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US 12,338,857 B2Granted
Bearing assemblies configured to accommodate axial movement and related systems and methods
AssigneeUS Synthetic Corporation
InventorsJair J. Gonzalez, Jair A. Gonzalez, Tyler Kolste, Daryl Wise
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Bearing assemblies, apparatuses, systems, and methods include bearing assemblies with bearing elements configured to accommodate axial movement.
Claims21
A bearing assembly, comprising:
- a first bearing ring comprising a first plurality of superhard bearing elements;
- a second bearing ring comprising a second plurality of superhard bearing elements, the second plurality of superhard bearing elements positioned to contact the first plurality of superhard bearing elements of the first bearing ring and provide a bearing interface to facilitate rotation of the first bearing ring relative to the second bearing ring;
- and
- a coupler coupled to the second bearing ring with a mating feature configured to at least partially prevent the coupler from rotating relative to the second bearing ring and to enable the coupler to translate in an axial direction relative to the second bearing ring.
1 more element
A method of accommodating axial movement between members of a system in relative rotation, the method comprising:
- fixably connecting a first member of the system to a first bearing ring comprising a first plurality of superhard bearing elements;
- fixably connecting a second member of the system to a coupler coupled to a second bearing ring, the second bearing ring comprising a second plurality of superhard bearing elements;
- rotating the second member of the system relative to the first member of the system;
- and
- maintaining axial alignment of the first plurality of superhard bearing elements of the first bearing ring with the second plurality of superhard bearing elements of the second bearing ring while sliding the coupler axially relative to the second bearing ring to accommodate axial movement between the first member of the system and the second member of the system.
2 more elements
A bearing assembly, comprising:
- a first bearing ring comprising a first row of superhard bearing elements arranged around an axis of rotation providing a first bearing surface;
- a second bearing ring comprising a second row of superhard bearing elements arranged around an axis of rotation providing a second bearing surface positioned adjacent the first bearing surface of the first bearing ring, the second bearing ring configured for rotation relative to the first bearing ring about the axis of rotation;
- and
- a coupler configured to rotate with the second bearing ring and move in an axial direction relative to the second bearing ring.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.