DESC:FIELD
The present disclosure relates to the field of mechanical engineering. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to the bearings.
BACKGROUND
Rotating or angularly displaceable components are typically supported by devices such as bearings. Bearings provide smooth angular displacement and are configured for frictionless rotation of the components within a housing. Components that are supported by bearings are generally heavy and therefore the bearings are subjected to heavy load for a long duration of time. Further, in some cases, load of an assembly of a plurality of components is also subjected to bearings.
One particular application for the bearings of this disclosure is for use in solar panel assembly for solar tracking. The solar panel assembly mostly comprises a plurality of solar panels and a pivotal support structure on which the plurality of solar panels are fitted. The pivotal support structure is configured to adjust the orientation of the solar panels towards the sun. Load of the plurality of solar panels and the pivotal support structure is subjected to the bearings which are configured to facilitate a smooth angular displacement of the pivotal support structure for better solar tracking. In such cases, the constant heavy load borne by the bearings can result in slippage for the bearings which is not desired.
Further, the solar panel assembly is typically mounted on rooftops or is installed in open areas that are exposed to sunrays such as barren land, desert, on top of water bodies etc, and are therefore exposed to wind. The buffeting effect by wind, places the solar panels and the pivotal support structure under relatively high stress which also results in slippage for the bearings supporting the solar panels and the pivotal support structure.
Hence, there is a need to develop an anti-slip arrangement for bearings that limits the aforementioned drawbacks.
OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows.
It is an object of the present disclosure to ameliorate one or more problems of the prior art or to at least provide a useful alternative.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide an arrangement for bearings that is capable of carrying heavy load for a longer duration of time without slippage.
Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide an anti-slip arrangement for bearings that is adjustable.
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
The present invention envisages an anti-slip arrangement for a bearing. The bearing includes a bearing housing and a plurality of bearing inserts. The plurality of bearing inserts is disposed within the bearing housing. The plurality of bearing inserts is configured to hold the torque tube within the bearing housing, and facilitate angular displacement and rotation of a torque tube.
The anti-slip arrangement comprises a vertical post, at least one guide channel, an adjusting screw plate, and at least one adjusting screw.
The vertical post is fixedly attached to the ground. The at least one guide channel is connected to the bearing housing and the vertical post. The plurality of guide channels is configured to displace the bearing housing in an operative vertical direction and across the length of the at least one guide channel.
The adjusting screw plate is disposed on the vertical post and the at least one adjusting screw is receivable within the adjusting screw plate. The at least one adjusting screw abuts the bearing housing to facilitate the alignment of the bearing. The adjusting screw plate and the vertical post are configured to bear the load of the bearing and the torque tube, thereby preventing slippage of the torque tube within the bearing.
In an embodiment, the bearing housing is connected to the at least one guide channel via fasteners selected from a group consisting of screws, rivets, nuts and bolts assembly.
In one embodiment, the bearing housing is cylindrical in shape.
In another embodiment, the plurality of bearing insert is defined by an arcutate surface abutting the bearing housing and an L-shaped stepped surface abutting the torque tube.
In another related embodiment, the cross-section of the torque tube is selected from a group consisting of a rectangle, a square, a triangle, a circle, a trapezoid, and any geometrical or non-geometrical shape thereof.
The bearing insert is made of a polymeric material. In an embodiment, the polymeric material used for manufacturing the bearing material is selected from a group consisting of polyolefin, polypropylene, Nylon, Teflon, Stanyl, Deldrin, and their composites.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWING
An anti-slip arrangement for bearings of the present disclosure will now be described with the help of an accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates an isometric view of the anti-slip arrangement for bearings; and
Figure 2 illustrates an operative front view of the anti-slip arrangement for bearings of Figure 1.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
100 – Anti-slip arrangement
101 – Bearing
102 – Bearing housing
103 – Slot
104 – Bearing inserts
106 – Torque tube
108 – Guide channel
110 – Fastner
112 – Adjusting screw
113 – Adjusting screw plate
114 – Vertical post
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Rotating or angularly displaceable components are typically supported by devices such as bearings. Bearings provide smooth angular displacement and are configured for frictionless rotation of the components within a housing. Components that are supported by bearings are generally heavy and therefore the bearings are subjected to heavy load for a long duration of time. Further, in some cases, load of an assembly of a plurality of components is also subjected to bearings.
One particular application for the bearings of this disclosure is for use in solar panel assembly for solar tracking. The solar panel assembly mostly comprises a plurality of solar panels and a pivotal support structure on which the plurality of solar panels are fitted. The pivotal support structure is configured to adjust the orientation of the solar panels towards the sun. Load of the plurality of solar panels and the pivotal support structure is subjected to the bearings which are configured to facilitate a smooth angular displacement of the pivotal support structure for better solar tracking. In such cases, the constant heavy load borne by the bearings can result in slippage for the bearings which is not desired.
Further, the solar panel assembly is typically mounted on rooftops or is installed in open areas that are exposed to sunrays such as barren land, desert, on top of water bodies etc, and are therefore exposed to wind. The buffeting effect by wind, places the solar panels and the pivotal support structure under relatively high stress which also results in slippage for the bearings supporting the solar panels and the pivotal support structure.
Hence, there is a need to develop an arrangement for bearings that limits the aforementioned drawbacks.
The present disclosure envisages an anti-slip arrangement for preventing slippage for a bearing that limits the aforementioned drawbacks.
The anti-slip arrangement of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures and embodiments, which do not limit the scope and ambit of the disclosure. The description provided is purely by way of example and illustration.
Figure 1 illustrates an isometric view of an anti-slip arrangement 100 for bearings 101. Figure 2 illustrates an operative front view of the anti-slip arrangement 100 for bearings 101 of Figure 1.
The anti-slip arrangement 100 for the bearing 101 of the present disclosure comprises a vertical post 114, a torque tube 106, at least one guide channel 108, an adjusting screw plate 113, and at least one adjusting screw 112. The bearing 101 includes a bearing housing 102 and a plurality of bearing inserts 104. The plurality of bearing inserts 104 is disposed within the bearing housing 102. The plurality of bearing inserts 104 is configured to hold the torque tube 106. The anti-slip arrangement 100, for the bearing 101, provides smooth angular displacement, and provides frictionless rotation of the torque tube 106 that is secured within the bearing housing 102. The vertical post 114 is fixedly attached to the ground. The anti-slip arrangement 100 of the present disclosure is described herein with reference to four bearing inserts 104 and at least one guide channel 108, however, the number of bearing inserts, guide channels, and fasteners do not limit the scope and ambit of the present disclosure and can be one or more than one.
The plurality of bearing inserts 104 and the bearing housing 102 are configured to hold the torque tube 106 of any dimension concentrically for ensuring a smooth angular displacement. In one embodiment, the bearing housing 102 is cylindrical in shape. In another embodiment, the plurality of bearing inserts 104 has an arcuate surface abutting the bearing housing 102 and an L-shaped stepped surface abutting the torque tube 106. As illustrated in figure 1 and figure 2, for the torque tube 106 having a square shape, to be held within the bearing housing 102, four such bearing inserts 104 are required. Therefore, in the operative configuration, when the four bearing inserts 104 are held in place within the bearing housing 102, slots 103 are formed between the ends of the bearing inserts 104. In an another emboidment, as far as the cylindrical surfaces of the bearing housing 102 is concerned, the effective circular cross-section of a circle formed by joining the four bearing inserts 104 together within the bearing housing 102 has a diameter just less than the diameter of the cross-sectional circle of the inner surface of the bearing housing 102, thus allowing the bearing inserts 104 to together hold the torque tube 106 and/or to rotate the torque tube 106 within the bearing housing 102.
The bearing housing 102 is connected to the at least one guide channel 108 by means of fasteners 110. In one embodiment, the fasteners 110 are selected from the group consisting of screws, nut and bolts, rivets, and the like.
In another embodiment, the guide channels 108 have a C-section like configuration. The at least one guide channel is connected to the bearing housing 102 and the vertical post 114. Provisions are provided on the at least one guide channel 108 to displace the bearing housing 102 in an operative vertical direction, i.e., on the Z-axis. In one embodiment, the provisions are provided on the at least one guide channel 108 for adjusting the bearing housing 102 across the length of the at least one guide channel 108, i.e., on the Y-axis.
The adjusting screw plate 113 is disposed on the vertical post 114. The at least one adjusting screw 112 is receivable within the adjusting screw plate 113. The at least one adjusting screw 112 is configured to adjust the bearing housing 102 in the operative vertical direction, i.e., on the Z-Axis. The at least one adjusting screw 112 is further configured to abut the bearing housing 102 and thereby facilitating the alignment of the bearing 101. In an embodiment, two adjusting screws 112 are receivable within the adjusting screw plate 113, and are configured to abut the bearing housing 102 to facilitate the alignment of the bearing 101. Further, the at least one adjusting screw 112 transfers the load of the bearing 101 and the torque tube 106 on to the adjusting screw plate 113. In one embodiment, the provisions and the at least one adjusting screw 112 are configured to facilitate the alignment of the bearing housing 102 concentrically on the vertical post 114. The adjusting screw plate 113 and the vertical post 114 are together configured to bear the load of the bearing 101 and the torque tube 106 and thereby prevent any slippage of the torque tube 106, through the slots 103, within the bearing 101 that is caused due to excessive load carried by the bearing 101.
In an embodiment, the cross-section of the torque tube 106 is selected from a group consisting of a rectangle, a square, a circle, a triangle, a trapezoid, and any geometrical or non-geometrical shape thereof. Although, the disclosure relates to a component which is a square rod or torque tube, a similar configuration can be formed for rods/tubes having triangular, polygonal, semi-circular, or complex geometric and non-geometric cross-sections and it will be well known to a person skilled in the art to design bearing inserts for holding such components within a bearing housing.
In an embodiment, the bearing housing 102 is made of metal, cast from aluminum, steel, or a steel alloy. In another embodiment, the plurality of bearing inserts 104 is made of a polymeric material such as a polyolefin, typically, polypropylene which may be a self-lubricating material. Other forms of polymeric material may be used such as Nylon, Teflon, Stanyl, Deldrin, and composites.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the anti-slip arrangement 100 is configured in solar panel assembly for solar tracking. The bearing, the torque tube, and the plurality of solar panels mounted on the torque tube, together constitute the solar panel assembly. The components of the solar panel assembly as disclosed above are heavy and may cause slippage through slots of the bearing. The anti-slip arrangement 100 as disclosed in the present disclosure when incorporated in the conventional solar panel assembly may prevent the slippage, thereby increasing the life of the bearing and reducing the maintenance cost of the bearing assembly.
TECHNICAL ADVANCES AND ECONOMICAL SIGNIFICANCE
The present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of an anti-slip arrangement for bearings that:
• is capable of carrying heavy load without causing slippage; and
• is adjustable.
The disclosure has been described with reference to the accompanying embodiments which do not limit the scope and ambit of the disclosure. The description provided is purely by way of example and illustration.
The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully revealed the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.
The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
The numerical values mentioned for the various physical parameters, dimensions or quantities are only approximations and it is envisaged that the values higher/lower than the numerical values assigned to the parameters, dimensions or quantities fall within the scope of the disclosure, unless there is a statement in the specification specific to the contrary.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.
,CLAIMS:We Claim:
1. An anti-slip arrangement (100) for a bearing (101), said bearing (101) having a bearing housing (102) and a plurality of bearing inserts (104) disposed within said bearing housing (102), said plurality of bearing inserts (104) configured to hold a torque tube (106) within said bearing housing (102), and facilitate angular displacement and rotation of said torque tube (106), said anti-slip arrangement (100) comprising:
a vertical post (114) fixedly attached to the ground;
at least one guide channel (108) connected to said bearing housing (102) and said vertical post (114), and configured to displace said bearing housing (102) in an operative vertical direction and across the length of said at least one guide channel (108); and
an adjusting screw plate (113) disposed on said vertical post (114), wherein said adjustable screw plate (113) and said vertical post (114) are configured to bear the load of said bearing (101) and said torque tube (106) to prevent slippage of said torque tube (106) within said bearing (101).
2. The anti-slip arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said anti-slip arrangement (100) includes at least one adjusting screw (112) receivable within said adjusting screw plate (113), and abutting said bearing housing (102) to facilitate the alignment of said bearing (101).
3. The anti-slip arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bearing housing (102) is connected to said at least one guide channel via fasteners (110) selected from a group consisting of screws, rivets, nuts and bolts assembly.
4. The anti-slip arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bearing housing (102) is cylindrical in shape.
5. The anti-slip arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of bearing inserts (104) is defined by an arcutate surface abutting said bearing housing (102) and an L-shaped stepped surface abutting said torque tube (106).
6. The anti-slip arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cross-section of said torque tube (106) is selected from a group consisting of a rectangle, a square, a triangle, a circle, a trapezoid, and any geometrical or non-geometrical shape thereof.
7. The anti-slip arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bearing insert (104) is made of a polymeric material.
8. The anti-slip arrangement as claimed in claim 7, wherein said polymeric material is selected from a group consisting of polyolefin, polypropylene, Nylon, Teflon, Stanyl, Deldrin, and their composites.