JP5488296B2 - Rolling bearing and camshaft device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a rolling bearing and a camshaft device in which the rolling bearing is used.

Conventionally, in a journal portion of a camshaft, it is known that a rolling bearing is used instead of a sliding bearing disposed between a cylinder head and a cap member (see, for example, Patent Document 1). That is, by using a rolling bearing for the journal portion of the camshaft, torque loss during rotation of the camshaft is reduced.
In addition, when a variable valve timing mechanism is assembled at one end of the camshaft, an oil hole leading to a hydraulic pressure source is formed in the cap member to supply oil to the variable valve timing mechanism, and an oil hole is formed in the shaft. An oil passage is formed that guides the oil supplied through the holes to the variable valve timing mechanism.
In the camshaft device having the structure as described above, as shown in FIG. 8, the bearing housing portion 504 is arranged between the cap member 505 and the cylinder head 502 so as not to interfere with the oil hole 507 of the cap member 505. 508, and a rolling bearing 540 provided with inner and outer rings 550 and 560, rolling elements 570 and a cage 580 is disposed in the bearing housing portions 504 and 508 by the same applicant.

JP 2006-250268 A

In the camshaft device as shown in FIG. 8, when the oil supplied from the hydraulic source is supplied to the variable valve timing mechanism 531 through the oil hole 507 of the cap member 505 and the oil passage 520 of the shaft 512, the cap member. It is assumed that a part of the oil discharged from the discharge port of the oil hole 507 of 505 toward the inlet of the oil passage 520 of the shaft 512 flows excessively into the rolling bearing 540. In this case, excessive oil in the rolling bearing 540 increases the viscous resistance, resulting in torque loss.
Therefore, it is considered that a dedicated seal member is assembled on one end side of the annular space between the inner ring 550 and the outer ring 560 of the rolling bearing 540 to suppress excessive inflow of oil to the rolling bearing 540. The number of parts and assembly man-hours increase due to the sealing member, and the cost increases.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a rolling bearing capable of suppressing the inflow of excessive oil into the rolling bearing without increasing the number of parts and the number of assembly steps, and a cam in which the rolling bearing is used. A shaft device is provided.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a rolling bearing according to claim 1 of the present invention includes an inner ring, an outer ring, and a plurality of rolling elements that are arranged to roll in an annular space between the inner and outer rings, A rolling bearing provided with a cage for holding these rolling elements,
The retainer is formed of a synthetic resin material, and connects the first and second annular portions spaced apart from each other in the axial direction, and connects the first and second annular portions and retains the plurality of rolling elements. Integrated with a plurality of pillars defining the pocket,
The first annular portion of the retainer faces the one end surface of the inner and outer rings so as to be capable of coming into contact with and separated from the first annular portion, and approaches or contacts the one end surface of the inner and outer rings by the action of hydraulic pressure. An annular seal body for sealing one end side is integrally formed.

According to the above configuration, when hydraulic pressure acts on the seal body of the cage, the seal body comes close to or comes into contact with one end surface of the inner and outer rings due to the hydraulic pressure, whereby one end side of the annular space between the inner and outer rings is It can be sealed. As a result, excessive oil can be prevented from flowing into the rolling bearing (in the annular space between the inner and outer rings).
In addition, since the seal body is formed integrally with the first annular portion of the cage, the number of parts and assembly man-hours are reduced compared to the case where a dedicated seal member is manufactured and assembled separately from the cage. Thus, cost reduction can be achieved.

A rolling bearing according to claim 2 is the rolling bearing according to claim 1,
An end tube portion protruding in the axial direction is formed on an inner peripheral portion of one end surface of the inner ring and an outer peripheral portion of one end surface of the outer ring, respectively.
A minute gap that constitutes a labyrinth is set between the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the seal body and both end cylindrical portions of the inner and outer rings.

  According to the above configuration, the labyrinth (non-contact seal portion) is configured by the minute gaps between the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the seal body and the both end cylindrical portions of the inner and outer rings. Inflow can be suppressed even better.

A rolling bearing according to claim 3 is the rolling bearing according to claim 1 or 2,
The seal body is characterized in that an inner annular convex portion and an outer annular convex portion that can be brought into contact with one end surfaces of the inner and outer rings, respectively, are formed.

  According to the above configuration, the inner annular convex portion and the outer annular convex portion formed on the seal surface of the seal body are in contact with the inner and outer ring end surfaces, respectively, so that one side surface of the seal body is on the inner and outer ring end surfaces. The sliding frictional force at the time of bearing rotation can be reduced as compared with the case where they are in surface contact with each other.

A rolling bearing according to claim 4 is the rolling bearing according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The second annular portion of the cage is formed with a locking piece that engages at least one of the other end surfaces of the inner and outer rings to restrict movement of the cage in the axial direction. It is characterized by that.

  According to the above configuration, the locking piece formed on the second annular portion of the cage engages with at least one other end surface of the other end surfaces of the inner and outer rings, thereby moving the cage in the axial direction. Can be regulated. For this reason, for example, when the rolling bearing is stored, transported, assembled, etc., it is possible to prevent the rolling element from unintentionally coming out of the inner and outer rings together with the cage.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the camshaft journal portion in which the cam is disposed on the axis of the shaft, the bearing housing portion formed between the cylinder head and the cap member is provided in the first to fourth aspects. A camshaft device in which the rolling bearing according to any one of the above is disposed,
A variable valve timing mechanism is assembled to one end of the shaft,
In order to supply oil to the variable valve timing mechanism, an oil hole leading to a hydraulic pressure source is formed in the cap member, and oil supplied through the oil hole is guided to the variable valve timing mechanism in the shaft. A road is formed,
Due to the action of hydraulic pressure when oil is supplied to the variable valve timing mechanism through the oil hole and the oil passage, the seal body of the cage approaches or comes into contact with one end surface of the inner and outer rings, and between the inner and outer rings. The structure is characterized in that one end side of the annular space is sealed.

According to the above configuration, when the variable valve timing mechanism is operated, oil supplied from a hydraulic source (for example, a pump) passes through the oil hole of the cap member and the oil passage of the shaft (camshaft) to the variable valve timing mechanism. Supplied.
At this time, when a part of the oil discharged from the discharge hole of the oil hole of the cap member toward the inlet of the oil passage of the shaft flows toward the rolling bearing through a minute gap between the cap member and the shaft, The oil pressure of the oil acts on the seal body of the cage. Then, the seal body comes close to or comes into contact with one end face of the inner and outer rings, and seals one end side of the annular space between the inner and outer rings.
For this reason, it is possible to reduce the torque loss by suppressing excessive oil flow into the rolling bearing (in the annular space between the inner and outer rings), and to prevent insufficient supply of oil to the variable valve timing mechanism. Can do.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the camshaft apparatus with which the rolling bearing which concerns on Example 1 of this invention was used. It is the longitudinal cross-sectional view which similarly expands and shows the 1st journal part of a camshaft apparatus. It is a perspective view which similarly shows the holder | retainer of a rolling bearing. It is a perspective view which shows the state which similarly assembles a rolling element with a holder | retainer in the annular space between an inner ring | wheel and an outer ring | wheel. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the embodiment by which the locking piece was formed in one among the inner and outer diameters of the 2nd annular part of a holder | retainer. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the embodiment by which an annular convex part is similarly not formed in the sealing body of a holder | retainer. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the embodiment in which a locking piece is not formed in the 2nd annular part of a cage | basket similarly. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the camshaft apparatus developed by the same applicant.

  A mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in accordance with an embodiment.

A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 1, in the camshaft device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, a cam journal (the first journal portion 10 and other journals) configured between the cylinder head 2 and the cap member 5 has a shaft. A cam shaft 11 having a plurality of cams 13 is rotatably supported on 12 axes.
The cylinder head 2 has an arc recess 3 formed in each portion corresponding to the first journal portion 10 and other journals, and a cap member 5 having an arc recess 6 corresponding to the arc recess 3 is formed in the cylinder head 2. Tightened with bolts.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cap member 5 corresponding to the first journal portion 10 is formed with an oil hole 7 communicating with a hydraulic pressure source (pump).
The shaft 12 is formed with an oil passage 20 that guides oil supplied through the oil hole 7 to the variable valve timing mechanism 31. The oil passage 20 has a vertical hole 21 formed in the radial direction of the shaft 12 and a horizontal hole 22 formed in the axial direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a knock pin 14 is driven into one end surface of the shaft 12, and the timing gear 33, variable valve timing mechanism ( (Corresponding to the assembly part of the present invention) 31 is assembled. The variable valve timing mechanism 31 is connected to the end of the horizontal hole 22 of the oil passage 20 on the shaft 12 side.

In the first journal portion 10, semicircular bearing housing portions 4 and 8 are formed between the cap member 5 and the cylinder head 2 so as not to interfere with the oil hole 7 of the cap member 5.
A rolling bearing (needle roller bearing in the figure) 40 assembled to the bearing housing portions 4 and 8 of the first journal portion 10 is rolled into an inner ring 50, an outer ring 60, and an annular space between these inner and outer rings 50 and 60. A plurality of rolling elements (needle rollers) 70 that are movably disposed, and a holder 80 that holds the plurality of rolling elements 70 are provided.

The inner ring 50 is formed in a cylindrical shape that is press-fitted and fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 12, and an inner ring raceway surface 51 that faces the plurality of rolling elements 70 is formed on the outer peripheral surface.
Further, the outer ring 60 is fitted and fixed to the bearing housing portions 4 and 8 on the outer peripheral surface thereof, and the outer ring raceway surface 61 that separates the annular space from the inner ring raceway surface 51 of the inner ring 50 is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 60. Is formed.
A plurality of rolling elements 70 are assembled between the inner ring raceway surface 51 and the outer ring raceway surface 61 so as to be able to roll while being held by the cage 80.

The cage 80 is formed of a synthetic resin material having heat resistance and wear resistance, and as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, first and second annular portions 81 and 82 that are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction. The first and second annular portions 81 and 82 are connected to each other, and a plurality of pillar portions 84 that define a pocket 83 that holds the plurality of rolling elements 70 are integrally provided.
The first annular portion 81 of the cage 80 is opposed to the inner and outer rings 50, 60 so as to be able to come into contact with and separate from each other, and close to or abuts against one end face of the inner, outer rings 50, 60 by the action of hydraulic pressure. An annular seal body 90 that seals one end side of the annular space between the inner and outer rings 50 and 60 is integrally formed.

Further, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, end tube portions 53 and 56 are respectively formed along inner peripheral portions of both end faces of the inner ring 50, and end ends are also provided on the outer peripheral portions of both end faces of the outer ring 60. Tube portions 63 and 66 are respectively formed.
A minute gap S constituting a labyrinth is formed between both end cylindrical portions 53 and 63 on one end side (right side as viewed in FIG. 2) of the inner and outer rings 50 and 60 and the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the seal body 90. Is set.

  In the first embodiment, the seal surface of the seal body 90 (the surface facing the one end surface of the inner and outer rings 50 and 60) can be brought into contact with one end surface of the inner and outer rings 50 and 60 in a line contact state. An arc-shaped inner annular convex portion 91 and an outer annular convex portion 92 are respectively formed.

In the first embodiment, the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the second annular portion 82 of the retainer 80 are engaged with the other end surfaces of the inner and outer rings 50 and 60, respectively, in the axial direction of the retainer 80. An inner diameter side locking piece 95 and an outer diameter side locking piece 96 that restrict the movement of the outer diameter side are formed.
Further, as shown in FIG. 4, when the rolling element 70 is inserted and assembled together with the retainer 80 from the opening on one end side of the annular space between the inner and outer rings 50, 60, the inner diameter side locking piece 95 and the outer diameter side are assembled. The locking piece 96 is elastically deformed and inserted. Then, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 4, when inserted to a predetermined position, the inner diameter side locking piece 95 and the outer diameter side locking piece 96 are elastically restored to their original shapes, whereby the inner and outer rings It engages with the other end surfaces of 50 and 60, respectively.

  In the camshaft device according to the first embodiment configured as described above, the oil supplied from the hydraulic pressure source flows into the oil passage 20 of the shaft 12 through the oil hole 7 of the cap member 5 of the first journal portion 10. The timing gear 33 and the shaft 12 are relatively rotationally controlled (advance control or retard control) by the oil supplied from the oil passage 20 to the variable valve timing mechanism 31.

At this time, a part of the oil discharged from the discharge port of the oil hole 7 of the cap member 5 toward the inlet of the oil passage 20 of the shaft 12 is a rolling bearing through a slight gap between the cap member 5 and the shaft 12. The oil pressure of the oil acts toward the seal body 90 of the cage 80. Then, the inner annular convex portion 91 and the outer annular convex portion 92 of the seal body 90 come into contact with one end surfaces of the inner and outer rings 50 and 60 to seal one end side of the annular space between the inner and outer rings 50 and 60. .
As a result, excessive oil inflow into the rolling bearing 40 (in the annular space between the inner and outer rings 50, 60) can be suppressed, and torque loss can be reduced.
Further, by suppressing excessive oil from flowing into the rolling bearing 40, insufficient supply of oil to the variable valve timing mechanism 31 can be prevented.
As a result, oil can be satisfactorily supplied to the variable valve timing mechanism 31 without shortage.
Further, in a state where the hydraulic pressure with respect to the seal body 90 is low, a small amount of oil flows into the rolling bearing 40 through the inner surfaces of the outer rings 50 and 60 and between the seal bodies 90 and acts as lubricating oil for the rolling bearing 40. .

  Further, in the first embodiment, a labyrinth (non-contact seal portion) is configured by a minute gap between the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the seal body 90 and the both end cylindrical portions 53 and 63 of the inner and outer rings 50 and 60. Thus, excessive oil inflow into the rolling bearing 40 can be further suppressed.

  In the first embodiment, the inner annular convex portion 91 and the outer annular convex portion 92 formed on the seal surface of the seal body 90 are in contact with the one end surfaces of the inner and outer rings 50 and 60, respectively. For this reason, the sliding frictional force at the time of bearing rotation can be reduced compared with the case where the sealing surface of the sealing body 90 is in surface contact with one end surface of the inner and outer rings 50 and 60, respectively.

  In the first embodiment, the inner diameter side locking piece 95 and the outer diameter side locking piece 96 of the second annular portion 82 of the cage 80 are engaged with the other end surfaces of the inner and outer rings 50 and 60, respectively. Thus, the movement of the cage 80 in the axial direction can be restricted. As a result, for example, when the rolling bearing 40 is stored, transported, or assembled, the rolling element 70 together with the retainer 80 moves unexpectedly in the axial direction with respect to the inner and outer rings 50, 60, thereby preventing a malfunction. be able to.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the said Example 1, In the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention, it can also be implemented with a various form.
For example, in the first embodiment, the case where the rolling bearing 40 is assembled to the first journal portion 10 of the camshaft device is illustrated, but the rolling bearing 40 of the present invention is also applied to a power transmission device other than the camshaft device. It is possible to use.
Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the inner diameter side locking piece 95 (or the outer diameter side locking piece 96) is formed only on the inner peripheral surface (or outer peripheral surface) of the second annular portion 82 of the cage 80. Even in this case, the movement of the cage 80 in the axial direction can be restricted.
Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the sealing surface of the sealing body 90 may be sealed by bringing it into surface contact with the end surfaces of the inner and outer rings 50 and 60.
Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the sealing surface of the sealing body 90 is sealed by bringing it into surface contact with one end surface of the inner and outer rings 50, 60, and the second annular portion 82 of the cage 80 is sealed. You may make it the structure where a locking piece is not formed.
In this case, the end tube portions at both ends of the inner ring 50 and the end tube portions at both ends of the outer ring 60 are not required.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cam shaft apparatus 2 Cylinder head 5 Cap member 7 Oil hole 11 Cam shaft 12 Shaft 13 Cam 20 Oil path 31 Variable valve timing mechanism 40 Rolling bearing 50 Inner ring 53 End cylinder part 60 Outer ring 63 End cylinder part 70 Rolling body 80 Cage 81 First annular portion 82 Second annular portion 84 Column 90 Sealing body 91 Inner annular convex portion 92 Outer annular convex portion 95 Inner diameter side locking piece (locking piece)
96 Outer diameter side locking piece (locking piece)

Claims (5)

A rolling bearing comprising an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of rolling elements arranged to roll in an annular space between the inner and outer rings, and a cage for holding the rolling elements,
The retainer is formed of a synthetic resin material, and connects the first and second annular portions spaced apart from each other in the axial direction, and connects the first and second annular portions and retains the plurality of rolling elements. Integrated with a plurality of pillars defining the pocket,
The first annular portion of the retainer faces the one end surface of the inner and outer rings so as to be capable of coming into contact with and separated from the first annular portion, and approaches or contacts the one end surface of the inner and outer rings by the action of hydraulic pressure. An annular seal body that seals one end side is integrally formed. The rolling bearing according to claim 1,
An end tube portion protruding in the axial direction is formed on an inner peripheral portion of one end surface of the inner ring and an outer peripheral portion of one end surface of the outer ring, respectively.
A rolling bearing characterized in that minute gaps constituting a labyrinth are set between an outer peripheral surface of the seal body and both end cylindrical portions of the inner and outer rings. A rolling bearing according to claim 1 or 2,
2. A rolling bearing according to claim 1, wherein an inner annular convex portion and an outer annular convex portion are formed on the seal body so as to be in contact with one end surfaces of the inner and outer rings, respectively. It is a rolling bearing as described in any one of Claims 1-3,
The second annular portion of the cage is formed with a locking piece that engages at least one of the other end surfaces of the inner and outer rings to restrict movement of the cage in the axial direction. A rolling bearing characterized by that. The rolling bearing according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein in a journal portion of the cam shaft in which a cam is disposed on the shaft axis, a bearing housing portion formed between the cylinder head and the cap member is formed. Is a camshaft device in which
A variable valve timing mechanism is assembled to one end of the shaft,
In order to supply oil to the variable valve timing mechanism, an oil hole leading to a hydraulic pressure source is formed in the cap member, and oil supplied through the oil hole is guided to the variable valve timing mechanism in the shaft. A road is formed,
Due to the action of hydraulic pressure when oil is supplied to the variable valve timing mechanism through the oil hole and the oil passage, the seal body of the cage approaches or comes into contact with one end surface of the inner and outer rings, and between the inner and outer rings. A camshaft device configured to seal one end of an annular space.

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