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US 11,905,995 B2Granted
Bearing assemblies, apparatuses, and methods including bearing elements
AssigneeUS Synthetic Cor ora tion
InventorsTyler Kolste, Daryl Wise, S. Barrett Peterson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Bearing assemblies, apparatuses, systems, and methods include bearing assemblies where one of the bearing assemblies may include angled bearing surfaces having a planar shape.
Claims20
A bearing assembly, comprising:
- a first bearing assembly comprising:
- a first support ring;
- and
- one or more first bearing elements coupled to the first support ring, the one or more first bearing elements having bearing surfaces each exhibiting a partially spheroid convex shape;
- and
- a second bearing assembly comprising:
- a second support ring;
- and
- second bearing elements having bearing surfaces and each being coupled to the second support ring, the bearing surfaces of the second bearing elements each exhibiting a planar shape, the second bearing elements positioned at an oblique angle relative to an intended axis of rotation of a portion of the bearing assembly, wherein the second bearing elements are positioned substantially symmetrically about a partially conical surface substantially centered about the intended axis of rotation, wherein the bearing surfaces of the second bearing elements are configured to engage with the bearing surfaces of the one or more first bearing elements, wherein engagement of the bearing surfaces of the one or more first bearing elements with the bearing surfaces of the second bearing elements is configured to primarily support a load applied between the first bearing assembly and the second bearing assembly.
6 more elements
A bearing assembly, comprising:
- a first bearing assembly comprising a first support structure with one or more first bearing elements coupled to the first support structure, the first bearing elements each having a bearing surface exhibiting a convex surface;
- and
- a second bearing assembly comprising a second support structure and second bearing elements coupled to the second support structure, the second bearing elements each having a bearing surface exhibiting a planar surface, the second bearing elements positioned at an oblique angle relative to an intended axis of rotation of the bearing assembly, the second bearing elements configured to engage with bearing surfaces of the one or more first bearing elements, wherein the first bearing assembly and the second bearing assembly are configured to primarily contact along a single path about the intended axis of rotation of the bearing assembly at a location between a rounded apex of the convex surface of the bearing surface of the first bearing elements and the planar surface of the bearing surface of the second bearing elements.
A method of supporting an axial load with a thrust bearing assembly, the method comprising:
- positioning a first bearing assembly comprising one or more first bearing elements coupled to a first support structure at least partially within a second bearing assembly comprising second bearing elements coupled to a second support structure, each bearing surface of the second bearing elements exhibiting a planar shape oriented at an oblique angle relative to an axis of rotation;
- moving the one or more first bearing elements relative to the second bearing elements;
- and
- contacting the one or more first bearing elements against one or more planar shapes of the bearing surfaces of the second bearing elements, the first bearing assembly and the second bearing assembly primarily contacting along a single path defined between the one or more first bearing elements and the bearing surfaces having the planar shape of the second bearing elements.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.