IP Library Granted Patent US 12,618,439
Granted Patent B2
US 12,618,439 · App. 18/134,083 · Granted May 5, 2026

Bearing element for a bearing unit, and bearing unit with an increased life

Inventors: Paul Dietl (Stephanshart, AT); Xiaobo Zhou (Houten, NL)
Assignee: AKTIEBOLAGET SKF
F16C33/6696F16C19/06F16C2223/30
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,618,439
App. No.
18/134,083
Granted
May 5, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A bearing element of a bearing unit includes a substrate, a first coating on the substrate and a second coating on the first coating. The first coating is configured to increase a wear resistance of the substrate and includes a first solid lubricant, and the second coating is softer than the first coating and includes a second solid lubricant. The solid lubricants of the first and second coatings may be MoS 2 , and the first coating may include between 3 and 30 at % Ti.

Claims (39)

1 . A bearing element of a bearing unit, comprising:

a substrate,

a first coating on the substrate, the first coating being configured to increase a wear resistance of the substrate and comprising a first solid lubricant, and

a second coating on the first coating, the second coating being softer than the first coating and comprising a second solid lubricant,

wherein the first solid lubricant and the second solid lubricant each comprise MoS 2 .

2 . The bearing element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first coating comprises Ti.

3 . The bearing element claim 2 ,

wherein the first coating has a hardness between 750 and 2500 HV.

4 . The bearing element according to claim 3 ,

wherein the first coating has a thickness between 0.2 and 4 micron.

5 . The bearing element according to claim 3 ,

wherein the second coating further comprises an adhesive or a binder.

6 . The bearing element according to claim 5 ,

wherein a hardness of the second coating is less than 150 HV.

7 . The bearing element according to claim 6 ,

including a bonding layer between the substrate and the first coating.

8 . The bearing element according to claim 3 ,

wherein the second coating further comprises an epoxy.

9 . A bearing unit comprising at least one bearing element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the bearing element is a ring, a rolling element, a cage, a separator, or a spacer.

10 . The bearing element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first coating comprises MoS 2 and Ti and has a hardness between 750 and 2500 HV, and

wherein the second coating comprises MoS 2 and has a hardness of less than 150 HV.

11 . The bearing element according to claim 10 ,

wherein the second coating consists essentially of MoS 2 and an epoxy.

12 . The bearing element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first coating consists essentially of MoS 2 and Ti and has a hardness between 750 and 2500 HV, and

wherein the second coating consists essentially of MoS 2 and has a hardness of less than 150 HV.

13 . The bearing element according to claim 12 ,

including a bonding layer between the substrate and the first coating.

14 . The bearing element according to claim 12 ,

wherein the first coating is formed of a plurality of alternating first layers consisting essentially of titanium and second layers consisting essentially of MoS 2 .

15 . The bearing element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the substrate comprises PEEK or PA6.6.

16 . The bearing element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the substrate comprises a ceramic material.

17 . The bearing element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the substrate comprises a bearing steel.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 9, 2023
From: DIETL, PAUL; ZHOU, XIAOBO
To: AKTIEBOLAGET SKF
Reel/Frame 063577/0987 →
Priority Claims (1)
FR 2203737 · Apr 22, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230340996A1 · Oct 26, 2023
References Cited (15)
US 2969264A · Lamson · 1961 [cited by examiner]
US 4293171A · Kakumoto et al. · 1981 [cited by applicant]
US 5282985A · Zabinski · 1994 [cited by examiner]
US 12404474B1 · Dugger · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 20020051596A1 · Yamamoto · 2002 [cited by examiner]
US 20020077186A1 · Hosoya · 2002 [cited by examiner]
US 20050213860A1 · Zhou · 2005 [cited by examiner]
US 20200232508A1 · Plioska · 2020 [cited by examiner]
EP 1470343B1 · 2005 [cited by applicant]
JP 2005147306A · 2005 [cited by applicant]
JP 2006200733A · 2006 [cited by examiner]
JP 2008221982A · 2008 [cited by examiner]
WO 03064874A1 · 2003 [cited by applicant]
https://plasmaterials.com/converting-atomic-percent-to-weight-percent-and-vice-versa/ (Year: 2024). [cited by examiner]
Office Action and Search Report from the French Patent Office dispatched Nov. 10, 2022 in related application No. FR2203737, and translation thereof. [cited by applicant]