# US 9,518,603 B2 · Bearing apparatus

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- Number: US 9,518,603 B2
- Document ID: US9518603B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/642,703
- Filed: 2011-04-22
- Published: 2013-05-02
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2010-04-22
- Assignees: Taiho Kogyo Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Shinichiro Sakamoto; Atsushi Koyama
- Inventors: Shinichiro Sakamoto; Atsushi Koyama
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9518603B2

## CPC

- F16C 17/12: characterised by features not related to the direction of the load
- C22C 21/003: {containing at least 2.6% of one or more of the elements: tin, lead, antimony, bismuth, cadmium, and titanium}
- F16C 17/02: for radial load only
- F16C 33/121: {Use of special materials}
- F16C 2202/04: Hardness
- F16C 2204/22: with tin as the next major constituent
- F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
- C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F)

## Abstract

In a bearing apparatus provided herein a hard steel shaft is an opposite shaft of an Al—Sn—Si based alloy plain bearing. Its wear resistance is enhanced. The bearing apparatus comprises a steel shaft having hardness of Hv 500 or more at least on a surface thereof, and a plain bearing. The plain bearing is formed of an aluminum alloy containing 2 to 10 mass % of Si, 8 to 18 mass % Sn, and the balance being Al and unavoidable impurities, wherein the volume of Sn phase is 50% or more of the volume of the Si particles(the average particle diameter of Si of the aluminum alloy is 4 to 10 μm). The aluminum alloy has a hardness of Hv 45 or more.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A bearing apparatus characterized by comprising a combination of a steel shaft having hardness of HV 500 or more at least on a surface thereof, a plain bearing, wherein the plain bearing is formed of an aluminum alloy containing 2 to 10 mass % of Si, 8 to 19 mass % of Sn and the balance being Al and unavoidable impurities, having a hardness of Hv 45 or more, wherein the average particle diameter of Si of the aluminum alloy is 4 to 10 μm, and the volume of Sn phase, which is calculated by a weight % of Sn and density of pure tin, is 50% or more of the volume of the Si particles, which is calculated by a weight % of Si and density of pure silicon.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A bearing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the aluminum alloy further contains 3 mass % or less in total of at least one of Cu, Mg and Zn, 0.5 mass % or less in total of at least one of Cr, Zr, Mn, V and Sc, and 0.5 mass % or less of Fe, Ti, B as inevitable impurities.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1, 2)

A bearing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said plain bearing is a clad material of said aluminum-alloy pressure bonded by cold rolling with carbon steel.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A bearing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said carbon steel is a low-carbon steel sheet.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

A bearing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the aluminum-based alloy having said composition is continuously cast, the resultant continuously cast sheet is cold rolled and then heat-treated, thereby adjusting average particle diameter of the Si particles, and is further subjected to said pressure bonding.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A bearing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said carbon steel is a low-carbon steel sheet.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A bearing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the aluminum alloy consists of Si, Sn, Al and inevitable impurities.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

A bearing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the aluminum alloy consists of Si, Sn, Al, at least one of Cu, Mg and Zn, at least one of Cr, Zr, Mn, V, and Sc, and inevitable impurities.