Split Seating Ring Bearing Mount for Shaft Misalignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Shaft misalignment is a common issue in rotating equipment, particularly in long rotating shafts, which existing bearing assemblies struggle to effectively compensate for, leading to inefficiencies and potential damage.
Innovation Solution
A bearing assembly design featuring a split seating ring with a concave inner surface and a convex outer surface, allowing for adjustment to accommodate misalignment, combined with positional locators and thrustwashers to securely attach the inner race to the shaft and handle axial loads, while integrating the outer race into the housing to reduce overall diameter and facilitate easier installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a traditional rigid bearing assembly is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but it cannot compensate for shaft misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The seating ring is designed with a concave spherical inner surface that receives the convex spherical outer surface of the bearing assembly. This curved geometry allows the bearing assembly to tilt and adjust its angle within the seating ring, enabling compensation for shaft misalignment while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing assembly is made movable within the seating ring through the spherical interface, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position and orientation to accommodate misalignment. The assembly can tilt and shift as needed while remaining constrained by the seating ring's geometry.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the bearing assembly is made adjustable for misalignment, then adaptability improves, but installation and positioning become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing assembly is pre-configured with a convex spherical outer surface that is precisely shaped to match the concave spherical inner surface of the seating ring. This preliminary geometric configuration ensures that when the assembly is installed, it naturally settles into the correct position and orientation within the seating ring, facilitating easy installation despite the adjustable design.
Solution Approach 2:
The spherical geometry of both the seating ring's inner surface and the bearing assembly's outer surface creates a self-aligning interface. This curved contact allows the assembly to be easily inserted and automatically positions itself correctly, simplifying installation while maintaining adjustability for misalignment compensation.
3Volume of moving object
If the outer race is integrated into the housing, then the overall diameter is reduced and installation is easier, but the separation of materials for optimal performance is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The outer race is integrated into the housing as a single unified component, reducing the overall diameter and simplifying the assembly structure. This merging eliminates the need for separate outer race and housing parts, making installation easier while maintaining functional performance through appropriate material selection for the combined component.
Data Source
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AI summary
There is disclosed a bearing assembly structure, comprising: a bearing assembly comprising an outer surface having a convex profile; a seating ring having an inner surface having a concave profile, wherein the bearing is fitted within the seating such that the convex profile of the outer surface of the bearing assembly fits within the concave profile of the inner surface of the seating ring.