Joint bearing lubricant system
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorDaniel J. Kane
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bearing assembly is disclosed having a wearing surface formed from an alloying including tin, a wear material configured to be contacted by the wearing material during use, the wear material having a smoothed surface; and a lubricant composition comprising one or more additives having an affinity for tin. A method of providing superlubricious performance of a bearing assembly is also provided.
Claims19
A bearing assembly comprising:
- a wearing surface formed from an alloy including tin;
- a wear material configured to be contacted by the wearing surface during use, the wear material having a smoothed surface;
- and
- a lubricant composition comprising one or more additives having an affinity for tin.
An assembly comprising:
- a pair of members movable relative to one another, the pair including a first member and a second member that define a space therebetween, at least one of the first member or the second member being a spinodal alloy comprising copper, nickel, and tin;
- and
- at least one of the first member or the second member having a measured root mean squared surface roughness (Rq) less than 3 microinches (uin) to about 0, and/or a maximum surface roughness (Rmax) less than 30 uin to about 0 and/or an average maximum height surface roughness (Rz) less than 20 uin to about 0;
- and
- a lubricant composition positioned in the space, the lubricant composition comprising one or more boron or borate additives.
A bearing assembly for a truck pivot joint in a landing gear assembly, the bearing assembly comprising:
- a metallic truck assembly defining an opening therein;
- a pin rotatably positioned in the opening of the truck assembly, the pin having a measured root mean squared surface roughness (Rq) less than 3 microinches (uin) to about 0, and/or a maximum surface roughness (Rmax) less than 30 uin to about 0 and/or an average maximum height surface roughness (Rz) less than 20 uin to about 0;
- and
- a truck pivot bushing comprised of a spiniodal alloy including tin, the truck pivot bushing positioned at least partially in the opening defined by the truck assembly, the truck pivot bushing having an inner surface proximate the pin such that a space is defined between the inner surface of the truck pivot bushing and the pin, at least a surface of the pin or the truck pivot bushing having a coating of a lubricant composition comprising a boron or borate additive occupying the space defined between the pivot bushing and the pin.
A method of providing superlubricious performance of a bearing assembly, comprising:
- contacting, with a lubricant composition comprising one or more additives having an affinity for tin, at least a surface of a wear surface or a wearing surface, the wear surface configured to be contacted by the wearing surface during use, the wear surface having a smoothed surface, and the wearing surface formed from an alloy including tin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.