

The invention described in 請 Motomeko 2, the partition wall (240) is formed by using a porous material, a rolling bearing device according to claim 1.

Invention of Claim 3 is a rolling bearing apparatus of Claim 2 with which the edge part (240B) by the side of the said rolling bearing in the axial direction of the said partition wall is contacting the said rolling bearing.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the partition wall is provided on a separate member from the spacer and extends to the back part of the grease reservoir, and an end part on the back side of the partition wall ( 40A; 240A) is a rolling bearing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , which is fitted and fixed to the spacer.

  In the above description, numbers in parentheses represent reference numerals of corresponding components in the embodiments described later, but the scope of the claims is not limited by these reference numerals.

  According to the structure of Claim 1, grease is accommodated in each of the some storage chamber divided by the partition wall. Since the grease in adjacent storage chambers is divided by the partition wall, even if grease cracks occur in the grease in a storage chamber, the propagation of the grease cracks converges in the storage chamber. Can be kept in chamber grease. As a result, the grease in the storage chamber adjacent to the storage chamber is not affected by grease cracking, and the grease base oil can be continuously supplied. Therefore, even if a grease crack occurs, the supply of the base oil to the rolling bearing can be continued. In addition, since it is only necessary to provide a partition wall in the grease reservoir, it is possible to prevent the structure of the rolling bearing device from becoming complicated. Thereby, the base oil contained in the grease can be continuously supplied to the rolling bearing over a long period of time, and the life of the rolling bearing can be extended.

Further , a groove is formed between the partition wall and the grease on one side in the circumferential direction and / or the other side in the circumferential direction. The base oil contained in the grease can be preferentially supplied to the flow path from the surface of the grease formed by the grooves. As a result, a base oil flow is formed in the axial direction from the back of the grease reservoir toward the flow passage. As a result, base oil can be sequentially supplied to the rolling bearing by effectively using the base oil of the grease at the back of the grease reservoir. In addition, since a plurality of grooves between the grease and the partition wall are provided, the surface area of the grease surface is increased, and as a result, the supply amount of the base oil from the surface of the grease can be increased. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the grease from cracking along the circumferential direction of the spacer and to prevent the base oil from being depleted in the vicinity of the rolling bearing even if the grease crack occurs.

In addition, since the grease in the adjacent storage chamber is divided by the partition wall, it is possible to prevent the grease in the adjacent storage chamber from being connected even when vibrations caused by the rotation of the rolling bearing act on the grease reservoir. Therefore, the disappearance of the groove can be prevented. Thereby, the state where the surface of the grease is exposed can be maintained for a long time.
According to the configuration of the second aspect , since the partition wall is formed using the porous material, the base oil contained in the surrounding grease can permeate the partition wall due to the capillary phenomenon of the porous material. is there. By leaving the grease storage chamber filled with grease, the base oil contained in the grease around the partition wall is absorbed by the partition wall, and a groove is formed around the partition wall. Thereby , a groove can be easily formed without using any jig.

According to the structure of Claim 3 , the edge part of the axial direction front side of the partition wall formed using the porous material is contacting the rolling bearing. Since the partition wall is formed using a porous material, the base oil contained in the grease penetrates the partition wall. Since the end on the rolling bearing side of the partition wall into which the base oil has permeated is in contact with the rolling bearing, the base oil can be directly supplied to the rolling bearing through the partition wall. Since the base oil penetrating the partition wall does not cause grease cracking, the base oil contained in the grease can be continuously supplied to the rolling bearing for a longer period of time.

According to the configuration of the fourth aspect, since the end portion on the back side of the partition wall is fitted and fixed to the spacer, the partition wall can be firmly provided in the grease reservoir .

It is sectional drawing of the rolling bearing apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the grease storage member of FIG. 1, Comprising: The surface corresponding to the cross section which appears when a rolling bearing apparatus is cut | disconnected by the II-II line of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the flow of the base oil contained in grease. It is sectional drawing of the rolling bearing apparatus for demonstrating the process relevant to formation of the groove | channel of FIG. 2 to process order. It is sectional drawing of the rolling bearing apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the flow of the base oil contained in grease. It is sectional drawing of the rolling bearing apparatus for demonstrating the process relevant to formation of the groove | channel of FIG. 5 in order of a process.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a rolling bearing device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the grease storage member 4 of FIG. 1 and shows a surface corresponding to a cross section that appears when the rolling bearing device 1 is cut along the line II-II of FIG.
The rolling bearing device 1 is a device that supports, for example, a main shaft (a shaft on which a rolling bearing is supported) 2 of a machine tool.

Referring to FIG. 1, a rolling bearing device 1 includes a rolling bearing 3 composed of an angular ball bearing, and a grease storage member 4 as an example of a spacer of the present invention provided adjacent to the rolling bearing 3.
As shown in FIG. 1, the rolling bearing 3 is interposed between an inner ring 5 fitted on the main shaft 2, an outer ring 6 fitted on a housing (not shown) of a machine tool, and the inner ring 5 and the outer ring 6. Rolling element 7, cylindrical retainer 8 that holds the plurality of rolling elements 7 at regular intervals in the circumferential direction Y, and the axial direction of the annular space between the inner ring 5 and the outer ring 6 (axial direction of the main shaft 2) And a seal 9 that seals one end of X (the right end in FIG. 1 and the end opposite to the grease storage member 4). In FIG. 1, an angular ball bearing is employed as the rolling bearing 3, but a deep groove ball bearing may be employed instead of this, and a cylindrical roller bearing or a tapered roller bearing may also be employed.

An inner ring raceway surface 10 for rolling the rolling elements 7 is formed at the center in the axial direction X of the outer periphery of the inner ring 5. Further, first seal grooves 11 are formed at both ends in the axial direction X of the outer periphery of the inner ring 5. An inner peripheral portion (seal lip) of the seal 9 is fitted in the first seal groove 11 on the side farther from the grease storage member 4 in the axial direction X (right side in FIG. 1).
An outer ring raceway surface 12 for rolling the rolling elements 7 is formed at the center in the axial direction X of the inner periphery of the outer ring 6. Second seal grooves 13 are formed at both ends in the axial direction X of the inner periphery of the outer ring 6. The outer peripheral portion (seal lip) of the seal 9 is fitted in the second seal groove 13 on the side farther from the grease storage member 4 in the axial direction X (right side in FIG. 1).

The second seal groove 13 on the side close to the grease storage member 4 (left side in FIG. 1) in the axial direction X functions as an annular groove 14 for storing the grease G. The annular groove 14 is constituted by an annular recess formed at the end of the outer ring 6 on the side close to the grease storage member 4. The annular groove 14 is filled with grease G for initial lubrication in advance.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the grease storage member 4 includes an inner ring spacer 15 so that an annular space 17 is formed between the inner ring spacer 15 fitted on the main shaft 2 and the inner ring spacer 15. And an outer ring spacer 16 fitted into a housing (not shown) of a machine tool, and an oil storage ring 18 disposed in an annular space 17 between the inner ring spacer 15 and the outer ring spacer 16. Including.

  The inner ring spacer 15 is formed in a cylindrical shape in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the main shaft 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the inner ring spacer 15 externally fitted to the main shaft 2 is positioned in a state where one end face in the axial direction X is in contact with the end face of the inner ring 5. This positioning is performed by spacers K1 and K2 that sandwich a cylindrical body including the inner ring 5 and the inner ring spacer 15 from both sides in the axial direction X. The spacers K1 and K2 are fixed to the main shaft 2, respectively.

  The outer ring spacer 16 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape integrally including a cylindrical peripheral wall 19 and an annular plate-shaped bottom wall 20 extending radially inward from a peripheral edge on one end side in the axial direction of the peripheral wall 19. . By fitting the outer ring spacer 16 to the inner ring spacer 15 through the central opening of the bottom wall 20, the side facing the rolling bearing 3 is opened between the outer ring spacer 16 and the inner ring spacer 15. An annular space 17 is defined in which the opposite side is closed by the bottom wall 20. In the following description, the “axial direction of the outer ring spacer 16” refers to the axial direction of the peripheral wall 19 of the outer ring spacer 16 and corresponds to the axial direction X of the main shaft 2 in this embodiment.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the outer ring spacer 16 is positioned in a state where one end face in the axial direction X is in contact with the end face of the outer ring 6. This positioning is performed, for example, by a positioning member (not shown) fixed to a housing (not shown).
The oil storage ring 18 is radially outward from the peripheral edge of the outer ring spacer 16 on the bottom wall 20 side with respect to the cylindrical portion 21 along the inner ring spacer 15 that forms the inner peripheral surface of the annular space 17 and the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 21. And an annular plate-shaped rear flange portion 22 extending in the direction of the inner surface and an annular plate-shaped supply flange portion 23 extending radially outward from the opposite peripheral edge. An annular integral grease reservoir 25 having an opening 24 facing the rolling bearing 3 is defined by the peripheral wall 19 of the outer ring spacer 16, the cylindrical portion 21 constituting the oil storage ring 18, the back side flange portion 22 and the supply side flange portion 23. ing.

  The supply-side flange portion 23 of the oil storage ring 18 is located in the inner region of the annular groove 14 by entering the inside of the rolling bearing 3, that is, between the inner ring 5 and the outer ring 6. The supply side flange portion 23 is formed with a smaller diameter than the back side flange portion 22. Specifically, the rear flange portion 22 is formed with a diameter that is substantially contained in the annular space 17 so that the outer peripheral surface thereof contacts the peripheral wall 19 of the outer ring spacer 16 when the oil storage ring 18 is accommodated in the annular space 17. Has been. On the other hand, the supply-side flange 23 has a smaller diameter than the back-side flange portion 22, thereby forming an annular gap between the supply-side flange 23 and the peripheral wall 19 of the outer ring spacer 16. An opening 24 is formed as an example of the flow passage of the present invention that allows flow through the pool 25 and the inside of the rolling bearing 3 (annular groove 14).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the grease reservoir 25 is partitioned into a plurality (for example, six in FIG. 2) of storage chambers 41 by a plurality of (for example, six in FIG. 2) partition walls 40. Grease G is accommodated in each accommodation chamber 41. The plurality of partition walls 40 are arranged at regular intervals along the circumferential direction of the outer ring spacer 16. For example, in FIG. 2, a total of six partition walls 40 are formed every 60 degrees around the circumferential direction of the outer ring spacer 16. Each partition wall 40 is arranged along the axial direction of the outer ring spacer 16 and the radial direction of the outer ring spacer 16. Each partition wall 40 is provided as a separate member from the grease storage member 4. Each partition wall 40 is formed using, for example, steel. Further, the shape of the partition wall 40 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a flat plate shape as shown in FIG. 2, an elliptical column shape, a triangular column shape, or the like.

  Each partition wall 40 is provided over the entire range from the opening 24 of the grease reservoir 25 to the rear flange portion 22 of the oil storage ring 18 in the axial direction of the outer ring spacer 16, and the outer ring spacer. 16 is provided over the entire range from the cylindrical portion 21 of the oil storage ring 18 to the peripheral wall 19 of the outer ring spacer 16. An end 40A (see FIG. 3B) on the back side of the partition wall 40 is fitted and fixed to the back flange 22 of the oil storage ring 18. In the flange portion 22, a plurality (for example, six) of fitting grooves 42 (see FIG. 3B) along the radial direction of the outer ring spacer 16 are totaled every 60 degrees around the circumferential direction of the outer ring spacer 16. Six of them are formed, and the end 40 </ b> A on the back side of the partition wall 40 is adhesively fixed to the fitting groove 42 in a state of fitting into the fitting groove 42. Therefore, each partition wall 40 can be firmly provided in the grease reservoir 25.

  In addition, the grease storage member 4 is formed with an opening 26 that continuously passes through the bottom wall 20 of the outer ring spacer 16 and the rear flange portion 22 of the oil storage ring 18. In this embodiment, the opening 26 has a relatively large first opening 26L formed at regular intervals along the circumferential direction of the outer ring spacer 16 and a second opening 26S smaller than the first opening 26L. Including. For example, the first opening 26 </ b> L is formed with a diameter substantially the same as the width of the grease reservoir 25 in the radial direction of the oil storage ring 18. The first openings 26L and the second openings 26S may be arranged alternately as shown in FIG. 2, or a plurality of each may be arranged together.

Screws are formed on the inner peripheral surfaces of the openings 26L and 26S. The oil storage ring 18 is fixed to the outer ring spacer 16 by screwing a bolt 27 into the screw.
As the grease G filled in the grease reservoir 25 and the annular groove 14, a grease compound containing urea compound, Ba complex soap, Li complex soap, or the like as a thickener and ester, polyalphaolefin, or the like as a base oil can be used. . In order to supply the base oil to the rolling bearing 3 over a long period of time, it is necessary to keep the grease G in the grease reservoir 25. Therefore, in order to suppress the flow of the grease G, the grease G has a certain degree of viscosity. It is preferable to have

  As shown in FIG. 2, first and second grooves 28 and 31 are formed in the grease G so as to be adjacent to the partition walls 40. A first circumferential groove 28 is formed adjacent to one side of each partition wall 40 in the circumferential direction of the outer ring spacer 16 (clockwise in FIG. 2). A second circumferential groove 31 is formed adjacent to the other circumferential side (counterclockwise in FIG. 2) of the outer ring spacer 16 of each partition wall 40. That is, a total of six pairs of the first and second circumferential grooves 28 and 31 sandwich the corresponding partition wall 40 and are formed every 60 degrees around the circumferential direction of the outer ring spacer 16. The pair is disposed so as to face the first opening 26L.

  Each first groove 28 is an axial groove dug into the back side of the grease reservoir 25 along the axial direction of the outer ring spacer 16 from the side facing the opening 24 of the grease G (see FIG. 1). . Each first groove 28 has a longitudinal direction along the radial direction of the outer ring spacer 16. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the first groove 28 extends along the radial direction from the central axis of the outer ring spacer 16 toward the outer periphery when the first groove 28 is viewed from the axial direction of the outer ring spacer 16. The outer ring spacer 16 has a width W shorter than the length L along the circumferential direction around the central axis of the outer ring spacer 16. In particular, the length L is determined by overlapping the first groove 28 with the supply side flange portion 23 (see FIG. 1) of the oil storage ring 18 in the radial direction of the outer ring spacer 16. The opening width W2 in the circumferential direction is preferably larger. More specifically, in this embodiment, each first groove 28 has a full range from the opening 24 of the grease reservoir 25 to the inner flange portion 22 of the oil storage ring 18 with respect to the axial direction of the outer ring spacer 16. And in the radial direction of the outer ring spacer 16, it is formed over the entire range from the cylindrical portion 21 of the oil storage ring 18 to the peripheral wall 19 of the outer ring spacer 16.

  Each second groove 31 is an axial groove dug into the back side of the grease reservoir 25 along the axial direction of the outer ring spacer 16 from the side facing the opening 24 of the grease G (see FIG. 1). . Each second groove 31 has a longitudinal direction along the radial direction of the outer ring spacer 16. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, when the second groove 31 is viewed from the axial direction of the outer ring spacer 16, the second groove 31 extends along the radial direction from the axis of the outer ring spacer 16 toward the outer periphery. It has a relatively long length L and has a width W shorter than the length L along the circumferential direction around the axis of the outer ring spacer 16. More specifically, in this embodiment, each first groove 28 has a full range from the opening 24 of the grease reservoir 25 to the inner flange portion 22 of the oil storage ring 18 with respect to the axial direction of the outer ring spacer 16. And in the radial direction of the outer ring spacer 16, it is formed over the entire range from the cylindrical portion 21 of the oil storage ring 18 to the peripheral wall 19 of the outer ring spacer 16. In FIG. 2, the case where the width of the second groove 31 is equal to the width of the first groove 28 is taken as an example, but the size of the width of the second groove 31 is the first groove 28. The width may be different.

  As described above, the grease reservoir 25 is divided into a plurality of (for example, six) storage chambers 41, and the grease G is stored in each of the storage chambers 41. Therefore, the grease G is divided by the plurality of partition walls 40. Has been. First and second grooves 28, 31 are formed adjacent to each partition wall 40, and the first and second grooves 28, 31 extend over the entire axial range of the outer ring spacer 16. The grease G is divided not only by the partition wall 40 but also by the first and second grooves 28 and 31 because the outer ring spacer 16 is formed over the entire radial range. It can be said that. Further, in the configuration in which the partition wall 40 is sandwiched between the first and second grooves 28 and 31 as described above, the partition wall 40 is provided inside the first and second grooves 28 and 31 that divide the grease G. It can be rephrased as a configuration.

  Accordingly, the grease G is divided into a plurality of sections 29 (six sections in FIG. 2) along the circumferential direction of the outer ring spacer 16 by the first and second grooves 28 and 31 and the partition wall 40. Yes. The grease G stored in one storage chamber 41 is one section 29. The section 29 of each grease G has an end face 30 (a surface of the grease G formed by the second groove 31, hereinafter referred to as “one side end face 30”) at one end in the circumferential direction of the outer ring spacer 16. The groove 31 is exposed in an area wider than 24 facing areas. The section 29 of each grease G has an end face 32 at the other end in the circumferential direction of the outer ring spacer 16 (the surface of the grease G formed by the first groove 28; hereinafter referred to as “the other end face 32”). However, it is exposed to the groove 28 in an area wider than the area opposed to the opening 24.

3 is a view for explaining the flow of the base oil contained in the grease G. FIG. 3 (a) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 (b) is a rolling bearing. It is sectional drawing which appears when the apparatus 1 is cut | disconnected by the IIIb-IIIb line | wire of Fig.3 (a).
Next, the flow of the base oil of the grease G filled in the grease reservoir 25 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3, in the rolling bearing device 1, the grease G for initial lubrication is filled in the annular groove 14 of the rolling bearing 3, and the grease G for replenishment is filled in the grease reservoir 25. The grease G in the annular groove 14 and the grease G in the grease reservoir 25 are connected to each other. Therefore, when the base oil of the grease G in the annular groove 14 is consumed by the operation of the rolling bearing 3, the base oil of the grease G stored in the grease reservoir 25 permeates and moves toward the rolling bearing 3 according to the consumption. To do.

  At this time, the first and second grooves 28 and 31 are formed in the grease G of the grease reservoir 25, the one end face 30 of the grease G is exposed to the second groove 31, and the other end face 32 of the grease G is used. Is exposed to the second groove 28, the supply of the base oil of the grease G is performed preferentially from the one end face 30 and the other end face 32 rather than the region facing the opening 24 of the grease G. . As a result, the base oil is consumed from the one end face 30 and the other end face 32 side of the grease G, the one end face 30 and the other end face 32 are recessed, and the first groove 28 is in the circumferential direction of the outer ring spacer 16. 2 (clockwise in FIG. 2; upward in FIG. 3B) and bulges to the other side in the circumferential direction of the outer ring spacer 16 (counterclockwise in FIG. 2; FIG. 3B). 3) (see FIG. 3B). With this expansion, the flow of base oil in the axial direction X of the outer ring spacer 16 from the back side of the grease reservoir 25 toward the opening 24 as shown by solid arrows in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b). Is formed. As a result, the base oil of the grease G on the inner side of the grease reservoir 25 can be effectively used to sequentially supply the base oil to the rolling bearing 3 (annular groove 14).

  In addition, since the adjacent sections 29 are separated by the partition wall 40, it is possible to avoid the adjacent sections 29 from being connected even when vibration or the like accompanying the rotation of the rolling bearing 3 acts on the grease reservoir 25. Therefore, the disappearance of the grooves 28 and 31 can be prevented. Thereby, the state which the end surfaces 30 and 32 of the section 29 exposed can be hold | maintained over a long period of time.

  Furthermore, since one section 29 is physically separated from the adjacent sections 29 by the grooves 28, even if a grease crack occurs in one section 29, the propagation of the grease crack is Since it converges in the groove 28 that sandwiches the generated section 29, the grease crack can be retained in one section 29. As a result, the base oil of the grease G can be continuously supplied to the sections 29 adjacent to the section 29 without being affected by grease cracking. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the grease G from cracking along the circumferential direction of the outer ring spacer 16 and to prevent the base oil from being depleted in the vicinity of the rolling bearing 3 even if the grease crack occurs.

  As described above, the base oil of the grease G can be continuously supplied to the rolling bearing 3 for a long period of time, and the life of the lubricating performance of the rolling bearing 3 can be increased. Moreover, since the partition wall 40 is provided in the grease reservoir 25 and the first and second grooves 28 and 31 need only be formed in the grease G of the grease reservoir 25, the structure of the rolling bearing device 1 is complicated. It can also be prevented.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the first and second grooves 28, 31 are in the entire range from the opening 24 of the grease reservoir 25 to the rear flange portion 22 of the oil storage ring 18 with respect to the axial direction of the outer ring spacer 16. (See FIG. 3 (b)) and over the entire range from the cylindrical portion 21 of the oil storage ring 18 to the peripheral wall 19 of the outer ring spacer 16 with respect to the radial direction of the outer ring spacer 16. (See FIG. 2). Accordingly, since the surface area of the one end face 30 of the grease G can be maximized in the grease reservoir 25 having a limited size, the axial direction X of the outer ring spacer 16 from the inner side of the grease reservoir 25 toward the opening 24 can be achieved. In addition, the base oil flow can be generated efficiently.

  In addition, a plurality of combinations of the first and second grooves 28 and 31 and the partition wall 40 are provided. Also by this configuration, the total surface area of the one end face 30 of the grease G and the other end face 32 of the grease G are also provided. Thus, the base oil flow can be efficiently generated in the axial direction X of the outer ring spacer 16 from the inner side of the grease reservoir 25 toward the opening 24.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the rolling bearing device 1 for explaining the steps related to the formation of the grooves 28 and 31 of the grease G in FIG.
The grooves 28 and 31 of the grease G described above can be formed, for example, by the steps shown in FIGS. 4 (a) to 4 (c).
Specifically, first, after assembling the grease storage member 4 by fitting the inner ring spacer 15, the outer ring spacer 16 and the oil storage ring 18 to each other, as shown in FIG. In the grease reservoir 25 at both positions in the circumferential direction of the outer ring spacer 16 across the partition wall 40 from the back side of the outer ring spacer 16 (opposite the grease reservoir 25) via the first opening 26L). First and second spacers 36 and 37 are inserted. The first spacer 36 is formed in the same shape as the shape of the first groove 28 designed in advance. The second spacer 37 is formed in the same shape as the shape of the second groove 31 designed in advance.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4 (b), the grease G is filled into each storage chamber 41 of the grease reservoir 25 through the opening 24. At this time, the grease G is filled so as to avoid the partition wall 40 and the first and second spacers 36 and 37.
Then, as shown in FIG. 4 (c), the first and second spacers 36 and 37 are extracted to the back side of the outer ring spacer 16 using the opening 26 used for insertion. Thereby, in the grease reservoir 25, the first groove 28 is formed at the position where the first spacer 36 is disposed, and the second groove 31 is formed at the position where the second spacer 37 is disposed. The

As described above, the first and second grooves 28 and 31 can be formed only by a simple operation of putting the spacers 36 and 37 into and out of the grease reservoir 25.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a rolling bearing device 201 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a view for explaining the flow of the base oil contained in the grease G. 6A is an enlarged cross-sectional view, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view that appears when the rolling bearing device is cut along line VIb-VIb in FIG. 6A.

  In the second embodiment, portions corresponding to the respective portions shown in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 to 4 and description thereof is omitted. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a partition wall 240 made of a porous material is provided instead of the steel partition wall 40. Hereinafter, the difference between the partition wall 240 and the partition wall 40 will be mainly described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

  The porous material is made of, for example, urethane resin, polyethylene resin, acrylic resin, or silicon. Moreover, the porous material may be comprised with the sintered compact. The base oil can permeate the partition wall 240 due to the capillary phenomenon in the porous material. Therefore, the base oil contained in the grease G penetrates the partition wall 240 in a state where the grease G is accommodated in the grease reservoir 25 (accommodating chamber 41).

  Each partition wall 240 is provided over the entire range of the outer ring spacer 16 in the axial direction and the entire range of the outer ring spacer 16 in the radial direction, like the partition wall 40. However, unlike the partition wall 40, the outer peripheral portion of the partition wall 240 projects in the axial direction of the outer ring spacer 16. The overhanging portion 240C of the partition wall 240 extends toward the rolling bearing 3 through the opening 24 of the grease reservoir 25 in the axial direction of the outer ring spacer 16, and the end 240B on the front side thereof is the outer ring that defines the annular groove 14. 6 steps 210 are in contact. The step portion 210 is connected to the outer ring raceway surface 12.

Further, as described below, the first and second grooves 28 and 31 according to the present embodiment are formed by the base oil contained in the grease G around the partition wall 240 being absorbed by the partition wall 240. Therefore, the shape and size of the first and second grooves 28 and 31 in the axial direction and the radial direction of the outer ring spacer 16 are made equal to those of the partition wall 240.
Since the front end 240B of the partition wall 240 into which the base oil contained in the grease G penetrates is in contact with the step portion 210, the base oil is supplied to the step portion 210 of the outer ring 6 through the partition wall 240. Is done. Grease cracking does not occur in the base oil penetrating the partition wall 240. Therefore, the base oil contained in the grease G can be continuously supplied to the outer ring 6 even when the grease G in the grease reservoir 25 is cracked. As a result, the base oil contained in the grease G can be continuously supplied to the rolling bearing 3 for a longer period of time.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the rolling bearing device 1 for explaining the steps related to the formation of the grooves 28 and 31 of the grease G in FIG. 5 in the order of steps.
The grooves 28 and 31 of the grease G described above can be formed by, for example, the steps shown in FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b).
Specifically, first, after assembling the grease storage member 4 by fitting the inner ring spacer 15, the outer ring spacer 16 and the oil storage ring 18 to each other, as shown in FIG. Then, the grease G is filled in each storage chamber 41 of the grease reservoir 25. At this time, the grease G is filled so as to avoid the partition wall 240. And it is left still as it is. Since the partition wall 240 is formed using a porous material, the partition wall 240 can absorb the base oil due to a capillary phenomenon in the porous material. Accordingly, with the passage of time, the base oil contained in the grease G around the partition wall 240 is absorbed by the partition wall 240, and the outer ring spacer 16 of the partition wall 240 as shown in FIG. 7B. First and second grooves 28 and 31 are formed on both sides in the circumferential direction. As described above, the first and second grooves 28 and 31 can be formed only by an extremely simple operation of filling each storage chamber 41 with the grease G without using any jig.

As mentioned above, although two embodiment of this invention was described, this invention can also be implemented with another form.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the grooves 28 and 31 are formed in both the circumferential directions of the outer ring spacer 16 of the partition walls 40 and 240 has been described as an example, but the circumferential direction of the partition walls 40 and 240 is described. The grooves 28 and 31 may be formed in only one of them.

Moreover, the structure which does not provide the 1st and 2nd groove | channels 28 and 31 between the grease G and the partition walls 40 and 240 may be sufficient.
The grooves 28 and 31 are formed over the entire range from the opening 24 of the grease reservoir 25 to the rear flange portion 22 of the oil storage ring 18 in the axial direction of the outer ring spacer 16 and between the outer rings. With respect to the radial direction of the seat 16, an example in which it is formed over the entire range from the cylindrical portion 21 of the oil storage ring 18 to the peripheral wall 19 of the outer ring spacer 16 has been described. However, each of the grooves 28 and 31 is formed, for example, in the entire range with respect to the axial direction of the outer ring spacer 16, while a part thereof (for example, the cylindrical portion of the oil storage ring 18) in the radial direction of the outer ring spacer 16. 21 in the middle of the process from the peripheral wall 19 of the outer ring spacer 16 to the cylindrical portion 21 of the oil storage ring 18). Each of the grooves 28 and 31 is formed in the entire range with respect to the radial direction of the outer ring spacer 16, while a part thereof (for example, the rear flange portion of the oil storage ring 18) with respect to the axial direction of the outer ring spacer 16. 22 in the middle of the process from the opening 24 of the grease reservoir 25 to the rear flange portion 22 of the oil storage ring 18).

Moreover, although the partition walls 40 and 240 have been described with an example in which the partition walls 40 and 240 are fitted and fixed to the rear flange portion 22 of the oil storage ring 18, the partition walls 40 and 240 are the cylindrical portion 21 and the supply side flange of the oil storage ring 18. It may be configured to be fitted and fixed to the portion 23.
Moreover, although the partition walls 40 and 240 have been described with an example in which the partition walls 40 and 240 are fitted and fixed to the grease storage member 4 including the oil storage ring 18, the partition walls 40 and 240 are fixed to the grease storage member by other fixing methods such as welding. May be.

Further, as an example of the grease reservoir 25, the case where the grease reservoir 25 is annular and integrated has been described as an example. However, the grease reservoir 25 is structured to be separated into a plurality of chambers along the circumferential direction of the outer ring spacer 16. It may be.
In the above-described embodiment, the inner ring 5 and the inner ring spacer 15 are on the rotating side that rotates with the main shaft 2, and the outer ring 6 and the outer ring spacer 16 are fixed in a stationary state in which they are fixed to a housing (not shown). The case of a fixed side has been described as an example. However, the present invention can also be applied to the case where the outer ring 6 and the outer ring spacer 16 are on the rotating side and the inner ring 5 and the inner ring spacer 15 are on the fixed side.

  In addition, various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Rolling bearing apparatus, 3 ... Rolling bearing, 4 ... Grease storage member, 5 ... Inner ring, 6 ... Outer ring, 7
... rolling elements, 15 ... inner ring spacer, 16 ... outer ring spacer, 18 ... oil storage ring, 22 ... back flange part, 2
4 ... opening, 25 ... grease reservoir, 28 ... first groove, 31 ... second groove, 36 ... first spacer, 37 ... second spacer, 40 ... partition wall, 40A ... back end, 41 ... accommodating chamber, G ... grease, 201 ... rolling bearing device, 240 ... partition wall, 240A ... end on the back side, 240B ... end on the near side

Claims (4)

A rolling bearing having an inner ring, an outer ring, and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the inner and outer rings;
A grease reservoir that is adjacent to one side in the axial direction of the rolling bearing and is formed in a groove shape along the circumferential direction to store grease, and a plurality of partition walls that partition the grease reservoir into a plurality of storage chambers in the circumferential direction And a spacer formed with a flow passage for communicating each of the storage chambers with the inside of the rolling bearing,
Between the grease accommodated in the accommodation chamber on one side in the circumferential direction and / or the other side in the circumferential direction defined by the partition wall and the partition wall, the flow path extends in the axial direction of the spacer. A rolling bearing device in which a groove is formed along the inner side of the grease reservoir.   The rolling bearing device according to claim 1, wherein the partition wall is formed using a porous material.   The rolling bearing device according to claim 2, wherein an end portion on the rolling bearing side in the axial direction of the partition wall is in contact with the rolling bearing. The partition wall is provided using a member different from the spacer, and is provided so as to extend to the inner part of the grease reservoir,
The rolling bearing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an end portion on the back side of the partition wall is fitted and fixed to the spacer .

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