Cage for a rolling bearing made of synthetic material

Abstract

A one-piece cage for a rolling bearing assembly made of an elastically deformable, synthetic material. The cage comprises a pair of spaced annular members of a predetermined uniform radial height, a plurality of axially extending webs between the annular members and of a maximum radial dimension only slightly greater than the radial height of the annular members. The webs are circumferentially spaced to define a plurality of pockets for rolling elements and have arcuate confronting faces conforming generally to the contour of the rolling elements. Each web has inner and outer projections adjacent inner and outer end portions which are spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of the rolling elements to retain the rolling elements in the pockets and provide a certain amount of flexibility to permit assembly of the rolling elements in the pockets from either radial direction. By the particular configuration of the webs and the annular members, the rollers are encapsulated about substantially their entire periphery to provide for good guidance characteristics and to this end the pitch circle of the rolling elements lies in a circular plane disposed approximately midway of the radial height of the annular members. By this construction only a small portion of the rolling elements projects radially beyond the inner and outer circumferential edges of the annular members.