# US 2022/0065288 A1 · Gas bearing and method for producing same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2022/0065288 A1 - Document ID: US20220065288A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/414,303 - Filed: 2019-12-17 - Published: 2022-03-03 - Earliest claimed: 2018-12-18 - Assignees: Technische Universität Darmstadt - Applicants: Technische Universität Darmstadt - Inventors: Bernhard Schweizer; Marcel Bauer; Marcel Mahner; Markus Rieken; Pascal Zeise - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220065288A1 ## CPC - F16C 17/024: {with flexible leaves to create hydrodynamic wedge, e.g. radial foil bearings} - F16C 2240/54: Surface roughness - F16C 2240/60: Thickness, e.g. thickness of coatings - F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS ## Abstract The invention relates to a gas bearing for contactlessly bearing a rotatable element (50). The gas bearing comprises: a housing (100) having an opening for receiving the rotatable element; and at least two sliding films (200), which are arranged on an interior (110) of the opening without overlap and which each have a first end portion (210) and a second end portion (220) for support on the housing (100). The sliding films (200) are designed to radially support the rotatable element relative to the housing (100) only by means of the first and second end portions (210, 220), the second end portion (220) providing frictional contact with the interior (110) and the first end portion (210) being fastened to the housing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A gas bearing for supporting a rotatable element in a contact-free manner, comprising: a housing having an opening for receiving the rotatable element; and at least two sliding foils arranged without overlap on an inner side of the opening and each having a first end portion and a second end portion for support on the housing, wherein the sliding foils are configured to radially support the rotatable element relative to the housing only through the first and second end portions, wherein the second end portion provides frictional contact with the inner side and the first end portion is secured to the housing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The gas bearing according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the sliding foils is formed multilayered and the individual layers are attached to the housing on a same side or on opposite sides. ### Claim 3 A gas bearing for supporting a rotatable element in a contact-free manner, having the following features: a housing having an opening for receiving the rotatable element; and a plurality of multilayered sliding foils, wherein each multilayered sliding foil is arranged without overlapping an adjacent multilayered sliding foil on an inner side of the opening, and the individual layers of the multilayered sliding foils are all fixed to the housing with a first end portion, and the opposite second end portion forms a frictional contact with another layer of the multilayered sliding foil or with the housing; and wherein each layer of the multilayered sliding foils forms a circular segment in a radial section along a surface facing the rotatable element. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The gas bearing according to claim 3, wherein for increasing a coefficient of friction and/or friction work of the frictional contact at least one of the following features is formed: a coating of the second end portion and/or the inner side of the opening with a material that increases the coefficient of friction; the second end portion and/or the inner side of the opening comprises an increased roughness; the second end portion comprises a contour; the second end portion is angled in a radial cross-sectional view to form an increased contact angle for frictional contact relative to the inner side of the opening. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The gas bearing according to claim 3, wherein the opening in the housing deviates from a circular shape to increase a contact angle to the inner side compared to the circular shape. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The gas bearing according to claim 3, wherein, to increase the stiffness of at least one sliding foil, a thickness of the sliding foil varies between the first end portion and the second end portion to increase the supporting effect for radially acting forces. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The gas bearing according to claim 3, wherein the attachment of the first end portion to the housing comprises at least one of the following connections: a soldered connection, a welded connection, an adhesive connection, an at least partial insertion of the first end portion into a recess of the housing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) A rotor suspension, comprising: the gas bearing according to claim 3; and a rotatable element insertable into the opening of the housing such that sliding foils are arranged between the rotatable element and the housing to receive forces acting radially on the rotatable element relative to the housing and to form an air cushion with increasing rotational speeds. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The rotor suspension according to claim 8, wherein the at least two sliding foils are exchangeable, in order to select the at least two sliding foils with respect to their stiffness and depending on the rotatable element and the expected radial impacts. ### Claim 10 A method for manufacturing a gas bearing for supporting a rotatable element in a contact-free manner, comprising: providing a housing having an opening for receiving a rotatable element; arranging at least two sliding foils extending in an arc-shaped manner single- or multilayered between a first end portion and a second end portion on an inner side of the opening without adjacent sliding foils overlapping, wherein relative to the housing the first end portion is tangentially immovable and the second end portion provides a frictional contact with the housing or another layer of a multilayered sliding foil; and inserting the rotatable element into the opening so that the at least two sliding foils are disposed between the rotatable element and the housing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein arranging the sliding foils comprises fixedly attaching the sliding foils to the housing or forming a releasable connection to the housing. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The gas bearing according to claim 1, wherein for increasing a coefficient of friction and/or friction work of the frictional contact at least one of the following features is formed: a coating of the second end portion and/or the inner side of the opening with a material that increases the coefficient of friction; the second end portion and/or the inner side of the opening comprises an increased roughness; the second end portion comprises a contour; the second end portion is angled in a radial cross-sectional view to form an increased contact angle for frictional contact relative to the inner side of the opening. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The gas bearing according to claim 1, wherein the opening in the housing deviates from a circular shape to increase a contact angle to the inner side compared to the circular shape. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The gas bearing according to claim 1, wherein, to increase the stiffness of at least one sliding foil, a thickness of the sliding foil varies between the first end portion and the second end portion to increase the supporting effect for radially acting forces. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The gas bearing according to claim 1, wherein the attachment of the first end portion to the housing comprises at least one of the following connections: a soldered connection, a welded connection, an adhesive connection, an at least partial insertion of the first end portion into a recess of the housing. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) A rotor suspension, comprising: the gas bearing according to claim 1; and a rotatable element insertable into the opening of the housing such that sliding foils are arranged between the rotatable element and the housing to receive forces acting radially on the rotatable element relative to the housing and to form an air cushion with increasing rotational speeds. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The rotor suspension according to claim 16, wherein the at least two sliding foils are exchangeable, in order to select the at least two sliding foils with respect to their stiffness and depending on the rotatable element and the expected radial impacts.