Global Patent Index - EP 1224045 A1

EP 1224045 A1 20020724 - NITINOL BALL BEARING ELEMENT AND PROCESS FOR MAKING

Title (en)

NITINOL BALL BEARING ELEMENT AND PROCESS FOR MAKING

Title (de)

KUGELLAGERTEIL AUS NITINOL UND VERFAHREN ZU DESSEN HERSTELLUNG

Title (fr)

ELEMENT DE ROULEMENT A BILLES EN NITINOL ET SON PROCEDE DE FABRICATION

Publication

EP 1224045 A1 20020724 (EN)

Application

EP 00955714 A 20000818

Priority

  • US 0022742 W 20000818
  • US 14994799 P 19990819
  • US 16784099 P 19991129
  • US 20701000 P 20000525

Abstract (en)

[origin: WO0112359A1] Bearing elements made of Type 60 Nitinol produced by an investment casting process include providing a ceramic mold (30) having a series of spherical cavities, pouring molten Nitinol into the mold cavities, cooling the mold and the Nitinol in the cavities producing solidified Nitinol balls (40), and breaking the mold away from the Nitinol balls. Nitinol rods (80) for roller bearings can be made by conventional casting. The bars are hot machined or hot rotary swaged and then centerless ground in a ball grinding machine (42) and laser cut to length, or are first cut to length and then centerless ground individually for crowned roller elements. The balls are broken or cut from the risers, leaving the gates attached, and are consolidated by heating under pressure in a hot isostatic press (43), then ground to the desired size. The balls or rollers are polished, treated to create an integral ceramic finish and repolished to produce an extremely smooth finish.

IPC 1-7

B21K 1/05

IPC 8 full level

B21K 1/02 (2006.01); B21K 1/05 (2006.01); B21K 1/76 (2006.01); B22D 11/04 (2006.01); B24B 5/22 (2006.01); B24B 11/06 (2006.01); F16C 33/32 (2006.01); F16C 33/34 (2006.01); F16C 33/62 (2006.01); F16C 33/64 (2006.01)

CPC (source: EP)

B21K 1/02 (2013.01); B21K 1/05 (2013.01); B21K 1/761 (2013.01); B22D 11/0405 (2013.01); B24B 5/225 (2013.01); B24B 11/06 (2013.01); C22F 1/10 (2013.01); F16C 33/32 (2013.01); F16C 33/34 (2013.01); F16C 33/62 (2013.01); F16C 33/64 (2013.01); F16C 2204/52 (2013.01)

Citation (search report)

See references of WO 0112359A1

Designated contracting state (EPC)

AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE

DOCDB simple family (publication)

WO 0112359 A1 20010222; AU 6786800 A 20010313; CA 2381785 A1 20010222; EP 1224045 A1 20020724

DOCDB simple family (application)

US 0022742 W 20000818; AU 6786800 A 20000818; CA 2381785 A 20000818; EP 00955714 A 20000818