Polymer Bearing Support for Vacuum Pump Vibration Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional elastomeric and metallic bearing supports for vacuum pumps face issues such as coupled axial and radial stiffness, material creep, non-linear stiffness characteristics, high manufacturing costs, and difficulty in field replacement, which affect the performance and reliability of vacuum pumps.
Innovation Solution
A polymer bearing support with an inner and outer annular portion connected by flexible members, offering adjustable radial and axial stiffness, which can be press-fit without distortion, and is cost-effective to produce, providing self-damping and improved performance compared to metallic supports.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If elastomeric damping rings are used for attenuating vibrations, then vibration damping is improved, but axial and radial stiffness become coupled and material suffers from creep and stress relaxation over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from elastomeric to polymer, which fundamentally alters the stiffness characteristics. The polymer material provides stable, predictable stiffness that does not suffer from creep or stress relaxation, while still achieving effective vibration damping through its inherent material properties and structural design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material structures combining polymer with specific geometric features (flexible members, annular portions) to achieve both vibration damping and stable stiffness characteristics. The composite approach allows decoupling of axial and radial stiffness while maintaining reliable performance over time.
2Manufacturing precision
If metallic bearing supports are used, then manufacturing precision and stiffness control are improved, but manufacturing cost and time increase due to wire erosion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical wire erosion manufacturing process with polymer molding techniques. This substitution enables mass production of bearing supports with precise stiffness characteristics through mold design, dramatically reducing manufacturing time and cost while maintaining or improving stiffness control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material from metal to polymer, which fundamentally alters the manufacturing process from time-consuming wire erosion to efficient molding operations. This parameter change enables high-volume production with consistent quality and controlled stiffness characteristics.
3Strength
If metallic bearing supports are used, then structural strength is improved, but radial flexibility is reduced due to manufacturing tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from metal to polymer, which has lower elastic modulus and inherently greater flexibility. This allows the bearing support to achieve the required radial flexibility without being constrained by manufacturing tolerances, while the polymer material still provides sufficient structural strength for the application.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If elastomeric dampers are added to metallic supports, then vibration damping is improved, but radial stiffness increases reducing performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of the bearing support and vibration damper into a single integrated polymer component. The polymer material itself provides both the structural support function and the vibration damping function, eliminating the need for separate elastomeric dampers and avoiding the problem of increased radial stiffness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the polymer material's inherent viscoelastic properties to provide both structural strength and vibration damping in a single material system. This composite approach eliminates the need for additional damping components that would compromise radial flexibility.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The polymer bearing support achieves low radial stiffness for vibration isolation and high axial stiffness for minimal shaft movement, maintaining tight clearance, with isotropic radial stiffness and improved manufacturing ease, enhancing the operational performance and maintainability of vacuum pumps.
Implementation Method 1
They may be cheap to produce, at least partially self-damping
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5a~5b
AI summary
This is invention relates to a resilient axial-radial bearing support (36) with at least one flexible member (35) for a vacuum pump and, in particular, to a polymer bearing support for a vacuum pump. The invention further encompasses vacuum pumps comprising polymer bearing supports, and methods of manufacturing bearing supports.