Bearing assembly with sidewall-brazed PCD plugs

A bearing assembly comprising:

• (a) a metal ring having upper and lower ring faces;
• (b) a plurality of holes formed in said upper face extending into said ring to define a plurality of support shoulders and upstanding cylindrical sidewalls adjacent to said shoulders;
• (c) cylindrical plugs comprising an elongate plug body having two ends and having a cylindrical shape and a PCD surface attached to an exposed end thereof;
• (d) wherein said PCD surface is confined within a circle and has sufficient surface area to define a diametric strip formed between two parallel edges and extends across said circle, and further wherein said plugs and said PCD bearing surfaces form assemblies of uniform height;
• (e) braze material formed on the side of said plugs, wherein said braze material joins said plugs solely to the sidewalls of said holes to position said PCD bearing surfaces in an exposed ring for bearing a load therein;
• and
• (f) wherein said plugs are vertically positioned and supported by sitting directly on said shoulders with none of said braze material interposed such that said PCD surfaces are at a common height supported on said shoulders.

A bearing assembly comprising:

• (a) a metal ring having upper and lower ring faces;
• (b) a plurality of holes formed in said upper face extending into said ring to define a plurality of support shoulders and upstanding cylindrical sidewalls adjacent to said shoulders;
• (c) cylindrical plugs supporting PCD bearing surfaces at an exposed end thereof;
• (d) wherein said PCD surface is confined within a circle and has sufficient surface area to define a diametric strips across each of said circles wherein said diametric stips terminate at segments of said circle and are aligned with respect to a locus of rotation for bearing assembly ring, and further wherein said plugs and said PCD bearing surfaces form assemblies of uniform height;
• (e) wherein said diametric strips collectively form a supportive bearing surface;
• and
• (e) braze material formed on the side of said plugs, wherein said braze material joins said plugs solely to the sidewalls of said holes to position said PCD bearing surfaces in an exposed ring for bearing a load therein;
• and
• (f) wherein said plugs are vertically positioned and supported by sitting directly on said shoulders with none of said braze material interposed such that said PCD surfaces are at a common height supported on said shoulders, and wherein said plugs are cut away at said diametric strips, thereby defining an exposed area at said plugs and marginally along said diametric strips for exposure to cooling fluid flow during use.