Patent ID: 8256966

Claim:
A double-row angular-contact roller bearing assembly comprising: a first ring and a second ring arranged concentrically relative to each other and defining a gap between said rings, said rings being rotatable in opposite directions about a single axis of rotation; a first raceway defined by each of said rings having a first concave portion therein, and a second raceway defined by each of said rings having a second concave portion therein, said raceways being disposed in the gap between said rings at a substantially constant radial distance from centers of said rings; a first row of rollers and a second row of rollers, wherein said first row of rollers is adapted for rolling in said first raceway and said second row of rollers is adapted for rolling in said second raceway; each of said rollers of said first row of rollers having regions of contact with the first concave portion of said first raceway, each of said rollers of said second row of rollers having regions of contact with said second concave portions of said second raceway; and a structure for compensating for temperature-induced radial changes in cross sections of said raceways, such that compressive stress exerted on said rollers and clearance between said rings remains substantially constant between said rings, and between said rings and said rollers; said compensating structure comprising a) a first leaf spring and a second leaf spring extending radially from one of said rings; b) the first concave portion and second concave portion of said raceways of said one of said rings being formed integrally with a free end of said leaf spring, respectively, and wherein both of said leaf springs are integral with said one of said rings and said leaf springs give resilience to the respective raceway portions thereon; c) each of said leaf springs having two opposed flanks, each flank being defined by a slot-shaped recess; wherein d) a first recess of said recesses is aligned with a center of said rollers of said first row of rollers, and a second recess of said recesses is aligned with a center of said rollers of said second row of rollers; e) said leaf springs being adjacent to each other, such that they strive to press the two rows of rollers apart in the axial direction of the axis of rotation of the roller bearing assembly; and f) each roller of said rows of rollers exhibits no more than a substantially punctiform region of contact between the roller and each of said rings.