Foil bearing structure with damping
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorRichard A. Himmelmann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bearing and damping structure of a foil bearing is provided. The bearing and damping structure includes interleaved spring plates and damper plates. Each spring plate includes an annular array of fingers to support a foil body of the foil bearing against radially-directed compressive forces. Friction induced between each damper plate and neighboring spring plates causes the fingers of the neighboring spring plates to resist deformation due to the radially-directed compressive forces for damping.
Claims19
A bearing and damping structure of a foil bearing, the bearing and damping structure comprising:
- interleaved spring plates and damper plates,
- each spring plate comprising an annular array of fingers to support a foil body of the foil bearing against radially-directed compressive forces, and
- friction induced between each damper plate and neighboring spring plates causing the fingers of the neighboring spring plates to resist deformation due to the radially-directed compressive forces for damping,
- wherein each spring plate comprises an annular body from which each finger extends, each finger of each spring plate comprises a radially inward distal tip and each damper plate comprises:
- an annular damper body which, in an axial direction of the foil bearing, exceedingly overlaps with the annular body of the neighboring spring plates;
- and
- an annular array of damper fingers that each extend from the annular damper body and which, in the axial direction of the foil bearing, exceedingly overlap with respective corresponding portions of the fingers of the neighboring spring plates except for the radially inward distal tips.
A bearing and damping structure of a foil bearing, the bearing and damping structure comprising:
- interleaved spring plates and damper plates,
- each spring plate comprising an annular array of fingers to support a foil body of the foil bearing against radially-directed compressive forces, and
- friction induced between each damper plate and neighboring spring plates causing the fingers of the neighboring spring plates to resist deformation due to the radially-directed compressive forces for damping,
- wherein each spring plate comprises an annular body from which each finger extends and each finger of each spring plate comprises a base at the corresponding annular body, a distal tip and one or more bends radially interposed between the base and the distal tip, and each finger of each spring plate comprises two or more directionally opposed bends radially interposed between the base and the distal tip.
A foil bearing, comprising:
- a bearing sleeve;
- a foil body;
- a clamp;
- and
- a bearing and damping structure radially interposed between the bearing sleeve and the foil body and comprising interleaved spring plates and damper plates,
- each spring plate comprising an annular array of fingers to support the foil body against radially-directed compressive forces, and
- the clamp exerting, on the bearing and damping structure, an axially-directed clamping force that induces damper-spring plate friction causing one or more of the fingers to resist deformation due to the radially-directed compressive forces for damping.
A method of assembling a foil bearing capable of damping, the method comprising:
- forming spring plates to each comprise an annular array of fingers to support a foil body against radially-directed compressive forces;
- forming damper plates;
- interleaving the damper plates with the spring plates to assemble a bearing and damping structure;
- radially interposing the bearing and damping structure between a bearing sleeve and the foil body;
- and
- exerting, on the bearing and damping structure, an axially-directed clamping force that induces damper-spring plate friction causing one or more of the fingers to resist deformation due to the radially-directed compressive forces for damping.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.