Abstract:
A bearing is disclosed. The bearing has an inner ring concentrically disposed with an outer ring with rotational elements therebetween adapted for allowing rotational movement of the inner ring relative to the outer ring. The outer ring has a crowned outer surface. A waveform expansion sleeve is disposed about the outer ring. The waveform expansion sleeve has a cylindrical outer surface dimensioned to be received in a bore of a bearing housing and an inner surface with a profile matching the outer ring outer surface. The waveform expansion sleeve has an undulating radial cross-section sufficient to exert radial pressure at its inner surface against the outer ring outer surface when mounted in the bore of the bearing housing to sufficiently secure the bearing in the housing. The expansion sleeve inner surface forms a seal with the outer ring outer surface when the bearing is installed in the bearing housing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This application is directed to a waveform expansion sleeve for a bearing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective exploded view of a bearing assembly comprising a bearing housing, a bearing and a waveform expansion sleeve; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the bearing assembly showing a cross section of the housing, the bearing and the waveform expansion sleeve; and 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the waveform expansion sleeve of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a bearing assembly  20  comprises a bearing  22 , a housing  24  for the bearing, and a waveform expansion sleeve  26 . The bearing assembly  20  may comprise a pillow block bearing as shown in  FIG. 1 , or a flanged or take-up slot bearing assembly configuration. The housing  24  may be solid or split and the bearing assembly may be sealed or be provided with re-lubrication features. The bearing assembly  20  may be provided as a unit with the bearing factory installed in the housing. The bearing may be supplied separately to be assembled by an end-user with a housing, as needed. The materials used in connection with the bearing assembly widely vary depending upon the application, and may include polymers, steels, iron, and/or other cast materials. 
     The bearing housing  24  has a bore  28  which is sized and shaped to accommodate the waveform expansion sleeve  26  disposed around a bearing  22 . When the bearing assembly is assembled and the waveform expansion sleeve  26  is constrained at diameter in the bearing housing bore  28 , the waveform expansion sleeve exerts inward force upon the bearing sufficient to hold the bearing in position within the bearing assembly. The waveform expansion sleeve  26  and bearing  22  may have anti-rotational features  30 , 32  (respectively) to limit the relative motion between the bearing and the waveform expansion sleeve when the bearing assembly is assembled. The waveform expansion  26  sleeve and bearing housing  24  may also have anti-rotational features  34 , 36  (respectively) to limit the relative motion between the bearing housing and the waveform expansion sleeve when the bearing assembly is assembled. The bearing housing  24  may have a fitting hole  38  for accepting a lubrication fitting  40  that extends through the bearing housing bore to allow the fitting to be placed in register with lubrication ports  42 , 44  (respectively) formed on the waveform expansion sleeve and bearing. 
     Further detail of the bearing is shown in  FIG. 2 . The bearing  22  comprises an inner ring  50  concentrically disposed with an outer ring  52  with rotational elements  54  therebetween that allow rotational movement of the inner ring relative to the outer ring. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the rotational elements  54  comprise ball bearings constrained in a spaced circumferential orientation around the bearing with a cage  56 . Other rotational elements, such as cylinders, tapered pins or rollers may also be used. The cage may comprise steel, nylon, or polymer materials, depending upon the application. 
     The inner ring  50  has a bore which is sized to accommodate a rotating shaft or other rotating element as may be dictated by a particular application. The outer ring  52  has an outer diameter surface  58  with a contour which is shaped to fit in the bearing waveform expansion sleeve  26 , as described previously. In the configuration shown in the drawing figures, the inner ring rotates while the outer ring is held stationary. However, it should be appreciated that other configurations of the bearing may be used including fixing the inner ring and rotating the outer ring. 
     The bearing  22  has an internal seal  60  on axial sides of the bearing to prevent contaminants from interfering with the operation of the rotational elements. As shown in the drawing figures, the internal seal  60  comprises a support member  62  extending from a groove  64  formed on an inner diameter surface of the outer ring. At the distal end portion of the support member  62 , a wiper  68  is fitted to engage an outer diameter surface of the inner ring. The wiper  68  shown has one edge to provide sealing contact with the inner ring outer diameter surface. Other configurations of wipers and wiper edges may be used depending upon the application. The internal seal  60  retains lubricant between the inner and outer rings and assists in preventing contamination ingress therebetween. The internal seal together with the grease acts as a labyrinth seal and filter to exclude contaminants from interfering with the operation of the rotational elements between the inner and outer ring. The orientation of the internal seal may also be reversed such that the support member may be attached to an outer diameter of the outer ring and the wiper may contact an inner diameter of the outer ring. 
     A flinger  70  may be provided on the exterior of the bearing adjacent the internal seal. The flinger acts as a shield to protect the internal seal. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the flinger is secured to the inner ring and rotates with the inner ring to assist in repelling debris and contaminants. The flinger may also be secured to the outer ring. As shown, the bearing is provided with a flinger on both axial sides of the bearing. However, depending upon the application, a flinger may be used on one axial side of the bearing. The flinger may also have a shape which closely matches the internal seal support member to shield in the inner seal support and form a labyrinth seal therewith. 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  shows greater detail of the expansion sleeve  26 . The expansion sleeve comprises a thin metal ring with an undulating cross-sectional area  78  that allows the sleeve to exert mounting force on the bearing outer ring  52  when the sleeve is constrained at a diameter. The waveform sleeve  26  may be formed from a strip of metal which is formed with the undulating cross-section  78  between two cylindrical bosses  80  on axial edges of the sleeve. The cylindrical bosses  80  on the axial edges of the sleeve may be formed as necessary to fit within the bearing housing bore  28 . Preferably, the sleeve comprises a thin section strip of steel that is shaped into a wave form and then rolled into a ring with an end gap  82 . Waves of the undulating wave form project from an inner diameter surface  84  of the sleeve. The sleeve inner diameter surface  84  may also be shaped to have a spherical contour. As shown in the drawing figures, the outer ring of the bearing has a crowned outer surface  58  thereby allowing the bearing to be used in a self-aligning application with the spherical inner diameter surface  84  of the waveform expansion sleeve. The thin section strip of metal used to form the expansion sleeve permits the use of cylindrical bearing housings in expansion bearing applications where the need for the bearing assembly to be the same size as other bearings in a power transmission systems along with self-aligning and/or self-centering features is required. However, it should be appreciated that other configurations of the waveform expansion sleeve inner diameter surface and bearing outer ring may also be used in accordance with the principles set forth in the disclosure. 
     Preferably, the inner surface  84  of the waveform expansion sleeve has a contour which closely matches the contour of the outer diameter surface  58  of the outer ring  52  thereby allowing the waveform expansion sleeve to form a seal with the outer ring when the bearing is installed in the bearing housing. To facilitate forming a seal between the bearing outer ring and the waveform expansion form, the inner diameter surface of the waveform expansion sleeve may be lined with a resilient material  86 . For instance, a rubber material may be used on the inner diameter surface to assist in forming a seal and to provide vibration dampening. The resilient material may be molded such that the contour closely matches the contour of the outer ring. For instance, the waveform expansion sleeve may be formed with a cylindrical inner surface and the resilient material may be formed with a spherical inner surface or profile matching the outer ring outer surface. In the alternative, both the inner waveform expansion sleeve and the resilient material may be formed with a spherical inner surface. 
       FIGS. 1 and 3  show detail of the anti-rotational features  30 , 32  provided for the waveform expansion sleeve and the bearing. The waveform expansion sleeve anti-rotational feature  30  preferably comprises a notch extending through an axial side that is dimensioned to receive an anti-rotational pin  32  projecting from the bearing outer ring outer diameter surface. The anti-rotational pin is preferably dimensioned to prevent circumferential movement of the waveform expansion sleeve relative to the outer ring and may project from the notch to engage a slot  88  formed in the bearing housing bore. Axial movement of the bearing relative to the expansion sleeve may be reduced by closely matching the contour of the waveform expansion sleeve inner diameter surface and outer ring outer diameter surface. Grooves and other locating features may also be provided on the waveform expansion sleeve and bearing outer ring outer diameter surface to limit axial movement therebetween. It should be appreciated that the notch and pin features shown in the drawings may be reversed. 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  provide detail of the lubrication port  42  formed on the waveform expansion sleeve. The lubrication port  42  is preferably molded in the end gap  82  of the expansion sleeve. Preferably, the lubrication port  42  comprises a key  90  projecting from the outer diameter surface of the expansion sleeve. Preferably, the key has a hole  92  extending through the outer diameter surface to the inner diameter surface of the sleeve such that the bearing housing lubrication fitting  40  is brought into register with the waveform expansion sleeve key hole  92  when the bearing is installed in the bearing housing. In that regard, the anti-rotational pin  32  on the bearing and anti-rotational notch  30  on the sleeve may be formed in a keying arrangement with the lubrication port  42  of the waveform sleeve, the lubrication port  44  of the bearing, and the lubrication fitting  40  of the housing to ensure correct assembly of the bearing assembly. 
       FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  show greater detail of the anti-rotational features  34 , 36  of the waveform expansion sleeve and bearing housing. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the bearing housing lubrication fitting  40  extends partially into the fitting hole  38 . The key  90  of the waveform expansion sleeve then projects into the fitting hole  38  in such a way so as to prevent rotation of the expansion sleeve relative to the bearing housing. The key  90  may also be shaped and configured to limit axial movement of the expansion sleeve relative to the bearing housing. In this way, the lubrication fitting  40  of the bearing housing may communicate directly with the lubrication port  44  of the bearing via the waveform expansion sleeve key hole  92  to allow the bearing to be re-lubricated as necessary. While the drawing figures show a key associated with the expansion sleeve projecting into the bearing housing lubrication fitting hole, the features may be reversed, for instance, the fitting may extend through the fitting hole a distance sufficient to engage a detent on the waveform expansion sleeve. 
     While specific embodiments have been described in detail in the foregoing detailed description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, those with ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention, which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof.