Patent ID: 7918606

Claim:
A rolling bearing assembly which comprises an inner race; an outer race; and a plurality of rolling elements interposed between respective raceway surfaces of the inner and outer races, wherein one of the inner race and the outer race is a non-rotatable stationary raceway member, wherein the stationary raceway member is provided with a stepped face continued with the corresponding raceway surface, wherein the stepped face extends in a radial direction away from the rolling elements, wherein the stationary raceway member is provided with a gap defining piece having a tip held in face-to-face relation to the stepped face to form a gap between the tip and the stepped face, the gap defining piece defining a flow path between a peripheral wall thereof and the stationary raceway member, there being provided a grease reservoir communicated with the flow path, and wherein the gap between the stepped face and the tip of the gap defining piece is of a size sufficient to reserve a base oil of a grease at all times and also to allow the base oil to be supplied to the raceway surface by means of an air current in the vicinity of the raceway surface and a volumetric expansion of the base oil, which are both induced by rotation of the bearing assembly.