Bearing assemblies and apparatuses including superhard bearing elements
AssigneeUS Synthetic Corporation
InventorS. Barrett Peterson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bearing assembly includes a support ring, a plurality of bearing-element carrier members coupled to the support ring, and a plurality of superhard bearing elements having a lateral periphery extending between a base and a superhard bearing surface. At least one superhard bearing element of the plurality of superhard bearing elements is attached to each of the plurality of bearing-element carrier members. A bearing apparatus includes a rotor, a stator, and a bearing assembly. A method for assembling a bearing assembly includes attaching at least one superhard bearing element to each of a plurality of bearing-element carrier members and coupling the plurality of bearing-element carrier members to a support ring.
Claims18
A bearing assembly, comprising:
- a support ring;
- a plurality of bearing-element carrier members mechanically fastened to the support ring;
- a plurality of superhard bearing elements each having a lateral periphery extending generally between a base surface and a superhard bearing surface;
- wherein:
- each of the plurality of superhard bearing elements is attached to at least one of the plurality of bearing-element carrier members;
- the superhard bearing surfaces of the plurality of superhard bearing elements are substantially planar and substantially parallel to each other.
A bearing apparatus, comprising:
- a rotor;
- a stator;
- wherein the rotor and the stator each include:
- a support ring;
- a plurality of bearing-element carrier members mechanically fastened to the support ring;
- a plurality of superhard bearing elements each having a lateral periphery extending generally between a base surface and a superhard bearing surface;
- wherein each of the plurality of superhard bearing elements is attached to at least one of the plurality of bearing-element carrier members.
A method for assembling a bearing assembly, comprising:
- attaching each of a plurality of superhard bearing elements to at least one of a plurality of bearing-element carrier members, each of the bearing elements having a lateral periphery extending generally between a base surface and a superhard bearing surface;
- mechanically fastening each of the plurality of bearing-element carrier members to a support ring such that the superhard bearing surfaces of the plurality of superhard bearing elements are substantially planar and substantially parallel to each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.