Ball bearing with a unitary separator-seal

Claim 2

An antifriction bearing comprising a pair of relatively rotatable races coaxially disposed with an annular space therebetween, said races having uninterrupted deep groove raceways confronting each other with one of said races having a sloping land adjacent one end of said bearing, a plurality of balls disposed in said raceways with their centers defining an imaginary pitch circle lying in said annular space, and a unitary separator-seal for circumferentially spacing said balls and closing said annular space at said one end, said unitary separator-seal having a tubular body axially disposed in said annular space on one side of said imaginary pitch circle, said tubular body having particylindrical pockets of uniform diameter communicating with axial openings extending to one end thereof through which said balls are snap received in said pockets, said pockets having arcuate portions adjacent said openings which wrap around said balls and retain them therein, a rigid sealing lip and a flExible sealing lip extending generally radially in opposite directions from the other end of said tubular body, said pockets of uniform diameter having centers offset from the centers of said balls and said arcuate portions engaging said balls and drawing said rigid sealing lip toward said balls into intimate contact with said sloping land centering said unitary separator-seal on said one race and providing a seal therebetween and said resilient sealing lip being resiliently deformed into a lightly biased wiping engagement with said other race.

Claim 3

An antifriction bearing comprising inner and outer relatively rotatable races coaxially disposed with an annular space therebetween, said races having uninterrupted deep groove raceways confronting each other, said inner race having an inwardly sloping land adjacent one end of said bearing, said outer race having an outwardly sloping land adjacent the other end of said bearing, a plurality of balls disposed in said raceways with their centers defining an imaginary pitch circle lying in said annular space, and a first unitary separator-seal circumferentially spacing said balls and closing said annular space at said one end, said first unitary separator-seal having a tubular body axially disposed in said annular space, said tubular body having particular pockets at one end thereof defining openings through which said balls are snap received and retained in said pockets and arcuate portions adjacent said openings which wrap around said balls, a rigid annular sealing lip and a flexible annular sealing lip extending generally radially in opposite directions from the other end of said first tubular body, said arcuate portions engaging said balls and drawing said rigid annular sealing lip toward said balls into intimate contact with said inwardly sloping land centering said first unitary separator-seal on said inner race and providing a seal therebetween and said resilient sealing lip being resiliently deformed into a lightly biased wiping engagement with said outer race, a second unitary separator-seal circumferentially spacing said balls and closing said annular space at said other end, said second unitary separator seal having a tubular body portion axially disposed in said annular space, said tubular body portion having particircular pockets at one end thereof defining openings through which said balls are snap received and retained in said pockets and arcuate portions adjacent said openings which wrap around said balls, a rigid annular sealing lip and a flexible annular sealing lip extending generally radially in opposite directions from the other end of said second tubular body, said arucate portions engaging said balls and drawing said rigid annular sealing lip toward said balls into intimate contact with said outwardly sloping land centering said unitary separator-seal on said outer race and providing a seal therebetween and said resilient sealing lip being resiliently deformed into a lightly biased wiping engagement with said inner race.

Claim 4

An antifriction bearing comprising inner and outer relatively rotatable races coaxially disposed with an annular space therebetween, said races having uninterrupted deep groove raceways confronting each other, said inner race having an inwardly sloping land adjacent one end of said bearing, said outer race having an outwardly sloping land adjacent the other end of said bearing, a plurality of balls disposed in said raceways with their centers defining an imaginary pitch circle lying in said annular space, and a first unitary separator-seal circumferentially spacing said balls and closing said annular space at said one end, said first unitary separator-seal having a tubular body axially disposed in said annular space, said tubular body having particular pockets at one end thereof defining openings through which said balls are snap received and retained in said pockets and arcuate portions adjacent said openings which wrap around said balls, a rigid annular sealing lip and a flexible annular sealing lip extending generally radially in opposite directions from the other end of said first tubular body, said arcuate portions engaging said balls and drawing said rigid annular sealing lip toward said balls into intimate contact with said inwardly sloping land centering said first unitary separator-seal on said inner race and providing a seal therebetween and said resilient sealing lip being resiliently deformed into a lightly biased wiping engagement with said outer race, a second unitary separator-seal circumferentially spacing said balls and closing said annular space at said other end, said second unitary separator seal having a tubular body portion axially disposed in said annular space, said tubular body portion having particircular pockets at one end thereof defining openings through which said balls are snap received and retained in said pockets and arcuate portions adjacent said openings which wrap around said balls, a rigid annular sealing lip and a flexible annular sealing lip extending generally radially in opposite directions from the other end of said second tubular body, said arucate portions engaging said balls and drawing said rigid annular sealing lip toward said balls into intimate contact with said outwardly sloping land centering said unitary separator-seal on said outer race and providing a seal therebetween and said resilient sealing lip being resiliently deformed into a lightly biased wiping engagement with said inner race.