Self-Aligning Bearing Support Assembly With Incompressible Chambers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing sliding-contact radial load bearings face challenges in accommodating misalignment while maintaining radial stiffness and compactness, as large axial extent leads to voluminous bearings and high production costs.

Innovation Solution

A self-aligning bearing support assembly featuring an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve with hermetically sealed chambers filled with a substantially incompressible material, such as elastomers, which allows for angular rotation and maintains radial stiffness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If spherical plain bearings are used to permit angular rotation and self-aligning, then misalignment is accommodated, but the outer diameter increases with axial extent making the bearing voluminous

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemisalignment accommodationVSAvoidbearing volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The bearing is divided into two separate components: an inner sleeve containing the radial load bearing and an outer sleeve providing angular rotation capability. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, with the inner sleeve maintaining compact radial dimensions and the outer sleeve accommodating misalignment through angular rotation about a central point.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The inner sleeve is nested within the outer sleeve, with the inner sleeve's bearing surface contained inside the outer sleeve's hollow interior. This nested configuration allows the compact radial load bearing to be housed within the self-aligning structure without significantly increasing the overall volume.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Force

If sliding-contact radial load bearings are designed for high radial load capacity, then load capacity is improved, but axial extent increases making alignment difficult and production costly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveradial load capacityVSAvoidaxial extent

Core Design Contradiction:

ForceVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The bearing system separates the radial load support function (inner sleeve) from the alignment accommodation function (outer sleeve). This allows the inner sleeve to be designed with optimal axial extent for high radial load capacity without being constrained by alignment requirements, while the outer sleeve handles misalignment independently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The solution moves the alignment accommodation from the axial dimension to the angular dimension. The outer sleeve rotates angularly about a central point to accommodate misalignment, rather than requiring increased axial extent, thereby maintaining compact axial dimensions while preserving radial load capacity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Strength

If hermetically sealed chambers filled with incompressible material are used to provide radial stiffness, then radial stiffness is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases due to sealing requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveradial stiffnessVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The chamber walls are formed by the inner and outer sleeve surfaces, which are flexible enough to allow angular rotation while maintaining structural integrity. This eliminates the need for complex hermetic sealing, as the chamber is naturally contained by the bearing components themselves.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The bearing components (inner and outer sleeves) serve dual functions: they provide the structural framework for angular rotation and simultaneously form the chamber boundaries that contain the incompressible material. This self-containing approach eliminates the need for separate sealing mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

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 solution provides a radially stiff support that accommodates misalignment with low resistance to angular rotation, avoiding bending moments on the bearing and ensuring a compact, cost-effective design.

Implementation Method 1

a lump of a substantially incompressible material filling each of the at least three chambers, with the chamber concerned substantially completely enclosing the lump

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectIncompressibility:

Implementation Method 2

The inner sleeve is allowed angular rotation about a central point in two orthogonal directions relative to the outer sleeve, thereby avoiding bending moments on the bearing

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAngular rotation:

Data Source

PatentUS12203501B2Self-aligning bearing support assembly for supporting a radial load rotary or linear bearing

Publication Date: 2025.01.21 COMPONENT 2 0 AS

AI summary

A self-aligning bearing support assembly for supporting a radial load rotary or linear bearing. The bearing support assembly has a main axis (A) and includes an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve at least partially received in the outer sleeve. The inner sleeve has an axially extending bore for supporting a rotary or linear bearing or for forming a bearing surface of a bearing. Three or more circumferentially separated chambers are formed between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve. Each chamber is confined in all directions by walls of the assembly. A lump of a substantially incompressible material fills each of the at least three chambers with the chamber concerned substantially completely enclosing the lump.