US 12,085,126 B2
Bearing cage and applications thereof
JiaWei Liu, Suzhou (CN); Meng Zhang, Shanghai (CN); and He Zhu, Shanghai (CN)
Assigned to Aktiebolaget SKF, Gothenburg (SE); and SKF (CHINA) CO LTD, Shanghai (CN)
Filed by SKF (China) Co Ltd, Shanghai (CN); and Aktiebolaget SKF, Gothenburg (SE)
Filed on Sep. 10, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/471,273.
Claims priority of application No. 202011077791.X (CN), filed on Oct. 10, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0112918 A1, Apr. 14, 2022
Int. Cl. F16C 33/38 (2006.01); F16H 49/00 (2006.01)
CPC F16C 33/3887 (2013.01) [F16H 49/001 (2013.01); F16C 2361/61 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A ball bearing cage comprising:
a backbone extending circumferentially around an axis of rotation;
a plurality of pockets located on the backbone each configured to receive a spherical rolling element, each of the plurality of pockets being partially defined by a pair of adjacent prongs extending from the backbone, each of the plurality of pockets having a first radial side and a second radial side, wherein the first radial side is radially spaced from the second radial side relative to the axis of rotation such that the pair of adjacent prongs are located between the first radial side and the second radial side, wherein
at least one of the plurality of pockets has a substantially conical inner surface, located between the adjacent prongs, whose diameter as measured in the circumferential direction increases when moving along the conical inner surface in a radial direction relative to the axis of rotation, and
wherein a free end of each of the adjacent prongs is wider than a transverse section of the adjacent prongs.