# US 11,892,032 B2 · Thrust foil bearing

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- Number: US 11,892,032 B2
- Document ID: US11892032B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/423,442
- Filed: 2020-01-20
- Published: 2022-03-24
- Granted: 2024-02-06
- Earliest claimed: 2019-01-18
- Assignees: IHI Corporation
- Applicants: IHI Corporation
- Inventors: Naomichi Omori
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11892032B2

## CPC

- F16C 17/042: {with flexible leaves to create hydrodynamic wedge, e.g. axial foil bearings}
- F16C 27/02: Sliding-contact bearings
- F16C 43/02: Assembling sliding-contact bearings
- F16C 2360/23: Gas turbine engines
- F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS

## Abstract

A thrust foil bearing includes: a base plate including an insertion hole through which a shaft is inserted; and a top foil disposed around the insertion hole, wherein the top foil includes: a slit dividing the top foil into an inner area and an outer area in a radial direction of the insertion hole; a sandwiched part disposed in the outer area; an extending part extending from the sandwiched part to the inner area; and an inclined part being in the inner area, having an end on one side in a circumferential direction of the insertion hole connected to the extending part, extending from the extending part toward another side in the circumferential direction, and inclined with respect to a flat surface of the base plate extending a direction orthogonal to an axial direction of the insertion hole.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A thrust foil bearing, comprising:
a base plate including an insertion hole through which a shaft is inserted; and
a top foil disposed around the insertion hole, wherein
the top foil includes:
a slit dividing the top foil into an inner area and an outer area in a radial direction of the insertion hole,
a sandwiched part disposed in the outer area,
an extending part extending from the sandwiched part to the inner area, and
an inclined part being in the inner area, having an end on one side in a circumferential direction of the insertion hole connected to the extending part through a first bent part, extending from the first bent part toward another side in the circumferential direction, and inclined with respect to a flat surface of the base plate extending a direction orthogonal to an axial direction of the insertion hole,
the extending part, the first bent part, and the inclined part are disposed in this order in the circumferential direction,
the first bent part is formed of a first bend and a second bend positioned on the other side in the circumferential direction of the first bend, the first bend is bent to be convex toward the base plate, the second bend is bent to be convex in a direction away from the base plate,
the slit extends further toward the one side in the circumferential direction than the first bent part.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The thrust foil bearing according to claim 1, wherein an annular member is attached to the base plate, and
the sandwiched part is sandwiched between the base plate and the annular member.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The thrust foil bearing according to claim 2, comprising a fastening member attaching the annular member to the base plate, wherein
the sandwiched part is provided with a through-hole through which the fastening member is inserted.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The thrust foil bearing according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of the through-holes are provided in the sandwiched part.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The thrust foil bearing according to claim 1, wherein the sandwiched part is formed into an annular shape.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The thrust foil bearing according to claim 1, wherein the sandwiched part is connected with a plurality of the inclined parts through a plurality of the extending parts,
the slit extends from an edge on the other side in the circumferential direction of the inclined part toward the one side in the circumferential direction, and
the top foil is provided with a second slit, the second slit extending from a radially inner side toward a radially outer side along the edge on the other side in the circumferential direction of the inclined part and being connected to the slit at a position on the radially outer side of the inclined part.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The thrust foil bearing according to claim 1, wherein an end on the other side in the circumferential direction of the inclined part is a free end.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The thrust foil bearing according to claim 1, wherein an end on the one side in the circumferential direction of the extending part is provided with a second bent part, the second bent part being bent such that an end of the second bent part extends toward the base plate or being bent such that an end of the second bent part is away from the base plate.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The thrust foil bearing according to claim 8, wherein the base plate is provided with an insertion groove into which the second bent part being bent toward the base plate is inserted.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The thrust foil bearing according to claim 1, wherein the extending part includes a fixed part that is fixed to the base plate.