Extrudable multi-rigidity hydrodynamic bearing and method of making the same

A hydrodynamic bearing for supporting a shaft, said bearing constructed entirely of non-newtonian fluidic material and having an extrudable cross-section and said bearing comprising:

• a continuous skeletal bearing pad support portion having a predetermined rigidity, said skeletal bearing pad support portion being generally circumferential in axial cross-section and having an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface;
• a plurality of radially outwardly extending inner grooves formed in said inner circumferential surface said plurality of inner grooves being circumferentially spaced about said inner surface and at least one of a circumferentially extending undercut flaring out from the radially outer end of each of the inner axial grooves so as to undercut the bearing pads and a plurality of radially inwardly extending outer grooves formed in and circumferentially spaced about said outer circumferential surface with respect to the inner grooves so as to define a plurality of beam-mounted bearing pad support faces;
• and a plurality of bearing pads equal in number to said plurality of beam-mounted bearing pad support faces, each said bearing pad being supported on one of said plurality of bearing pad support faces.

A hydrodynamic bearing for supporting a shaft, said bearing being constructed entirely of non-newtonian fluidic materials, said bearing comprising a skeletal bearing pad support portion having a predetermined rigidity, said skeletal bearing pad support portion being generally circumferential in axial cross-section and having an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface;

• a plurality of radially outwardly extending inner grooves formed in said inner circumferential surface and a plurality of radially inwardly extending outer grooves formed in said outer circumferential surface;
• the inner grooves being spaced about said inner circumferential surface and said outer grooves being circumferentially spaced about said outer surface, said inner and outer grooves being circumferentially spaced with respect to one another to define a plurality of beam-mounted bearing pad support faces on said inner circumferential surface;
• and a plurality of bearing pads having a predetermined hardness, each said bearing pads being fused to one of said circumferentially spaced bearing pad support faces.

An extrudable multi-durometer hydrodynamic bearing, said bearing being constructed entirely of non-newtonian fluidic materials and having an extrudable axial cross-section, said bearing comprising:

• a generally circumferential skeletal bearing pad support portion having a predetermined radial rigidity, said skeletal portion comprising inner and outer circumferential surfaces;
• a plurality of inner axial grooves formed in said inner surface and at least one of a circumferentially extending undercut flaring out from the radially outer end of each of the inner axial grooves so as to undercut the bearing pads and a plurality of outer axial grooves formed in said outer surface;
• and a plurality of bearing pads having a predetermined radial rigidity which is less than the predetermined radial rigidity of said skeletal portion, each one of said plurality of bearing pads being formed as part of a corresponding bearing pad support surface.

A hydrodynamic bearing for supporting a shaft rotating in a housing, the bearing being constructed entirely of rubber and having a radially innermost surface and a radially outermost surface, the bearing including a plurality of inner bearing pad regions extending radially inward from the innermost surface, the bearing pad regions having a predetermined compressibility, at least one bearing pad support region located radially outward of the bearing pad regions, the bearing pad support region having a predetermined compressibility that is less than the compressibility of the bearing pad regions and at least one outer region extending radially inward from the outermost surface, the outer region having a predetermined compressibility which is greater than the compressibility of the bearing pad support region, the bearing pad regions, the bearing pad support region and the outer region being disposed so as to provide a beam network for supporting the innermost surface of the bearing pad regions such that, under the action of friction and pressure caused by rotation of the shaft, the innermost surface deforms so as to define a hydrodynamic wedge between the shaft and the bearing.