BALL BEARING

Abstract: A rotating, conductive, heat transfer device includes an outer race (14) having an axis (12), an inner race (16) coaxial with the outer race, and a plurality of bearing balls (18 to 38) disposed in a radial direction between the inner race and the outer race. The device (10) also includes a plurality of separators (40 to 58) disposed alternately in a peripheral direction between the bearing balls. A first track (62) and a second track (66) are supported by the inner race (16), for supporting the separators. The inner race has a first, fixed, inner ring portion (92) with a first bearing surface (96), and has a second, separable, inner ring portion (94) with a second bearing surface (98). The outer race (14) has a third bearing surface (100), disposed in a radial direction opposite to the first bearing surface (96) and also has a fourth bearing surface (102), disposed in a radial direction opposite to the second bearing surface (98). The first and second and third and fourth bearing surfaces are in contact with a spherical surface of each bearing ball. A plurality of coil springs (110 to 122) urge the second inner ring portion (92) in an axial direction toward the first inner ring portion (92), thereby applying first and second and third and fourth forces normal to the respective first and second and thrid and fourth bearing surfaces, for providing heat conduction from one race to the other race.

Description: The invention relates to ball bearings in accordance with the preamble of the independent claim. A ball bearing of this type is known from DE-U-8806 186, where the balls can be held in a predetermined distance from each other by means of a cage. Earlier EP-A-0 303 228 published on 15.02.1989 shows a ball bearing device having separators between the balls and having a first track and a second track for supporting those separators. An article "Rolling Element Slip Rings", published in PRODUCT ENGINEERING, August 17, 1964, page 44, describes a ball bearing whose rolling elements are used in place of carbon brushes to constitute a replacement for slip rings which transfer electrical energy or signals from a rotating machine part to a stationary machine part. In order to achieve and maintain good electrical contact, the balls and races are made of stainless steel, are gold-plated and are coated with a thin initial film of molybdenum disulfide. In PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN, Vol. 10, No. 114 (M-473)(2171) of April 26, 1986 an abstract of Japanese patent application JP-A-60 241516 describes a ball bearing where the inner and outer rings are provided with lead films for reducing friction and therewith extending the life of the bearing. A retainer ring for the balls is made of a copper system metal including lead. Various satellite systems require heat to be transferred across a rotatable joint. Some of these, like the suspension system for an infra red sensor, require operation at temperatures as low as 10 degrees Kelvin (10°K), others, like waste heat rejection systems, operate at temperatures in the 300-400°K range. In all of these cases, the requirements of low torque and low temperature drop across the joint are important. The main objective of a rolling element bearing normally is to constitute low friction between parts rotating relatively to each other about a common axis. Normally a rolling element bearing is a poor heat-conducting device because there is only more or less a plurality of point contacts between the balls and the inner and outer races of the bearing. The present invention, however, discloses new features of a rolling element bearing for making it suitable as an efficient heat transfer device. The invention is characterized in claim 1 and particularly useful details and embodiments are described in the dependent claims. The foregoing objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a sectional view, as taken along the line 1-1 of Figure 2, of a ball bearing according to the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view, which is partly cut away, as taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectional view as taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a graph of thermal conductivity versus temperature, which shows four curves of different copper alloys. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a ball bearing 10 is provided. Ball bearing 10, which has a rotation axis 12, includes an outer ring or race 14 and an inner ring or race 16. Ball bearing 10 also includes a plurality of bearing balls 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, which are radially disposed between inner race 16 and outer race 14. Ball bearing 10 also has a plurality of rollers or separators 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, which are peripherally disposed between the respective bearing balls. In Figures 1 and 2, inner ring 16 has a first side plate 60, which is integral therewith. Plate 60 has a first roller track 62, which is integral therewith. Inner ring 16 also has a second side plate 64, which has a second roller track 66, that is integral therewith. Plate 64 is connected to inner ring 16 by a plurality of peripherally spaced screws 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 81. In Figure 3, separator 40, which is a typical separator, has a first cylindrical portion 82, a second cylindrical portion 84 and a center recessed portion 86. First track 62 has an inner rolling surface 88. Second track 66 also has an inner rolling surface 90. Inner race 16, which is a split ring, has a fixed ring portion 92. Inner race 16 also has a movable ring portion 94, which is separable or removable from fixed ring portion 92. In Figure 3, fixed ring portion 92 has a first, inner, bearing surface 96. Movable ring portion 94 has a second, inner, bearing surface 98. Surfaces 96, 98 together have a profile in the shape of a Gothic arch. Outer ring 14 has a third bearing surface 100 and has a fourth bearing surface 102. Surfaces 100, 102 also have a profile in the shape of a Gothic arch. Outer ring 14 has a third, center, surface portion or apex portion 104. Bearing ball 18, which is a typical bearing ball, has a spherical surface 106, which is separated from the apex portion 104 by a gap 108. In Figure 2, movable ring portion 94 has a plurality of spring members or coil springs 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122. When first plate 60 is assembled to fixed ring portion 92 by the screws 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 81, the springs 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122 bear against movable ring portion 94, thereby causing forces to act normal to surfaces 96, 98 and causing reaction forces to act normal to surfaces 100, 102. The amount of force applied by each spring is proportional to the amount of each force normal to surfaces 96, 98, 100, 102. The spring forces are substantially equal to each other. The forces on surfaces 96, 98, 100, 102 are substantially equal to each other. The amount of heat flow between races 14, 16 is proportional to the amount of each force on surfaces 96, 98, 100, 102, which is proportional to the amount of the force applied by each spring. The spring is designed to suit the desired heat flow rate between connecting or adjoining parts 124, 126, which connect to respective races 14, 16, as shown in Figure 3. In Figure 3, the contact area at each surface 96, 98, 100, 102 with ball surface 106 is maintained relatively wide in order to maximize heat conduction therethrough. Thus, the curvature of surfaces 96, 98, and the corresponding curvature of surfaces 100, 102 are relatively tight curvatures. The gap 108 is relatively small for this purpose. Also, when the parts 92, 94 are pressed together by spring 110, in Figure 3, the contact angle of inner race 16 is substantially the same as the contact angle of outer race 14. Separator 40, which is a typical separator, is designed to allow rolling friction and to minimize sliding friction. Because sliding is minimized, thin gold plating on typical separator 40 can be used for lubrication and corrosion protection for the easily oxidized copper. Such gold plating deforms relatively easily, thereby increasing the effective contact area with adjacent bearing balls 18, 20. For optimum heat transfer at low cryogenic temperatures, high purity copper material is used in rings 14, 16 and balls 18-38. As shown in Figure 4, high purity copper material, or pure copper material (Oxygen Free High Copper alloy OFHC), is better than other copper alloys for heat conduction at a very low temperature. Figure 4 shows that high purity copper has a thermal conductivity that increases dramatically, as the temperature drops from approximately 100 degrees K to 10 degrees K. The numbers presented along the vertical axis in Figure 4 are listed in British Thermal Units per hour, per foot, per degree Fahrenheit, which can be converted to Watts per centimeter, per degree Celcius by multiplying the BTU value by 0,01731. For optimum heat transfer at temperatures other than the very low temperatures, a material with a relatively low modulus of elasticity is used, because it has a relatively higher deformation than a material with a relatively high modulus. Such low modulus material has a relatively higher deformation and a relatively larger contact area for a given load for better heat conductivity. For optimum heat transfer at a relatively high temperature, liquid lubricant is used to improve heat transfer and heat conductivity between the bearing ball and the inner and outer races. The liquid lubricant is one that will not produce an elastohydrodynamic film at surfaces 96, 98, 100, 102, for the given load and ball speed at said surfaces, because such a film substantially increases the contact resistance to heat flow. Different features in ball bearing 10 can be provided for different operating temperatures and conditions, including springs 110 having a relatively high spring rate for providing a high heat transfer rate, and including a high purity copper ball 18 and races 14, 16 which provides increasing heat conductivity with decreasing temperature below 100 degrees Kelvin (K), and including eliminating sliding friction and using a thin gold plating on ball 18 and races 14, 16 for increasing overall heat conduction therethrough at all temperatures, and including using a low modulus of elasticity on ball 18 and races 14, 16 for increasing overall heat conduction therethrough and for increasing heat conductivity through points of contact therebetween. While the invention has been described in its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the words which have been used are words of description rather than limitation and that changes may be made within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, spring members 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122 can be another type of spring member instead of a coil spring, such as a wave washer, or an elastomer member, or a Belleville washer.

Claims: A ball bearing (10) comprising: a) an outer race (14) and an inner race (16) coaxial with the outer race; b) a plurality of bearing balls (18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38) disposed in a radial direction between the inner race and the outer race; c) a plurality of separators (40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58) disposed alternately in a peripheral direction between the bearing balls; with d) said inner race having a first inner ring portion (92) with a first bearing surface (96) and having a second inner ring portion (94) with a second bearing surface (98); e) said outer race having a third bearing surface (100) disposed in a radial direction opposite to the first bearing surface (96); f) said outer race having a fourth bearing surface (102) disposed in a radial direction opposite to the second bearing surface (98); g) said first and second and third and fourth bearing surfaces being in contact with each bearing ball; and further comprising h) spring means (110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122) urging the second inner ring portion (94) in an axial direction toward the first inner ring portion (92) for applying first and second and third and fourth forces normal to the respective first and second and third and fourth bearing surfaces; characterized in that i) the bearing balls (18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38) and the inner race (16) and the outer race (14) are composed of high purity copper for providing relatively high heat conductivity; j) the bearing balls (18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38) and the inner race (16) and the outer race (14) are coated with a thin gold plating for increasing heat conductivity at points of contact therebetween; and k) a first track (62) and a second track (66) are provided for supporting the separators. The ball bearing of claim 1, characterized in that the bearing balls (18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38) and the inner race (16) and the outer race (14) are composed of a material of relatively low modulus of elasticity for increasing heat conductivity through points of contact therebetween by increasing contact point deformation. The ball bearing of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the spring means (110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122) has a high spring rate for increasing heat conductivity through points of contact therebetween by increasing contact forces. The ball bearing claim 3, characterized in that the spring means (110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122) includes a plurality of coil springs. The ball bearing of one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first and second bearing surfaces (96, 98) and the third and fourth bearing surfaces (100, 102) have a profile of a Gothic arch. The ball bearing of one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the third and fourth bearing surfaces (100, 102) have an apex bearing surface (104) therebetween, and each bearing ball has a spherical surface (106), the apex bearing surface and the spherical surface forming a gap (108) therebetween, the size of the gap being dependent on the contact angle between the ball and the third and fourth bearing surfaces and the curvature ratio between the ball and the third and fourth bearing surfaces; and that the contact angle and curvature ratio are optimized to provide maximum areas of contact at each side of the gap, for increasing heat conductivity at the areas of contact.

Inventors: SMITH, DENNIS W.
Applicants: HONEYWELL INC.
Application year: 1989
Main classification: F16C19
IPC codes: F16C37, F16C19, F16C25, F16C33