Patent ID: 11913498
Assignee: AKTIEBOLAGET SKF
Field: Mechanical elements (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 11:
12. A cage for a bearing, the bearing including an inner ring, an outer ring and a plurality of rolling elements, the bearing cage comprising:
an annular body disposeable between the inner ring and the outer ring and having a centerline, first and second axial ends spaced apart along the centerline, an inner circumferential surface, an outer circumferential surface and a plurality of pockets extending radially between the inner circumferential surface and the outer circumferential surface and spaced circumferentially about the centerline, each pocket being configured to retain a separate one of the plurality of rolling elements, and a plurality of channels extending axially through the annular body and spaced circumferentially about the centerline, each channel having a first section extending from the first axial end of the annular body to a separate one of the plurality of pockets and a second section extending from the one pocket to the second axial end of the annular body and is configured such that liquid entering one of the first and second sections of the channel traverses the one channel section, passes around a rolling element disposed within the one pocket fluidly connected with the one channel section, enters the other one of the first and second sections of the channel and exits the cage out of the other channel section;
wherein each one of the first and second sections of each channel is formed as an annular groove extending radially outwardly from the inner circumferential surface of the annular body, each one of the plurality of channels extending both axially and circumferentially between a first opening at the first axial end of the annular body and a second opening at the second axial end of the annular body, and each one of the first and second sections of each one of the plurality of channels is bounded by an elongated curved surface extending radially outwardly from the inner circumferential surface of the cage annular body and axially between the first and second axial ends of the annular body, the curved surface having a deflector surface section facing partially toward the second axial end of the annular body such that liquid contacting the deflector surface section of the channel during rotation of the cage is directed axially toward the second opening of the channel.