Externally mountable conductive assembly with circular base plate

An electrically conductive assembly for preventing current flow through the raceways of a bearing, the bearing having an inner ring disposed about a shaft and an outer ring disposed within a bore of an outer member, the shaft or the outer member being rotatable about a central axis through the shaft and the outer member having an exterior mounting surface spaced radially outwardly from the bore, the conductive assembly comprising:

• an annular base plate formed of a conductive material, having a centerline and including a main body entirely encircling the centerline, the main body having an outer radial end, a first outer axial end and a second outer axial end, and at least integral mounting lugs integrally formed with and extending radially outwardly from the outer radial end of the main body and connectable with the mounting surface of the outer member to secure the conductive assembly to the outer member at a position spaced axially from the bearing, each one of the at least two mounting lugs having a first outer axial end and a second outer axial end, the first outer axial end of the main body and the first outer axial end of each mounting lug being disposed within a first radial plane and the second outer axial end of the main body and the second outer axial end of each mounting lug being disposed within a second radial plane;
• and
• an annular inner conductor including an annular conductive retainer disposed against and connected with the annular base plate, the annular conductive retainer having an outer radial end, an inner radial end and an annular channel extending radially outwardly from the inner radial end, and a plurality of conductive fibers spaced circumferentially about the centerline, each fiber having an outer radial end disposed within the annular channel of the annular conductive retainer and at least one inner radial end engageable with the shaft such that an electrically conductive path extends between the shaft and the outer member through the annular inner conductor and the annular base plate.

A mechanical assembly comprising:

• a shaft having a central axis;
• an outer member having a bore, the shaft being disposed within the bore, and an exterior mounting surface spaced radially outwardly from the bore;
• a bearing having an inner ring disposed about the shaft and an outer ring disposed within the outer member bore, the bearing rotatably coupling the shaft with the bore such that the shaft or the bore is rotatable about the central axis;
• and
• an electrically conductive assembly for preventing current flow through the bearing and including:
• an annular base plate formed of a conductive material, having a centerline and including a main body entirely encircling the centerline, the main body having an outer radial end, and at least two mounting lugs integrally formed with and extending radially outwardly from the outer radial end of the main body and connectable with the mounting surface of the outer member to secure the conductive assembly to the outer member at a position spaced axially from the bearing, each one of the at least two mounting lugs having a first outer axial end and a second outer axial end, the first outer axial end of the main body and the first outer axial end of each mounting lug being disposed within a first radial plane and the second outer axial end of the main body and the second outer axial end of each mounting lug being disposed within a second radial plane;
• and
• an annular inner conductor connected with the annular base plate and having an inner radial end engageable with the shaft such that an electrically conductive path extends between the shaft and the outer member through the annular inner conductor and the annular base plate.