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US 4,630,941 AGranted
Tubular squeeze bearing apparatus with rotational restraint
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsTimothy J. Chainer, Robert A. Scranton, David A. Thompson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved squeeze bearing apparatus exhibits torsional stiffness or rotational restraint since its rod-like bearing member (22) and its sleeve-like bearing member (28) comprise non-circular perimeters (26,32).
Claims39
An improved squeeze bearing apparatus comprising:
- a rod-like bearing member having an exterior surface with a non-circular exterior perimeter, said perimeter comprising a plurality of outwardly projecting lobes;
- a sleeve-like bearing member for receiving said rod-like bearing member, said sleeve-like bearing member having a non-circular interior bore perimeter symmetrical with said rod-like bearing member exterior perimeter;
- and
- means for causing sufficient relative radial vibration between said sleeve-like bearing member and said rod-like bearing member to cause fluid in the clearance between said members alternately to be compressed and decompressed and thereby generate a load supporting force which is substantially inversely proportional to the number of said lobes in the squeeze bearing defined between said bearing members to resist relative rotation between said bearing members about said axis due to said compression and decompression of said fluid by said non-circular perimeters and to allow relative translation between said bearing members along said axis.
1 more element
A sleeve bearing apparatus for providing a fluid support comprising:
- a sleeve-like bearing member having an interior bore with a first non-circular interior perimeter comprising a plurality of lobes and an axis extending through said bore;
- and
- a rod-like bearing member having a plurality of lobes on its perimeter symmetrical with said sleeve-like bearing lobes, extending through said interior bore, and spaced apart therefrom to provide a fluid interface with said sleeve-like bearing member;
- said non-circular interior perimeter lobes permitting said fluid interface to constrain relative rotation of said rod-like and sleeve-like bearing members due to the compression and decompression of said fluid interface which generates a restraining force substantially inversely proportional to the number of said lobes.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.