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US 12,018,715 B2Granted
Flex pad bearing pad configuration
AssigneeIngersoll-Rand Industrial U.S., Inc.
InventorsJames Lawrence Robb, Andrew J. Austin, Patrick Lynah
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hydrodynamic bearing in the form of a flex pad bearing includes configurations structured to change a bearing characteristic. One form of the bearing includes a nonlinear back wall that includes a circular arc and a transition, where the back wall extends radially outward of a ligament. The bearing can include an opening for the deposit of a weighted mass, wherein the opening can threadingly receive a threaded weighted mass. In one form a sidewall that includes the back wall segment can have an average outer radius which determines a thickness of the flex pads.
Claims18
A flex pad bearing assembly comprising:
- a bearing base;
- and
- a plurality of flex pads coupled with the bearing base to support radial loads, the plurality of flex pads arranged about a central axis of the flex pad bearing assembly, at least one of the plurality of flex pads including:
- a flex pad body having a bearing contact surface defined by an arc having a first radial distance from the central axis of the flex pad bearing assembly, a first sidewall extending from the bearing contact surface, a second sidewall extending from the bearing contact surface and circumferentially offset with respect to the first sidewall, the first sidewall and the second sidewall each extending outward to at least a second distance from the central axis of the flex pad bearing assembly;
- and
- a ligament connected to the flex pad body, the ligament having a first end at the bearing base and a second end at the flex pad body, the second end of the ligament connected to the flex pad body at a third distance from the central axis of the flex pad bearing assembly between the first radial distance and the second distance, the first end of the ligament extending to a fourth distance from the central axis of the flex pad bearing assembly between the second distance and the third distance.
3 more elements
A flex pad to couple with a bearing base of a flex pad bearing assembly to support radial loads, the flex pad comprising:
- a flex pad body to be arranged about a central axis of the flex pad bearing assembly, the flex pad body having
- a bearing contact surface defined by an arc to have a first radial distance from the central axis of the flex pad bearing assembly,
- a first sidewall extending from the bearing contact surface,
- a second sidewall extending from the bearing contact surface and circumferentially offset with respect to the first sidewall, the first sidewall and the second sidewall each to extend outward to at least a second distance from the central axis of the flex pad bearing assembly, and
- a back wall opposite the bearing contact surface, the back wall extending from the first sidewall and the second sidewall to the ligament, the back wall having two segments each extending from the first sidewall and the second sidewall at the second distance from the central axis of the flex pad bearing assembly;
- and
- a ligament connected to the flex pad body, the ligament having
- a first end at the bearing base and
- a second end at the flex pad body, the second end of the ligament connected to the flex pad body at a third distance from the central axis of the flex pad bearing assembly between the first radial distance and the second distance.
6 more elements
A flex pad bearing assembly comprising:
- a bearing base;
- and
- a plurality of flex pads coupled with the bearing base to support radial loads, the plurality of flex pads arranged about a central axis of the flex pad bearing assembly, at least one of the plurality of flex pads including:
- a flex pad body having a bearing contact surface defined by an arc having a first radial distance from the central axis of the flex pad bearing assembly, a first sidewall extending from the bearing contact surface, a second sidewall extending from the bearing contact surface and circumferentially offset with respect to the first sidewall, a back wall opposite the bearing contact surface, the back wall having a plurality of segments each located at a different distance from the central axis of the flex pad bearing assembly;
- and
- a ligament connected to the flex pad body, the ligament having a first end at the bearing base and a second end at the flex pad body, the back wall extending from the first sidewall and the second sidewall to the ligament, the back wall defined by an average distance from the central axis of the flex pad bearing assembly as the back wall extends from the first sidewall and the second sidewall to the ligament, the flex pad bearing assembly defining a central passage having a passage diameter defined by respective opposing bearing contact surfaces of the plurality of flex pads, each respective flex pad body of the plurality of flex pads having a thickness defined between the first radial distance of the arc of the bearing contact surface and the average distance of the back wall from the central axis of the flex pad bearing assembly, a ratio of the thickness of each flex bad p body to the passage diameter between at least approximately 0.36 and 0.48.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.