Hydrodynamic foil bearings

Claim 2

A hydrodynamic fluid film bearing comprising: first and second members movable relative to one another and disposed to form a spacing between the confronting surfaces thereof; and a resilient bearing insert structure positioned within said spacing between said confronting surfaces anchored to one of said members and operative under dynamic conditions to establish a tunable hydrodynamic fluid film support for the other member, said resilient bearing insert structure including a preformed bearing element to provide a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart corrugations of generally Z configuration each of which includes a first crest on one surface of said bearing element and a second crest on the opposite surface thereof which trails said first crest in the direction of motion between said first and second members and the portion preceding said first crest comprises a working portion operative under dynamic conditions to create a load-supporting hydrodynamic fluid film and the portion following said first crest comprises a tunable resilient supporting and damping portion operative to render said bearing stablE, maintain the fidelity of said working portion and the efficiency of its hydrodynamic operation.

Claim 3

A resilient hydrodynamic fluid film bearing comprising: first and second members movable relative to one another and disposed to form a spacing between the confronting surfaces thereof; and a resilient bearing insert structure comprising bearing elements preformed to present one or more load supporting regions positioned within said spacing between said confronting surfaces and anchored to one of said members to be operative under dynamic conditions to establish a tunable hydrodynamic fluid film support for the other member, each of said load supporting regions of said resilient bearing insert structure comprising a first preformed section one end of which defines an angle with the confronting surface of the member to which said insert structure is anchored which diverges in the direction of motion between said first and second members and the other end of which terminates in a first crest to provide a first working portion operative under dynamic conditions to create a load-supporting hydrodynamic fluid film and a second preformed section one end of which defines an angle with the confronting surface of the member to which said insert structure is anchored which diverges in the direction opposite the direction of motion between said first and second members and the other end of which terminates in a second crest which trails said first crest in the direction of motion to provide a second portion which underlies and operatively coacts with said first working portion to effect a tunable resilient supporting and damping means for said first working portion operative to render said bearing stable, maintain the fidelity of said working portion and the efficiency of its hydrodynamic operation.

Claim 4

A resilient hydrodynamic fluid film bearing comprising: first and second members movable relative to one another and disposed to form a spacing between the confronting surfaces thereof; and a resilient bearing insert structure comprising bearing elements preformed to present one or more load supporting regions positioned within said spacing between said confronting surfaces and anchored to one of said members to be operative under dynamic conditions to establish a tunable hydrodynamic fluid film support for the other member, each of said load supporting regions of said resilient bearing insert structure comprising a first preformed section one end of which defines an angle with the confronting surface of the member to which said insert structure is anchored which diverges in the direction of motion between said first and second members and the other end of which terminates in a first crest to provide a first working portion operative under dynamic conditions to create a load-supporting hydrodynamic fluid film and a second preformed section one end of which defines an angle with the confronting surface of the member to which said insert structure is anchored which diverges in the direction opposite the direction of motion between said first and second members and the other end of which terminates in a second crest which trails said first crest in the direction of motion to provide a second portion which underlies and operatively coacts with said first working portion to effect a tunable resilient supporting and damping means for said first working portion operative to render said bearing stable, maintain the fidelity of said working portion and the efficiency of its hydrodynamic operation.

Claim 5

The hydrodynamic fluid film bearing recited in claim 1 wherein said resilient bearing insert structure is formed from a continuously extending bearing element.

Claim 6

The hydrodynamic fluid film bearing recited in claim 1 wherein said resilient bearing insert structure includes a plurality of separate sections of bearing element.

Claim 7

A resilient hydrodynamic fluid film bearing comprising: first and second members movable relative to one another and disposed to form a spacing between the confronting surfaces thereof; and a resilient bearing insert structure positioned within said spacing between said confronting surfaces anchored to one of said members and operative under dynamic conditions to establish a tunable hydrodynamic fluid film support for the other member, said resilient bearing insert structure comprising a preformed bearing element including at least one corrugation of generally Z configuration having a first portion terminating at one end adjacent the confronting surface to which said insert structure is anchored in an acute angle which diverges in the direction opposite the direction of motion between said first and second members and forms a first crest on one surface of said bearing element and a second portion terminating at one end in said first crest and at the other end adjacent the confronting surface to which said insert structure is anchored in an acute angle which diverges in the direction of motion between said first and second members and forms a second crest on the opposite surface of said bearing element which trails said first crest in the direction of motion so that said second portion is spaced from and underlies part of said first portion and so that said crests are disposed adjacent the associated confronting surfaces of said first and second relatively movable members whereby said first portion of each of said corrugations is operative under dynamic conditions to create a load-supporting hydrodynamic fluid film and the said second portion thereof is operative to provide a tunable resilient supporting and damping means to render said bearing stable, maintain the fidelity of the said first portion and the efficiency of its hydrodynamic operation. 6. The resilient hydrodynamic bearing recited in claim 1 wherein the ratio of the pitch to overlap of said corrugations is in the range of about 1 to 10.

Claim 8

The resilient hydrodynamic bearing recited in claim 5 wherein said resilient bearing insert structure is formed from a continuously extending bearing element.

Claim 9

The resilient hydrodynamic bearing recited in claim 5 wherein said resilient bearing insert structure comprises a plurality of preformed sections of bearing element.

Claim 10

The resilient hydrodynamic bearing recited in claim 7 wherein said bearing is of the journal type the first member is a housing having an opening, the second member is a rotatable shaft received within said opening and said resilient bearing insert structure is anchored to the internal surface of said opening and extends generally circumferentially about said shaft.

Claim 11

The resilient hydrodynamic bearing recited in claim 1 wherein said bearing is of the journal type the first member is a housing having an opening, the second member is a rotatable shaft received within said opening and said resilient bearing insert structure is anchored to the internal surface of said opening and extends generally circumferentially about said shaft.

Claim 12

The resilient hydrodynamic bearing recited in claim 2 wherein said bearing is of the journal type the first member is a housing having an opening, the second member is a rotatable shaft received within said opening and said resilient bearing insert structure is anchored to the internal surface of said opening and extends generally circumferentially about said shaft.

Claim 13

The resilient hydrodynamic bearing recited in claim 1 wherein the confronting surface of said one relatively movable member comprises a plurality of transverse slots adapted to receive said second crests and being operative to effect adjustment of the angle between said working portion and said confronting surface.

Claim 14

The resilient hydrodynamic bearing recited in claim 5 wherein the confronting surface of said one relatively movable member comprises a plurality of transverse slots adapted to receive said second crests and being operative to effect adjustment of the angle between said working portion and said confronting surface.

Claim 15

The resilient hydrodynamic bearing recited in claim 10 wherein the internal surface of said opening is provided with a plurality of transverse slots adapted to receive said second crests and being operative to effect adjustment of the angle between said working portion and said internal surface of said opening.

Claim 16

The resilient hydrodynamic fluid film bearing recited in claim 2 wherein said resilient bearing insert structure comprises a plurality of preformed sections of bearing element spaced-apart in the direction of motion between said first and second members and wherein said first working portion which creates said load supporting hydrodynamic fluid film and said second portion which effects the tunable resilient supporting and damping means for said first working portion comprise oppositely directed regions of adjacent sections of bearing element in sliding friction contact relationship.

Claim 17

The resilient hydrodynamic fluid film bearing recited in claim 2 wherein said resilient bearing insert structure comprises a plurality of separate preformed sections of bearing element spaced-apart in the direction of motion between said first and second members and wherein each of said sections includes first and second regions extending in opposite directions, said first region of one section of bearing element being disposed in sliding friction contact relationship with the second oppositely extending region of the adjacent section of bearing element and forming respectively said coacting first working portion and second portion which effects the tunable resilient supporting and damping means for said first working portion.