US4045098A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fluid bearing
Assignee: Agfa Gevaert NV
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Filing: 1975-10-06
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Granted: 1977-08-30
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Expires: 1995-10-06
Abstract
Abstract A fluid bearing, which is an aerostatic bearing, wherein one of the surfaces which determine the bearing gap is compliant, so that the geometry of the bearing gap may increase upon increasing load. The notion "compliant" stands for surfaces that are clamped at one point and that are displaceable at a remote point by deformation of the surface, such as steel membranes for thrust bearings, as well as for surfaces that are not deformable but that may pivot about a given point, such as bearing sleeves for rotatable shafts. By the application of compensation the bearing stiffness may be increased.
Inventors
- 👤 Eric Jozef Blondeel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 23:05
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16C; F16C29/00; F16C29/02; F16C29/025; F16C32/00; F16C32/06; F16C32/0662; F16C32/0677; B; B65; B65G; B65G51/00; B65G51/02; B65G51/03; F16C32/0603; F16C32/0614; F16C32/0629; F16C32/064; F16C32/0651; F16C32/0666; F16C32/067
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
159 words
A fluid-static bearing for supporting a load transmitting object wherein a surface of the bearing and a surface of a portion of said load transmitting object together define a bearing gap and wherein one of said surfaces is compliant and comprises a fluid inlet zone connected with an external supply of pressurized fluid at a substantially constant pressure for introduction of such fluid at a substantially constant pressure through said inlet opening into said bearing gap so that said fluid under pressure can flow along said gap from said inlet zone to one or more fluid outlet zones located at an outer extremity of said bearing gap, so that at any bearing load within a certain range the said gap will exhibit, where load supporting reaction forces occur, convergence in the direction of fluid flow, and any increase in such load within the said range will cause a relative displacement of said sufaces involving an increase in said convergence.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
159 words
A fluid-static bearing for supporting a load transmitting object wherein a surface of the bearing and a surface of a portion of said load transmitting object together define a bearing gap and wherein one of said surfaces is compliant and comprises a fluid inlet zone connected with an external supply of pressurized fluid at a substantially constant pressure for introduction of such fluid at a substantially constant pressure through said inlet opening into said bearing gap so that said fluid under pressure can flow along said gap from said inlet zone to one or more fluid outlet zones located at an outer extremity of said bearing gap, so that at any bearing load within a certain range the said gap will exhibit, where load supporting reaction forces occur, convergence in the direction of fluid flow, and any increase in such load within the said range will cause a relative displacement of said sufaces involving an increase in said convergence.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 1, wherein said convergence is exhibited over at least the greater part of the distance between said fluid inlet and outlet zones.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 1, wherein said convergence is exhibited from a position at the fluid inlet zone.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 1, wherein said convergence is substantially continuous to avoid abrupt changes and the abrupt onset of changes in the size of the bearing gap in the direction of fluid flow.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 1, wherein said surface of the bearing is compliant.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 5, wherein said compliant bearing surface is a membrane.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
60 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 6, wherein said membrane is an annular disc fixed at its outer rim whose inner rim portion defines a substantially cylindrical surface having at least one fluid inlet opening, and wherein said bearing gap is defined by opposite faces of said annular disc and respectively opposed surface portions of the supported load transmitting object.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 7, wherein said annular disc comprises two annular disc portions bonded together to determine an internal annular channel with which a plurality of said fluid inlet opening are in communication.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 6, wherein said membrane is circumferentially sealed to form one wall of a chamber in communication with said fluid supply.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
49 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 6, wherein said membrane is circumferentially sealed to form one wall of a chamber, such chamber being in communication with a supply of fluid at a pressure which is independent of the pressure of said fluid under pressure fed to the inlet opening.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 10, wherein said chamber is open to atmosphere.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 6, wherein said membrane is in the form of a strip fixed at its longitudinal edges and comprising an inlet opening slot running parallel to its longitudinal axis.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
55 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 1, wherein said compliant surface of the bearing is arranged in such a way that it may carry out a displacement in a direction towards the opposite bearing surface upon increasing loading of the bearing, thereby to compensate the bearing and thereby to increase the stiffness of the bearing.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
59 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 13, wherein said compliant surface of the bearing is a membrane which is fixed at its central portion to a bearing housing, and the peripheral portion of which is capable of moving with respect to the central portion, and is fluid-tightly sealed with respect to an adjacent wall portion of said bearing housing.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
37 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 14, wherein the operative surface of said membrane which faces the opposite bearing surface is smaller than the operative surface of the membrane which is remote of said opposite bearing surface.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
49 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 5, wherein said compliant surface of the bearing is mounted for angular displacement relative to the supported load transmitting object in dependence on variations in the distribution of fluid pressure in the bearing gap which are consequent upon variations in the applied load.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 16, wherein said compliant surface of the bearing is a surface of a bearing sleeve.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 17, wherein the bearing gap is substantially parallel sided when no load is applied.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
32 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 17, wherein said sleeve is mounted for pivotal movement about a point closer to the fluid outlet zone or zones than to the fluid inlet zone.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 17, and comprising spring means resiliently opposing angular movement of said sleeve relative to the supported load transmitting object.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
35 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 17, and comprising two axially aligned sleeve portions each defining one wall of a bearing gap having a fluid inlet zone at the adjacent ends of such sleeve portions.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
16 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 20, which is substantially symmetrical about the fluid inlet zone.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 21, wherein the adjacent ends of the sleeve portions are relatively independently movable.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
51 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 16, wherein said angular displacement of the compliant surface of the bearing occurs about a point of pivotation which is situated between the fluid outlet zone and the center of the distance between the fluid inlet and outlet zones, thereby to increase the bearing stiffness.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
18 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 1, wherein said compliant surface of the bearing has a spherical curvature.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
18 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 1, wherein said fluid inlet zone comprises one or more restrictor openings.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
42 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 26, wherein the size of said one or more restrictor openings is variable in compliance with variations in the distribution of fluid pressure in the bearing gap which are consequent upon changes in the applied load.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
12 words
A fluid bearing according to claim 1, wherein said fluid is air.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-08-29 | 1981-02-28 | 1981-08-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-08-29 | 1985-02-28 | 1985-08-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-08-29 | 1989-02-28 | 1989-08-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |