Tapered-land thrust bearing for turbochargers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10036422-B2
Application number	US-201314395567-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2013
Priority date	Apr 24, 2012
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

An oil-lubricated, tapered-land thrust bearing assembly ( 60 ) for automotive turbochargers ( 10 ) including a thrust bearing ( 30 ). The thrust bearing ( 30 ) includes an assembly of a base ( 62 ) with at least one insert ( 64 or 66 ), which is designed to control the oil film as a purposefully compliant structure based on applied force to optimize performance at low and high power operation. The ramp angle is relatively large at a low load and decreases to a smaller ramp angle at higher loads. On one side of the turbocharger ( 10 ), the thrust bearing assembly ( 60 ) may operate with a flinger sleeve ( 34 ) and a thrust washer ( 24 ) within a complementary bearing housing cover ( 32 ).

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An oil-lubricated, tapered-land thrust bearing assembly for a turbocharger that includes a compressor impeller and a turbine wheel connected by a rotating shaft that passes through a bearing housing, the tapered-land thrust bearing assembly comprising:
a base comprising a first side and an opposing second side;
a first insert disposed on the first side of the base, the first insert being monolithic and defining a first planar surface, the first insert including a first plurality of ramps, wherein each of the first plurality of ramps is cantilevered and oriented at a ramp angle relative to the first planar surface, wherein each of the first plurality of ramps is deflectable toward the first planar surface in response to an applied force thereby changing the ramp angle to control oil film; and
a second insert disposed on the second side of the base, the second insert being monolithic and defining a second planar surface, the second insert including a second plurality of ramps, wherein each of the second plurality of ramps is cantilevered and oriented at a ramp angle relative to the second planar surface, and wherein each of the second plurality of ramps is deflectable toward the second planar surface in response to an applied force such that the ramp angle changes to control oil film.

2. The tapered-land thrust bearing assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second inserts includes an aperture for flow of oil.

3. The tapered-land thrust bearing assembly of claim 1 wherein the ramp angle decreases as the applied force increases.

4. The tapered-land thrust bearing assembly of claim 1 further comprising a bearing housing cover having a cover bore, the bearing housing cover is secured in the bearing housing and a flinger sleeve having a hollow cylindrical end that fits in the cover bore, wherein the rotating shaft passes through the hollow cylindrical end in the flinger sleeve.

5. The tapered-land thrust bearing assembly of claim 4 further comprising a snap ring that secures the bearing housing cover, the base, the first insert, and the second insert into the bearing housing.

6. The tapered-land thrust bearing assembly of claim 5 wherein the bearing housing cover includes an O-ring around an outer circumference of the bearing housing cover.

7. The tapered-land thrust bearing assembly of claim 6 wherein the bearing housing cover with the O-ring and the snap ring prevent gas from entering the bearing housing.

8. The tapered-land thrust bearing assembly of claim 4 wherein a portion of an outer circumference of the first insert and a portion of an outer circumference of the second insert align with an outer circumference of the bearing housing cover.

9. The tapered-land thrust bearing assembly of claim 4 wherein the flinger sleeve includes a lip having a circumference greater than a circumference of the hollow cylindrical end, and the bearing housing cover including a complementary lip that aligns with the lip of the flinger sleeve.

10. The tapered-land thrust bearing assembly of claim 1 wherein deflection of the first and second plurality of ramps of the first and second inserts is dependent on the applied force to optimize performance, wherein the ramp angle decreases as the applied force increases; and
a stop formed on the first and second side of the base and below an outer surface of the first and second inserts for engaging the first and second plurality of ramps of the first and second inserts in response to increases in the applied force, wherein the first and second plurality of ramps become substantially parallel with the first and second planar surface of the inserts.

11. The tapered-land thrust bearing assembly of claim 1 wherein the first insert and the second insert are fastened on each side of the base.

12. The tapered-land thrust bearing assembly of claim 1 further comprising a thrust washer that surrounds the rotating shaft and is adjacent to the first insert.

13. An oil-lubricated, tapered-land thrust bearing assembly in a turbocharger having a compressor impeller and a turbine wheel connected by a rotating shaft that passes through a bearing housing, the tapered-land thrust bearing assembly comprising:
a thrust bearing having a base, an inner insert and an outer insert, the inserts having integral ends extending axially away from the base to control film based on applied force, wherein the rotating shaft passes through a bore in the thrust bearing, and wherein the base, the inner insert and the outer insert each include a hole aligned with each other, the bearing assembly further including a pin that passes through the aligned holes to prevent rotation of the thrust bearing relative to the bearing housing, wherein the pin is secured to the bearing housing.

14. An oil-lubricated, tapered-land thrust bearing assembly in a turbocharger having a compressor impeller and a turbine wheel connected by a rotating shaft that passes through a bearing housing, the tapered-land thrust bearing assembly comprising:
a thrust bearing having a base, an inner insert and an outer insert, the inserts having integral ends extending axially away from the base to control film based on applied force, wherein the rotating shaft passes through a bore in the thrust bearing,
wherein the inner insert and the outer insert are fastened on each side of the base and
wherein one of the inserts has a tab on its outer circumference that secures to a corresponding recess in the base.

15. An oil-lubricated, tapered-land thrust bearing assembly for a turbocharger that includes a compressor impeller and a turbine wheel connected by a rotating shaft that passes through a bearing housing, the tapered-land thrust bearing assembly comprising:
a bearing housing cover having a cover bore and a circular lip with a circumference larger than the cover bore, the bearing housing cover is secured within the bearing housing;
a flinger sleeve having an end that fits in the cover bore, the flinger sleeve includes a complementary lip that aligns with the lip of the bearing housing;
a base comprising a first side and a second side; and
a first insert disposed on the first side of the base and a second insert disposed on the second side of the base, the first and second inserts being monolithic, and the first insert defining a first planar surface, and the second insert defining a second planar surface wherein the first insert has a plurality of first ramps, and the second insert has a plurality of second ramps, wherein each of the first and second plurality of ramps is cantilevered and oriented at a ramp angle relative to the first and second planar surface, and wherein each of the first and second plurality of ramps is deflectable toward the first and second planar surfaces to control oil film based on an applied force, the first insert and the second insert are fastened on each side of the base,
wherein the first and second plurality of ramps are deflectable based on the applied force to optimize performance, wherein the ramp angle decreases as the applied force increases.

16. The tapered-land thrust bearing assembly of claim 15 wherein at least one of the first and second inserts includes an aperture for flow of oil.

17. An oil-lubricated, tapered-land thrust bearing assembly comprising:
a base with a stop; and
a first and second insert being monolithic and disposed on opposite sides of the base, the first and second insert each having a planar surface and a ramp extending at a ramp angle from the planar surface, wherein the ramps are deformable relative to the stop on th

Assignees

• Borgwarner Inc

Inventors

• Moscetti Jason P
• Longacre Christian

Classifications

• F05D2250/314

  the axes being inclined in relation to each other · CPC title

• F16C2360/24

  Turbochargers · CPC title

• F16C33/1075

  Wedges, e.g. ramps or lobes, for generating pressure · CPC title

• F05D2250/90

  Variable geometry · CPC title

• F05D2260/98

  Lubrication · CPC title