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US 8,037,777 B2Granted
Structurally compliant microbearing devices and methods thereof
AssigneeRochester Institute of Technology
InventorsStephen Boedo, William Grande
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A microbearing device includes at least one inner bearing structure, at least one outer bearing structure, and one or more fasteners. Each of the one or more fasteners is connected between the inner bearing structure and the outer bearing structure and the inner bearing structure is substantially elastic.
Claims40
A microbearing device comprising:
- at least one inner bearing structure having an inner surface shaped and sized to freely rotate about a shaft;
- at least one outer ring;
- and
- one or more fasteners, with each of the one or more fasteners connected between the inner bearing structure and the outer ring,
- wherein the inner bearing structure has a structural elasticity that creates a bimodal peak pressure distribution by a formation of a pocket of constrained fluid over a contact area of a surface of the microbearing device in response to rotational motion of the at least one outer ring while continuing to rotate on the shaft.
2 more elements
A method of making a microbearing device, the method comprising:
- forming at least one inner bearing structure having an inner surface shaped and sized to freely rotate about a shaft;
- forming at least one outer ring;
- and
- forming one or more fasteners, with each of the fasteners connected between the inner bearing structure and the outer ring,
- wherein the inner bearing structure has a structural elasticity that creates a bimodal peak pressure distribution by a formation of a pocket of constrained fluid over a contact area of a surface of the microbearing device in response to rotational motion of the at least one outer bearing while continuing to rotate on the shaft.
2 more elements
A microbearing device comprising:
- at least one inner bearing which is at least partially continuous and has an inner surface shaped and sized to freely rotate about a shaft;
- at least outer ring which is at least partially continuous;
- and
- one or more fasteners, with each of the one or more of the fasteners connected between the inner bearing and the outer ring,
- wherein the inner bearing structure has a structural elasticity that creates a bimodal peak pressure distribution by a formation of a pocket of constrained fluid over a contact area of a surface of the microbearing device in response to rotational motion of the at least one outer ring while continuing to rotate on the shaft and wherein each of the inner bearing, the outer ring and the one or more of the fasteners have dimensions less than 2000 μm.
2 more elements
A method of making a microbearing device, the method comprising:
- forming at least one inner bearing which is at least partially continuous and has an inner surface shaped and sized to freely rotate about a shaft;
- forming at least one outer ring which is at least partially continuous;
- and
- forming one or more fasteners, with each of the one or more of the fasteners connected between the inner bearing and the outer ring,
- wherein the inner bearing has a structural elasticity that creates a bimodal peak pressure distribution by a formation of a pocket of constrained fluid over a contact area of a surface of the microbearing device in response to rotational motion of the at least one outer ring while continuing to rotate the shaft and wherein each of the inner bearing, the outer ring and the one or more of the fasteners have dimensions less than 2000 μm.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.