USOO9140298B2

(12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 9,140,298 B2

Stoinski et al. (45) Date of Patent: Sep. 22, 2015

(54) SEGMENTED VISCOELASTIC BUSHING FI6C I/6 (2006.01)

FOR ROTATINGELECTRICAL MACHINES FI6C I/52 (2006.01)
BEARNG (52) U.S. Cl.
CPC ............... F16C 27/066 (2013.01); F16C 19/16
(75) Inventors: Valmir Luis Stoinski, Jaragua dodo Sul
BR): Rui Paulo Weis, J Sul
5.3% .UT):
as'%; 50%.o8.
.UT),
R ul Paulo Weis, Jaragua do Su F16C35/077 (2013.01)
(58) Field of Classification Search
(73) Assignee: WEG EQUIPAMENTOS CPC ..... F16C 27/066; F16C 19/525; F16C 19/527
ELETRICOS S.A.- MOTORES, See application file for complete search history.
Jaragua do Sul (BR) (56) References Cited
(*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
patent is extended or adjusted under 35 2,504,776 A * 4, 1950 Woodfield et al. ............ 384,535
U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days. 2,506.404 A * 5/1950 Morton et al. ..... ... 384,535
5,044,785 A * 9/1991 Bair et al. ...... ... 384,536
(21) Appl. No.: 14/115,611 6,030,128 A * 2/2000 Pontzer ....... ... 384,476
9 6,318,900 B1 * 1 1/2001 Bere et al. ... ... 384,535
(22) PCT Filed: Dec.e 31,
a v-9
2011 8,267,592 B2 * 9/2012 Godleski ....................... 384/558
* cited by examiner
(86). PCT No.: PCT/BR2O11AOOO473 Primary Examiner — Thomas R. Hannon
S371 (c)(1), (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — Stites & Harbison PLLC;
(2), (4) Date: Nov. 4, 2013 Mandy Wilson Decker
(87) PCT Pub. No.: WO2013/086589 (57) segmented viscoelastic
The ABSTRACT
bushing for rating electrical
PCT Pub. Date: Jun. 20, 2013 machines bearing is disclosed herein, and is designed to
absorb radial and axial expansion variations during the rotat
(65) Prior Publication Data ing electrical machine operation. The bushing is configured to
US 2015/OO16763 A1 Jan 15, 2015 be housed between the bearing and the wheel hub in order to
• u a-s absorb impacts, while allowing for a controlled level of axial
(51) Int. Cl. and radial movement of the bearing resulting from the exist
FI6C 27/04 (2006.01) ing clearance between the bearing and the outer ring of the
FI6C 27/06 (2006.01) bearing.
F16C 35/077 (2006.01) 15 Claims, 8 Drawing Sheets

11
U.S. Patent Sep. 22, 2015 Sheet 1 of 8 US 9,140,298 B2

FIG. 1
U.S. Patent Sep. 22, 2015 Sheet 2 of 8 US 9,140,298 B2

F.G. 2
U.S. Patent Sep. 22, 2015 Sheet 3 of 8 US 9,140,298 B2

11

10

FIG. 3
U.S. Patent Sep. 22, 2015 Sheet 4 of 8 US 9,140,298 B2

11

FIG. 4
U.S. Patent Sep. 22, 2015 Sheet 5 of 8 US 9,140,298 B2

FIG. 5
U.S. Patent Sep. 22, 2015 Sheet 6 of 8 US 9,140,298 B2

FIG. 6
U.S. Patent Sep. 22, 2015 Sheet 7 of 8 US 9,140,298 B2

CN O

19

FIG. 7A
U.S. Patent Sep. 22, 2015 Sheet 8 of 8 US 9,140,298 B2

FIG. 7B
 US 9,140,298 B2
1. 2
SEGMENTED VISCOELASTC BUSHING electrical machines. In this application, we typically find air
FOR ROTATINGELECTRICAL MACHINES gap values between 0.2 to 0.35 mm in products normally
BEARNG commercialized.
In particular, applications in rotating electrical machines
TECHNICAL FIELD require accuracy and alignment of the assembly. The wheel
hubs of roller bearings are usually machined because stan
The present invention discloses a segmented viscoelastic dards require controlled values for durability, noise, and
device bushing for rotating electrical machines bearing which vibration.
is configured to be inserted between wheel hub and the bear 10 DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE OF THE ART
ing in Such a way to eliminate the need for conventional
machining to reduce noises and vibrations in bearing hubs for In the state of the art, there are devices aiming to compen
motors and generators, which currently requires high dimen sate for the differential between bearings and hub resulting
sional accuracy. from the thermal expansion between components. For
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
15 example, in the case of using aluminum bearing, where it is
known that the aluminum expansion is close to three-times
In general, the drawbacks resulting from the frictional that of steel, tolerance rings or shells are used as intermediate
components. In other cases of heavy applications and high
resistance to high-speed of the sliding bearings led to the temperature, in order to avoid the expansions that cause the
development of rollerbearings. Roller bearings are composed components to latch, non-segmented bushings are used,
of a pair of steel rings (rails) separated by one or more rows of manufactured from rubber. In this case, the main drawback of
balls or rollers (rolling bodies), which eliminate the sliding these devices is that they do not meet the concentricity
friction. The balls are kept equidistant to each other through a requirement when exposed to radial tensions.
cage to distribute forces and maintain concentricity of the U.S. Pat. No. 2,886,354 discloses a bushing, with a wavy
rings, the outerring is fixed to the wheel hub and the innerring 25 ring shape with spikes extending axially, so the undesired
is attached directly to the axis, or shaft. The bearings can radial pressure is distributed between the spikes corners, in
interact with two types of loads: radial and axial. The radial order to eliminate friction, increasing the contact pressure
force is that extending or moving from a central point out between bearing and wheel hub, built in a type of “spring
wardly and the axial force is that extending or dissipating steel by stamping.
through the central axis. 30 U.S. Pat. No. 3,061.386 discloses atolerance sleeve manu
The roller bearing housing in the hub cavity requires factured from metal sheets, comprising corrugations formed
machining processes of high dimensional accuracy so that the in the center portion of a cylindrical split sleeve wherein the
bearing does not move radially inside the cavity. For this individual corrugations cooperatively define an overall sinu
reason, the dimensional variation is usually determined by the soidal configuration.
bearing Supplier. However, the conventional processes for 35 U.S. Pat. No. 3,033,622 discloses a set comprising a bush
obtaining the bearing hub do not ensure the dimensional ing for interposition between two pieces Such as a shaft and
repeatability required by the system without further accuracy the inner race of a ball bearing having a polygonal shaped
finishing, typically grinding, resulting in difficulty of assem spring to absorb excessive radial pressures. The drawback to
bly or excessive clearance of the bearing in the hub. In this this patent is the requirement of the spring to be fitted through
case the outer track of the bearing rotates within the cavity 40 a screwed disc to the wheel hub, increasing severely the
with a high possibility of noises and wear, reducing the life manufacturing costs of the mounted system.
time of the product. The patent GB723399 discloses an elastic device, manu
Typically, in a construction of single-phase or three-phase factured from rubber or silicon rubber in a U-shape or ring
induction motors with Squirrel cage rotor, the air gap value shape. The device is compressed when inserted between a
should be sized according to the machine design and a series 45 ring and a cavity wall, to compensate for axial variations.
of combined data. A text, published in 1936, states that “... U.S. Pat. No. 7,452,135 discloses a bearing support com
it is necessary (to lower the magnetizing current) using a prised of a serial set of annular plates stacked in cone shape
Small air gap (but not too small).... The clearance must be between the housing wall and the outer race of the bearing
chosen Such that the excitation current and reactance of the ring. Annular plates can be formed from a single wire formed
machine are in accordance with the desired performance. 50 in a coil, or from a plurality of annular cones stacked in series,
Reduced gaps can increase motor noise and losses in the tooth to allow radial dimensional variations and provide a spring
face . . .” rate.
The existing variations in the air gap will depend on the slit U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,528 describes an assembly including a
dimensions, stator and configuration of the winding. In any shaft and a bearing interposed between the shaft and its hous
case, an air gap variation up to 20% does not result in a 55 ing to provide radial Support and relative rotation to absorb
significant change in the performance of the locked rotor, a radial and axial variations. However, the assembly comprises
fundamental aspect of a motors performance. a series of combined elements and a specific bearing,
In commercial ventilation applications utilizing fractional mounted in the machine itself which targets more severe
horsepower motors, i.e., with powers lower than 1 cv, the applications with high temperatures, presenting high com
radial loads are usually proportionally Small when compared 60 plexity and increasing the production costs.
to the mechanic resistance of the Viscoelastic bearing. In these U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,628 describes a bearing sleeve posi
conditions, the bearing barely touches the seat of the wheel tioned around a rotating shaft, comprising alternating peaks
hub in normal application, maintained only by the elastic and Valleys on its surface, used to compensate for radial or
action of the viscoelastic bushing, which causes the assembly axial variations.
to operate advantageously in relation to the noise. Usually, it 65 U.S. Pat. No. 4,486,055 discloses a device for compensat
is desired that the noise is low in this type of application when ing for radial variations or play, comprising a disc having a
compared to others conventional applications of rotating wedge shaped rim. This system consists of a separator ring
 US 9,140,298 B2
3 4
between the bearing and the bore of an axially pre-tensioned FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the viscoelastic
spring loaded ball bearing assembly, where the ring is shaped bushing and the roller bearing hub.
to prevent radial play between the bearing assembly and the FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the viscoelastic
bore. A drawback of the device is the machining need of the bushing housed in the hub cavity.
inner diameter of the wheel hub, due to the sliding that is FIG. 5 illustrates an exploded cross section of the seg
required of the separator ring. mented viscoelastic bushing housed in the hub cavity.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,926,051 discloses a resilient bearing FIG. 6 illustrates a transverse cross section of a bushing
mounting with a sleeve whose inner diameter is larger than embodiment.
the outer diameter and an axial pre-tension spring. 10
FIG. 7a illustrates a transverse cross section of another
The document FR28393.96 discloses a ring having a bushing embodiment.
L-shaped profile produced from an elastic material to provide FIG. 7b illustrates a perspective view of another bushing
damping that has an axial dimension longer than one and a embodiment.
half times the bearing width, which causes a lot of dimen
sional disturbances. Particularly in this case the manufactur DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
15
ing dimensional accuracy is identical to a rigid system.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,223,020 discloses bearing assembly having According to FIGS. 1 to 3, the present invention discloses
an outer ring and an inner ring. The outer ring of the bearing a bushing which body (1), in annular shape, delimiting an
is axially fitted in a recess of an inner cylindrical wall. A inner groove (2) and an outer groove (3), designed with the
radially flexible element is located between at least one of the purpose of absorbing the axial expansion variations during
outer rings from the bearing and inner wall of the recess, and electrical machine operation. The outer groove (3) defines an
the inner ring of the bearing and a rotating member that is inner ring (4), aiming join the segments (8) Such that to
rotatably carried in the bearing assembly. facilitate its manipulation, making the bushing a single com
From the above, it is clear that systems for absorbing axial ponent.
and radial deformations, variations, or play, are known in the 25 The ring (4) contains in its perimeter one or more cuttings
prior art. However, there is no device in the stated of the art (6), in chute shape or otherformat, designed with the function
that simultaneously compensated for radial and axial dimen of eliminating possible air accumulations during the assem
sional variations generated between the bearing and the cav bly in the cavity bottom (11), having concavities and arranged
ity wall that houses it, that eliminates the need for machining to link the groove (3) to the inner ring (4). The outer ring (7)
the bearing hub, and is associated with a simplified, cost 30 provides segments (8) designed equidistant to each other and
reduced, production process, either in obtaining the bearing linked externally about the perimeter of the outer ring (7).
hub or the radial clearances compensator device proposed Each projection (8) has a lower end (5) linked to the outer ring
herein. (7) and a beveled upper end (9), forming a rectangular trap
eZoid.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 35
With respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, in a preferred embodiment,
Thus, it is the object of the present invention to overcome the outer groove (3) delimits an inner ring (4), comprising in
the drawbacks found in the prior art, by providing a seg its perimeter cuttings (6) in bas-relief, in chute shape,
mented viscoelastic material bushing mounted between a hub arranged to link the groove (3) to the inner ring (4). In this
and bearing, eliminating machining steps, so that undesirable 40 construction, the outer ring (7) presents about eight segments
axial and radial variations are compensated for without dam (8) linked externally to the perimeter of (7). Each projection
age to the Smooth operation of the system. (8) has a curved end (5), and a beveled end (9).
The present invention discloses a bushing designed to According to FIGS. 3 through 5, the bushing (1) is fitted
absorb radial and axial expansion variations during electrical between the bearing and the wheel hub, to limit the axial and
machine operation and the clearances obtained from the high 45 radial movement of the bearing (not shown) resulting from
pressure injection process of the wheel hub without requiring the existing clearance between the bearing and the bearing
any Subsequent machining or precision finishing of the wheel outer ring, limited to 20% of the air gap. The segments (8) of
hub. The bushing is fitted between the bearing and the wheel the Viscoelastic bushing accommodate rectangular cuttings,
hub in order to dampen impacts, while allowing controlled or concave shaped cuts (10) with identical format to the
the radial and axial movement of the bearing resulting from 50 projections (8) and equidistant to each other, between the
the existing clearance between the bearing and the outer ring cavity (11) of the hub and the bearing.
of the bearing, at up to 30% of the air gap. Thus, the present The shaft-bearing assembly can also offset axially in this
invention aims to avoid the shaft/bearing assembly remaining configuration towards the hub wall. The inner ring (4) will
loose in the cavity, through the use of elastic pressure, thereby replace the spring type undulating washer in spring steel,
avoiding rotational movements in which the bearing can rub 55 commonly used in conventional motors, compensating for
against the wheel hub causing wear, increase in temperature, possible errors in the axial assembly, expansions and giving
and undesirable noises and vibrations. This is possible, an axial pressure value needed for the bearing proper opera
obtaining the electrical machine bearing through a high-pres tion of the bearing assembly.
Sure casting process that will provide Suitable accuracy for According to FIG. 6, in another embodiment, the segments
concentricity and finishing for the proposed application. 60 (13) are joined to a cross-section ring (16) in a T shape, joined
through rectangular trapezoids grooved recesses (15). Each
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES segment (13) having a beveled upper end (14), and the lower
end (12) with rounded corners.
FIG. 1 illustrates a rear view of the segmented viscoelastic In another embodiment, according to FIGS. 7a and 7b, the
bushing. 65 segments (20) have lower ends (19) curved and linked to the
FIG. 2 illustrates a cross section of the segmented vis cross section ring perimeter (17), through the circular
coelastic bushing. recessed grooves (18).
 US 9,140,298 B2
5 6
It is noted that other modifications and variations made to in concave-shaped cuts and equidistant to each other, between
this invention are considered within the scope of this inven a cavity of a hub and the bearing.
tion.
The invention claimed is:
9. A segmented viscoelastic bushing for rotating electrical
1. A segmented viscoelastic bushing for rotating electrical machines bearing, to be used with a purpose of absorbing
machines bearing, to be used with a purpose of absorbing radial and axial expansion variations plus mistakes generated
radial and axial expansion variations plus mistakes generated by high-pressure casting processes, during electrical machine
by high-pressure casting processes, during electrical machine operation, comprising a body in annular shape, delimiting an
operation, comprising a body in annular shape, delimiting an outer ring, presenting at least three segments linked to the
outer ring, presenting at least three segments linked to the 10 outer perimeter of the outer ring, and further comprising
outer perimeter of the outer ring, wherein the outer ring segments joined to a cross-section ring in a T shape through
comprises an inner groove, an outer groove and an inner ring rectangular trapezoids grooved recesses; wherein each seg
delimited by an inner groove and outer groove, in order to link ment presents a beveled upper end and a lower end with
the inner groove and the outer groove to the ring; said inner rounded corners.
ring presenting cuttings in its perimeter. 15 10. The segmented viscoelastic bushing for rotating elec
2. The segmented viscoelastic bushing for rotating electri trical machines bearing according to claim 9, wherein the
cal machines bearing according to claim 1, wherein each segments of the viscoelastic bushing are configured to be
segment comprises a lower end linked to the outer ring and an housed in concave-shaped cuts and equidistant to each other,
upper end in a trapezoidal rectangular shape or a rounding between a cavity of a hub and the bearing.
radius.
3. The segmented viscoelastic bushing for rotating electri 11. The segmented viscoelastic bushing for rotating elec
cal machines bearing according to claim 2, wherein the seg trical machines bearing according to claim 9, wherein each
ments of the Viscoelastic bushing are configured to be housed segment comprises a lower end linked to the outer ring and an
upper end in a trapezoidal rectangular shape or a rounding
in concave-shaped cuts and equidistant to each other, between radius.
a cavity of a hub and the bearing. 25
4. The segmented viscoelastic bushing for rotating electri 12. The segmented viscoelastic bushing for rotating elec
cal machines bearing according to claim 1, wherein segments trical machines bearing according to claim 11, wherein the
with curved lower ends are linked to a ring perimeter of a segments of the viscoelastic bushing are configured to be
rectangular cross-section, through circular recessed grooves. housed in concave-shaped cuts and equidistant to each other,
5. The segmented viscoelastic bushing for rotating electri 30 between a cavity the hub and the bearing.
cal machines bearing according to claim 4, wherein the seg 13. The segmented viscoelastic bushing for rotating elec
ments of the viscoelastic bushing are configured to be housed trical machines bearing according to claim 9, wherein seg
in concave-shaped cuts and equidistant to each other, between ments with curved lower ends are linked to a ring perimeter of
a cavity of a hub and the bearing. a rectangular cross-section, through circular recessed
6. The segmented viscoelastic bushing for rotating electri 35 grooves.
cal machines bearing according to claim 1, wherein the seg 14. The segmented viscoelastic bushing for rotating elec
ments of the Viscoelastic bushing are configured to be housed trical machines bearing according to claim 13, wherein the
in concave-shaped cuts and equidistant to each other, between segments of the viscoelastic bushing are configured to be
a cavity of a hub and the bearing. housed in concave-shaped cuts and equidistant to each other,
7. The segmented viscoelastic bushing for rotating electri 40
between a cavity of a hub and the bearing.
cal machines bearing according to claim 1, wherein each 15. The segmented viscoelastic bushing for rotating elec
segment comprises a lower end linked to the outer ring and an trical machines bearing according to claim 9, wherein the
upper end in a trapezoidal rectangular shape or a rounding
radius. segments of the viscoelastic bushing are configured to be
8. The segmented viscoelastic bushing for rotating electri 45 housed in concave-shaped cuts and equidistant to each other,
cal machines bearing according to claim 1, wherein the seg between a cavity of a hub and the bearing.
ments of the Viscoelastic bushing are configured to be housed k k k k k