Device for producing a releasable clearance-free position of a rolling bearing and a corresponding method
A device for producing a releasable clearance-free position of a rolling bearing, having a rolling bearing which has an outer ring, an inner ring mounted on a shaft and a plurality of rolling elements arranged between the inner ring and the outer ring, and having a tensioning device mounted on the circumference of the rolling bearing outer ring for generating a radial preload which is uniform over the outer circumference of the rolling bearing outer ring between the tensioning device and the rolling bearing outer ring, wherein the tensioning device has an axially adjustable tensioning element which can be brought into a first alignment in which the rolling bearing has play, and which can be brought into a second alignment in which the rolling bearing is free of play. A corresponding method is also described.
1 . A device for adjusting a clearance of a rolling bearing, comprising:
a roller bearing having an outer ring, an inner ring mounted on a shaft, and a plurality of rolling elements arranged between the inner ring and the outer ring,
and with a tensioning device mounted on the circumference of the rolling bearing outer ring for generating a radial and uniform preload over the outer circumference of the rolling bearing outer ring,
wherein the tensioning device has an axially adjustable tensioning element which can be brought into a first alignment in which the rolling bearing has clearance between the outer ring and the rolling elements, and which can be brought into a second alignment in which the rolling bearing is free of clearance between the outer ring and the rolling elements,
wherein the tensioning device has a closed cavity which extends axially over the entire circumference of the tensioning device in an annular manner and tapers in the axial direction, in which cavity the tensioning element is received in the form of a sleeve in an axially displaceable manner.
2 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the sleeve has a sleeve outer surface extending conically at least in sections in the axial direction and the cavity has a cavity outer surface extending conically at least in sections in the axial direction and pointing inwardly in the radial direction and cooperating with the sleeve outer surface,
wherein the conical section of the sleeve outer surface and the conical section of the cavity outer surface are aligned parallel to one another.
3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the sleeve has a sleeve inner surface and the cavity has a cavity inner surface abutting the sleeve inner surface and facing radially outward, wherein the sleeve inner surface and the cavity inner surface are aligned parallel to the axial direction of the rolling bearing.
4 . The device according to claim 1 , further comprising an actuator connected to the tensioning device, which is configured for continuous axial adjustment of the tensioning element.
5 . The device according to claim 4 , which further comprises a resistance measuring device configured for continuously monitoring the bearing clearance of the rolling bearing by measuring electrical contact resistance between the shaft and the tensioning device, wherein a change in the measured electrical contact resistance corresponds to a change in the bearing clearance.
6 . The device according to claim 5 , which further comprises a control device configured for implementing a control loop for setting a predefinable desired bearing preload, wherein in the control loop the desired bearing preload is compared continuously or at predefined time intervals with the actual bearing preload determined based on the bearing clearance measured by the resistance measuring device and in response thereto the actuator is actuated with a corresponding manipulated variable.
7 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the roller bearing is a cylindrical roller bearing or a needle roller bearing.
8 . A method for adjusting a preload of a rolling bearing mounted on a shaft by means of a device according to claim 1 , comprising the steps:
detecting the preload of the roller bearing while it is in operation;
comparing the detected preload with a target preload and calculating a difference value;
using the difference value, outputting a manipulated variable to an actuator for adjusting the bearing preload, wherein the actuator controls the axially adjustable tensioning element arranged in the tensioning device, which, depending on the axial adjustment position, generates a predefined bearing preload.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein said detecting of the preload comprises measuring an electrical contact resistance and/or measuring mechanical loads and/or measuring thermal operating conditions of the bearing.
10 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the tensioning element is axially adjusted hydraulically or pneumatically by the actuator.
11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein, for axial adjustment, the tensioning element is subjected to different pressures at opposite end faces, wherein, for increasing the pretension, a first pressure on a first face of the tensioning element is increased relative to a second pressure on a second face of the tensioning element opposite the first face, and wherein, for decreasing the pretension, the second pressure is increased relative to the first pressure.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the closed cavity has a first axial end with a first radial height and a second axial end with a second radial height, wherein the first radial height is shorter than the second radial height, and wherein the tensioning element is adjusted axially in the direction of the first axial end to increase the preload.