Thrust foil air bearing having downwardly movable top foil leading edge

Abstract

Provided is a thrust foil air bearing usable in apparatuses including a stationary part, and a rotating part which rotates relative to the stationary part about a centerline, the thrust foil air bearing including a lower plate coupled to the stationary part so as not to move relatively; a middle plate disposed on an upper surface of the lower plate and including a bump foil capable of elastic deformation; and an upper plate disposed on an upper surface of the middle plate to face the rotating part and including a top foil disposed on the bump foil to contact the rotating part, wherein the top foil includes a leading edge disposed upstream on a basis of flow of air and provided to move downwards toward the lower plate by an air pressure generated by the rotation of the rotating part. According to the present invention, the thrust foil air bearing may carry a higher load by increasing an air pressure generated on an upper surface of the top foil when the rotating part rotates.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.