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US 8,747,993 B2Granted
Sliding component and timepiece
AssigneeSeiko Instruments Inc.
InventorsMiei Sato, Natsuki Miyoshi, Matsuo Kishi, Naoki Amano, Takashi Niwa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sliding component has a multi-layer structure having a sliding portion configured to undergo sliding contact with a surface of another component different from the sliding component. A lubricating oil retaining/supplying structure retains a lubricating oil and supplies the lubricating oil to the sliding portion during sliding contact between the sliding portion and the surface of another component irrespective of a contact angle between the sliding portion and the surface of the another component.
Claims16
A sliding component comprising:
- a multi-layer structure having at least three layers stacked together in a stacking direction, a sliding portion configured to undergo sliding contact with another component and being disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the multi-layer structure that is substantially parallel to the stacking direction, and at least one recess for retaining a lubricating oil that is supplied to the sliding portion during sliding contact between the sliding portion and the another component;
- wherein the at least three layers comprise a first metal layer, a second metal layer stacked on the first metal layer, and a third metal layer stacked on the second metal layer, the first and third metal layers having outer peripheral surfaces forming the outer peripheral surface of the multi-layer structure that is configured to undergo sliding contact with the another component, and the second metal layer having an outer peripheral surface extending inwardly from the outer peripheral surfaces of the first and third metal layers to provide the at least one recess that is not formed in any one of the first, second and third metal layers but is formed by a space bounded by surfaces of the first and third metal layers and the inwardly extending outer peripheral surface of the second metal layer;
- and wherein the second metal layer is formed of a material different from that of the first and third metal layers, the material of the second metal layer having a higher heat conductivity than the material of the first and third metal layers.
A sliding component comprising:
- a multi-layer structure having an uppermost metal layer, a lowermost metal layer, a central metal layer disposed between the uppermost and lowermost metal layers, and a sliding portion including outer peripheral surfaces of the uppermost and lowermost metal layers and configured to undergo sliding contact with a surface of another component different from the sliding component;
- and
- a lubricating oil retaining/supplying structure for retaining a lubricating oil and supplying the lubricating oil to the sliding portion during sliding contact between the sliding portion and the surface of the another component irrespective of a contact angle between the sliding portion and the surface of the another component, the lubricating oil retaining/supplying structure comprising at least one recess that is not formed in any one of the uppermost, lowermost and central metal layers but is formed by a space bounded by surfaces of the uppermost and lowermost metal layers, other than the outer peripheral surfaces thereof, and an outer peripheral surface of the central metal layer that extends inwardly from the outer peripheral surfaces of the uppermost and lowermost metal layers;
- wherein the central metal layer is formed of a material different from that of the uppermost and lowermost metal layers, the material of the central metal layer having a heat conductivity higher than that for the material of the uppermost and lowermost metal layers.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.