Patent ID: 6290397
Filing Date: 2001-09-18
Classification: F16C

Abstract:
In a bearing having inner and outer races and a bearing rotational axis, one of said inner and outer races being a rotational race that rotates about said axis relative to the other of said inner and outer races, rolling elements between said inner and outer races for providing rotation of said rotational race about said axis relative to said other race, at least said inner race including a pair of spaced-apart inner races that are spaced-apart along said axis, an annular lubricant reservoir between said pair of spaced-apart inner races outwardly of and surrounding said axis, said lubricant reservoir being rotatable with said rotational race about said axis, said reservoir having lubricant discharge passages with outlets adjacent said rolling elements, said reservoir including inner and outer reservoir housing members having interface surfaces that are secured together against movement relative to one another and are sealed together against lubricant leakage therepast, said interface surfaces on one of said inner and outer reservoir housing members being precision machined with a smooth finish and said interface surfaces on the other of said inner and outer reservoir housing members being precision turned with at least one generally helical groove therein extending continuously from the lubricant reservoir to said outlets to form said lubricant discharge passages, whereby said at least one groove in each of said interface surfaces on the other of said inner and outer reservoir housing members provides the only passages through which lubricant is metered from said reservoir to said rolling elements under the influence of centrifugal force during rotation of said reservoir, and lubricant that is discharged from said reservoir through said discharge passages is not returned to said reservoir.