CARRY BOX WITH INTEGRATED INDUCTION HEATER FOR ANNULAR BEARING COMPONENT COMPRISING A TOP BOX

A carry box with integrated induction heater for an annular bearing component includes: a heater body providing an induction heater, a top surface to place an annular bearing component, and an inductor having two rods protruding outwardly with respect to the top surface, a top box having a closing lid and a bottom tray, the bottom tray being removably attached to the heater body and being destined to cover the top surface of the heater body in the attached position, the bottom tray being provided with at least one pocket, and a yoke intended to be stored into the pocket and intended to be placed on the two rods in use.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to German Patent Application no. 102021214235.4, filed Dec. 13, 2021, the contents of which is fully incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to the heating of annular bearing components. An annular bearing component relates to a bearing provided with rolling elements, typically balls or rollers, arranged between an inner bearing ring and an outer bearing ring. An annular bearing component can also relate to a plain bearing without rolling elements. An annular bearing component can further relate to a single ring, for example an inner bearing ring or an outer bearing ring. In particular, the invention concerns heating annular bearing components with an induction heater.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Thermal expansion of such annular bearing components induced by induction heating is used, for example, to facilitate the mounting of the bearing on a shaft and/or to obtain an interference fit on the shaft as the bearing cools.

A bearing induction heater heats the annular bearing component until a desired measured temperature of the annular bearing component is reached or until a predefine heating time is reached.

The desired heating time or the desired heating temperature for a particular annular bearing component is generally determined empirically and presented to the user of the induction heater in the form of a reference table. The heating temperature or target temperature is determined accurately based on expansion rate of bearing steel and the required expansion required to overcome the interference fit between the bearing and its shaft, therefore more than 90° C. for regular fitting. The heating time is indeed determined empirically, however reference table are hardly available as too many parameters have strong influence on heating time.

In an embodiment, an induction heater is a device working with a loop in ferrite or in electrical steel in order to circle an annular bearing component and to heat the annular bearing element.

At the same time, an operator can measure the temperature of the annular bearing component with a temperature probe.

However, a yoke of the loop, the temperature probe and the heat resistant gloves of the operator must be carried separately from the induction heater, for example stored in a bag. In order to use the induction heater, the operator must open his bag, bring out the temperature probe, the yoke, the gloves and place one by one the probe and the yoke in the environment of the induction heater.

This procedure is thus long and makes the induction heater not easy to carry and to use.

Consequently, the present invention intends to overcome these disadvantages by providing means to quickly and simply store and use an induction heater and his peripherals, like a yoke, a temperature probe and gloves.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the invention is to provide a carry box with integrated induction heater for annular bearing component comprising:

a heater body comprising an induction heater, a top surface to place an annular bearing component, and an inductor comprising two rods protruding outwardly with respect to the top surface,

a top box comprising a bottom tray and a closing lid removably secured to the bottom tray, the bottom tray being removably attached to the heater body and being destined to cover the top surface of the heater body in the attached position, the bottom tray being provided with at least one pocket, the pocket being closed by the closing lid, and

a yoke intended to be stored into the pocket and intended to be placed on the two rods in use.

Advantageously, the bottom tray comprises two through-openings intended to let the rods pass through the bottom tray when the bottom tray is attached to the heater body.

In one embodiment, the carry box comprises an additional yoke intended to be placed on the two rods in use, and the bottom tray comprises an additional pocket to store the additional yoke.

According to an embodiment, the bottom tray comprises a gloves pocket inside which are stored gloves, and a temperature probe pocket inside which is stored a temperature probe.

Advantageously, the carry box comprises two clips intended to attach the bottom tray to the heater body, the two clips being located on two opposite sides of the carry box.

In an embodiment, the heater body comprises a strap fixed at two opposite sides of the carry box.

Advantageously, the material of the top box comprises foam and plastic.

In one embodiment, the closing lid is made with foam, preferably expanded polypropylene, and the bottom tray is made of plastic.

According to an embodiment, the heater body further comprises a user interface area.

Advantageously, the user interface area comprises a display and/or buttons to control the duration and/or the temperature of the heating of an annular bearing component.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate from this disclosure that when a range is provided such as (for example) an angle/distance/number/weight/volume/spacing being between one (1 of the appropriate unit) and ten (10 of the appropriate units) that specific support is provided by the specification to identify any number within the range as being disclosed for use with a preferred embodiment. For example, the recitation of a percentage of copper between one percent (1%) and twenty percent (20%) provides specific support for a preferred embodiment having two point three percent (2.3%) copper even if not separately listed herein and thus provides support for claiming a preferred embodiment having two point three percent (2.3%) copper. By way of an additional example, a recitation in the claims and/or in portions of an element moving along an arcuate path by at least twenty (20°) degrees, provides specific literal support for any angle greater than twenty (20°) degrees, such as twenty-three (23°) degrees, thirty (30°) degrees, thirty-three-point five (33.5°) degrees, forty-five (45°) degrees, fifty-two (52°) degrees, or the like and thus provides support for claiming a preferred embodiment with the element moving along the arcuate path thirty-three-point five (33.5°) degrees. As shown inFIGS.1and2, a carry box2with integrated induction heater for annular bearing component comprises a heater body4comprising an induction heater (not represented), a top surface6to place an annular bearing component and a base8intended to maintain the carry box2in a standard position when the base8of the carry box2is placed on a flat surface, for example a table or the ground. The heater body4also comprises a housing10, preferably a metallic housing to support the structural assembly and to receive the impacts from the bottom.

In this standard position, the top surface6, which is parallel to the base8, is on top of the heater body2.

The heater body2also comprises an inductor12in order to generate the heating with the induction heater in an annular bearing component when the annular bearing component is placed around a portion of the inductor12. The inductor12comprises two rods14protruding outwardly from the top surface6. The two rods14are parallel to each other and orthogonal to the top surface6. The inductor12may be realized in electrical steel.

The carry box2also comprises a yoke16intended to be laid on the two rods14. In particular, the yoke16can be removed from the two rods14in order to be stored. Yet, the inductor12only create a heating induction when the yoke16is placed on the two rods14so that the inductor12and the yoke16form a loop, for example a loop of electrical steel. The inductor12and the yoke16can be realized in ferrite or in electrical steel.

The induction heater comprises a current generator (not represented) in order to generate a current that passes in the loop formed by the yoke16and the inductor12.

The carry box2further comprises a top box18comprising a bottom tray20and a closing lid22removably secured to the bottom tray, for example secured by clips.

A top view of the bottom tray20is represented inFIG.3.

In particular, the top box18is a storage box in which the bottom tray20comprises one pocket24for the storage of the yoke16when not in use. The closing lid22allows an operator to close the top box18in order to protect the yoke16stored inside. When the top box18is closed, the closing lid22is only in contact with the perimeter26of the bottom tray20. When the closing lid22is secured to the bottom tray20, the pocket24is closed.

The material of the top box18comprises foam and plastic. In particular, the bottom tray20comprises a hard material like plastic in order to be able to maintain the yoke16still in the bottom tray20without deforming the bottom tray20. The closing lid22comprises foam, preferably sturdy foam. This foam is thus hard and allows a light manipulation by the operator. The foam can be an expanded polypropylene, which has a good resistance to shocks, for example to shocks with a yoke16comprising sharp corners. Both closing lid22and bottom tray20can be molded.

The bottom tray20can be removably attached to the heater body4and is destined to cover the top surface6of the heater body4in the attached position.

The bottom tray20comprises two through-openings28in order to let the two rods14pass through the bottom tray20when the bottom tray20is attached to the heater body4.

To attach the bottom tray20to the heater body4, the carry box2comprises at least two clips30, the clips being easily removable by an operator to open or close the carry box2. In one particular embodiment, the two clips are located on two opposite sides32and34of the carry box2.

The heater body4also comprises a strap36also fixed at the two opposite sides32and34of the carry box2, preferentially fixed under the clips30in the standard position. As a variant, the strap36can also be fixed to the top box18. The strap36allows an operator to carry and to transport easily the carry box2when placing the strap36around his shoulder.

The heater body4also comprises a user interface area38and a main cable (not represented) for the alimentation of the induction heater.

For example, the user interface area38comprises a display and/or buttons to control the duration and/or the temperature of the heating of an annular bearing component. The user interface area38may include the possibility to set an automatic stop to the heating when the temperature and/or the duration of the heating has reached a predefined value.

In addition to the user interface area38, the heater body comprises power button, for example placed on the heater body back side. It allows an operator to turn on or off the induction heater other than unplugging the main cable.

For example, the user interface area38is placed on the side face of the heater body4. In other words, in the standard position when the carry box2is placed on a table, the user interface area38is placed on the side of the carry box2.

In one embodiment, the carry box2also comprises an additional yoke40destined to be laid on the two rods14in use. The additional yoke40may have different dimensions as the initial yoke16in order to create a different power for the heating induction. As a consequence, the bottom tray20comprises an additional pocket42to store the additional yoke40.

In the embodiment of the bottom tray20illustrated inFIG.3, several other pockets are integrated in order to carry and store easily other accessories of the carry box2.

For example, the heater body4can display the temperature of a heated annular bearing component. Thus, the heater body4comprises a temperature probe connector44in order to connect a temperature probe as an accessory to the heater body4.

The bottom tray20further comprises a temperature probe pocket46inside which can be stored a temperature probe when not in use.

In addition, the bottom tray20also comprises a gloves pocket48inside which heat resistant gloves can be stored when not used by the operator. The gloves pocket48can be placed between the yoke pocket24and the additional yoke pocket42.

The temperature probe pocket46and the gloves pocket48can also be used to store other accessories. Furthermore, the bottom tray20may comprise additional geometries50in order to store other accessories and peripherals in additional pockets52. The additional geometries50may be realized in plastic and foam. Another accessory can be the instructions manual of the carry box, which can be stored in an additional pocket52or in the temperature probe pocket46or in the gloves pocket48.

The pockets of the bottom tray20make the carry box2easy and ready to use without having to extract the accessories from another bag. It allows the operator to spend less time searching and connecting the accessories. During the utilization of the carry box2, the operator just has to detach the top box18from the heater body4and to lay the top box18next to the heater body4. Then the operator opens the top box18by removing the closing lid22and choose the accessories, for example the yoke16, gloves and a temperature probe. He places an annular bearing component around one rod14or around the yoke16and then lay the yoke16on the two rods14. The operator can then start the heating with the user interface area38.

With the bottom tray20, it is then easier for an operator to access to the accessories all stored in one place, in particular the gloves, the temperature probe and the yokes16or40. Furthermore, there are fewer loosing parts during the heating of an annular bearing component.