US 5,304,006 A · Self positioning beam mounted bearing and bearing and shaft assembly including the same

Abstract

A bearing and a shaft and bearing combination for replacing conventional rolling element bearing, washer and lock ring assemblies. The bearing is constructed so that it can be precisely positioned with respect to the shaft in the housing. Additionally, the bearing provides both radial and thrust support so that the need for separate bearings is eliminated. The assembly is ideally suited for use in small high speed low load cooling fans used in computers, peripherals and other office equipment. The shaft includes a radially inward extending groove, preferably conically tapered. The bearing includes a base member, which can include a beam mounted radial bearing, and a number of longitudinal beams extending axially away from the base member. Each of the longitudinal beams supports a bearing pad in a cantilever fashion. The bearing pads include a shoulder or radially inward projection having a shape which is complementary to the shape of the groove in the shaft such that the pad shoulder can support the groove faces. The longitudinal beams are resilient enough to allow the pads to be assembled over the shaft. When the pads are assembled over the shaft and the pad shoulders are received in the groove, the bearing is precisely positioned with respect to the shaft.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A shaft and bearing combination, adapted to be mounted in a housing;

the shaft comprising a generally cylindrical elongated element having at least one radially inwardly extending circumferential groove formed therein, the groove having at least one surface which extends at a predetermined angle to the surface of the elongated element;
the bearing comprising:
a plurality of shaft support pads, each of the pads including a shaft support surface, at least a portion of the shaft support surface of the pads extending at an angle which is complementary to the angle of the angled surface of the groove formed in the shaft;
a support structure for supporting the bearing pads, the support structure comprising a base member having an outer periphery in contact with the housing and a plurality of cantilevered beams, each of the beams having first and second opposed longitudinal ends and being radially spaced from both the shaft and the housing, the first end of the cantilevered beams connected to and supporting the bearing pads and the second end of the cantilevered beams being connected to the base member, the cantilevered beams supporting the pads such that the pads can be resiliently deflected radially outward.

1 more element

A shaft and bearing combination adapted to be mounted in a housing, the shaft comprising an elongated generally cylindrical member having a cylindrical outer surface area and at least one circumferential groove extending radially inward of the cylindrical outer surface, the groove having a predetermined inner radial dimension;

the bearing comprising a set of circumferentially spaced bearing pads for supporting the shaft proximate the groove of the shaft, each of the bearing pads having curved surfaces and a non-cylindrical portion formed thereon and extending radially inward from the curved surface, the non-cylindrical portion having a shape corresponding to the shape of the groove formed in the shaft such that the non-cylindrical portion can be received within the grooves in the shaft;
the non-cylindrical portion of the pads having a predetermined radially innermost dimension which is less than the radially outermost dimension of the shaft portion;
a support structure for supporting each of the bearing pads, the support structure comprising a continuous circumferential base support member and a set of longitudinal beams extending axially from the base member, each longitudinal beam having a first longitudinal end supported on the base member and a second longitudinal end axially spaced from the base member and supporting a bearing pad with respect to the base member in a cantilever fashion;
the support structure being sufficiently resilient to allow the bearing pads to deflect radially outwardly to allow the non-cylindrical pad portion to be received within the groove in the shaft such that the pad contacts the shaft along a conically tapered surface whereby both thrust and radial loads on the shaft are transmitted to the pads.

1 more element

In combination with a housing having a substantially cylindrical bore formed therein and a shaft having an elongated cylindrical portion and at least one conically tapered circumferential groove extending inward of the cylindrical portion, a self-positioning bearing for supporting the shaft for rotation within the cylindrical bore, the bearing comprising:

a circumferentially continuous base member having a substantially cylindrical outer periphery adapted to be mounted in the cylindrical bore formed in the housing, a plurality of longitudinally extending beams extending axially from at least one side of the base member, each of the longitudinal beams having a first longitudinal end secured to the base member and a second longitudinal end axially spaced from the base member, the longitudinal beams being radially spaced from the housing;
and a plurality of bearing pads each of the bearing pads being supported on one of the longitudinal beams at the end of the longitudinal beam spaced from the base member, and each of the bearing pads having a radially inwardly extending shoulder formed therein., the shoulder having a shape which is complementary to the shape of the groove formed in the shaft such that the shoulder can be received within the groove in the shaft.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Self positioning beam mounted bearing and bearing and shaft assembly including the same

Life of this patent

Self positioning beam mounted bearing and bearing and shaft assembly including the same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24