Tilting-pad bearing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10968946-B2
Application number	US-201716329015-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2017
Priority date	Aug 31, 2016
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

The invention relates to a tilting-pad bearing ( 7 ), comprising: a sleeve ( 15 ); a plurality of tilting pads ( 9 ); and a frame ( 8 ), in which the tilting pads ( 9 ) are held.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tilting-pad bearing ( 7 ) for a shaft ( 17 ), the tilting pad bearing ( 7 ) comprising:
a sleeve ( 15 ) having an inner surface,
a plurality of tilting pads ( 9 ) inside the sleeve, and
a frame ( 8 ) which is disposed inside the sleeve ( 15 ) and in which the tilting pads ( 9 ) are received,
wherein a plurality of spring elements ( 18 ) are formed on the frame ( 8 ), wherein each of the spring elements has a first spring member that runs in a circumferential and radial direction outwardly towards the sleeve ( 15 ), wherein each of the spring elements ( 18 ) engages the inner surface of the sleeve ( 15 ) to pretension the spring elements ( 18 ) and to allow the tilting pads to align the shaft ( 17 ), wherein the frame ( 8 ) comprises two annular portions ( 10 , 11 ) which are connected to one another by a plurality of axially-extending and circumferentially-spaced connecting portions ( 12 ), and wherein each tilting pad ( 9 ) of the plurality of tilting pads ( 9 ) corresponds to and is mounted on a respective connecting portion ( 12 ) of the plurality of connecting portions ( 12 ).

2. The tilting-pad bearing as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the frame ( 8 ) comprises at least one mounting portion ( 13 ) for holding a respective tilting pad ( 9 ) of the plurality of tilting pads ( 9 ) in the frame ( 8 ) and for mounting the respective tilting pad ( 9 ) on the respective connecting portion ( 12 ), wherein the respective tilting pad ( 9 ) is held in the frame ( 8 ) by the at least one mounting portion ( 13 ) in such a way that the respective tilting pad ( 9 ) has some play in a radial direction.

3. The tilting-pad bearing as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the respective tilting pad ( 9 ) comprises a recess ( 26 ), behind which a respective mounting portion ( 13 ) can grip or hook.

4. The tilting-pad bearing as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the respective tilting pad ( 9 ) comprises a depression ( 28 ), in which at least a portion of a respective mounting portion ( 13 ) can be received and guided in such a way that the respective tilting pad ( 9 ) is either immovable or movable only within a predefined amount of play in an axial direction of the tilting-pad bearing ( 7 ).

5. The tilting-pad bearing as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the respective tilting pad ( 9 ), comprises at least one slot ( 29 ) for one of the respective mounting portions ( 13 ), for inserting an outer end of one of the respective mounting portions ( 13 ) into the slot ( 29 ).

6. The tilting-pad bearing as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the mounting portion ( 13 ) is formed on the respective connecting portion ( 12 ), and wherein the mounting portion ( 13 ) is integrally formed with the respective connecting portion ( 12 ), or is affixed to the respective connecting portion ( 12 ) as a separate component.

7. The tilting-pad bearing as claimed in claim 2 , wherein one of the plurality of spring elements ( 18 ) has a second spring member, and wherein the first spring member is formed on a first circumferential side the respective connecting portion ( 12 ) and the second spring member is formed on an opposite second circumferential side of the respective connecting portion ( 12 ).

8. The tilting-pad bearing as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the frame ( 8 ) is produced from sheet metal, plastic and/or a fiber composite, and at least one of the respective connecting portion ( 12 ), the respective mounting portion ( 13 ) and one of the plurality of spring elements ( 18 ) is at least one of stamped, cut, milled and shaped out of the frame ( 8 ).

9. The tilting-pad bearing as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the respective tilting pad ( 9 ) comprises a step, behind which a respective mounting portion ( 13 ) can grip or hook.

10. The tilting-pad bearing as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the respective tilting pad ( 9 ) comprises a grooved depression, in which at least a portion of a respective mounting portion ( 13 ) can be received and guided in such a way that the respective tilting pad ( 9 ) is either immovable or movable only within a predefined amount of play in an axial direction of the tilting-pad bearing ( 7 ).

11. The tilting-pad bearing as claimed in claim 2 , wherein one of the plurality of spring elements ( 18 ) is formed on the respective connecting portion ( 12 ), and wherein the one of the plurality of spring elements ( 18 ) is integrally formed with the respective connecting portion ( 12 ), or is affixed to the respective connecting portion ( 12 ) as a separate component.

12. The tilting-pad bearing as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the frame ( 8 ) comprises at least two mounting portions ( 13 ) for holding a respective tilting pad ( 9 ) of the plurality of tilting pads ( 9 ) and for mounting the respective tilting pad ( 9 ) on the respective connecting portion ( 12 ), wherein the at least two mounting portions ( 13 ) are provided on opposite sides of the respective tilting pad ( 9 ) and grip around the respective tilting pad ( 9 ) and wherein the respective tilting pad ( 9 ) is held in the frame ( 8 ) by at least the two mounting portions ( 13 ) in such a way that the respective tilting pad ( 9 ) has some play in a radial direction.

13. The tilting-pad bearing as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tilting-pad bearing ( 7 ) comprises an adjusting device ( 19 ) for adjusting an initial spring tension of a respective spring element ( 18 ) of the plurality of spring elements ( 18 ), wherein the adjusting device ( 19 ) for adjusting the initial spring tension is connected to a respective tilting pad ( 9 ) of the plurality of tilting pads ( 9 ) or to a respective spring element ( 18 ) of the plurality of spring elements ( 18 ).

14. The tilting-pad bearing as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the frame ( 8 ) comprises at least one mounting portion ( 13 ) for holding a respective tilting pad ( 9 ) of the plurality of tilting pads ( 9 ) in the frame ( 8 ), wherein the respective tilting pad ( 9 ) is held in the frame ( 8 ) by at least the one mounting portion ( 13 ) in such a way that the respective tilting pad ( 9 ) has some play in a radial direction and also in a circumferential direction, in order to allow the tilting pad ( 9 ) to tilt in a circumferential direction.

15. The tilting-pad bearing as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the frame ( 8 ) comprises at least two mounting portions ( 13 ) for holding a respective tilting pad ( 9 ) of the plurality of tilting pads ( 9 ), wherein at least the two mounting portions ( 13 ) are provided on opposite sides of the respective tilting pad ( 9 ) and grip around the respective tilting pad ( 9 ) and wherein the respective tilting pad ( 9 ) is held in the frame ( 8 ) by the at least two mounting portions ( 13 ) in such a way that the respective tilting pad ( 9 ) has some play in a radial direction and also in a circumferential direction, in order to allow the tilting pad ( 9 ) to tilt in a circumferential direction.

16. A tilting-pad bearing ( 7 ) comprising:
a sleeve ( 15 ),
a plurality of tilting pads ( 9 ) inside the sleeve, each of the tilting pads ( 9 ) having a radially inner surface extending between a first circumferential end and a second circumferential end, each of the tilting pads ( 9 ) having a recess ( 26 ) in the form of a step at an intersection of the radially inner surface and the first circumferential end, and each of the tilting pads ( 9 ) having a slot ( 29 ) adjacent the step, and
a frame ( 8 ) which is disposed inside the sleeve and in which the tilting pads ( 9 ) are received,
wherein the frame ( 8 ) includes a plurality of first mounting portions ( 13 ) each corresponding to

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Doehring Jochen
• Maier Tim

Classifications

• F16C35/02 Primary

  in the case of sliding-contact bearings · CPC title

• F16C27/02

  Sliding-contact bearings · CPC title

• F16C23/02

  Sliding-contact bearings · CPC title

• F16C17/06

  with tiltably-supported segments, e.g. Michell bearings {(with flexible leaves F16C17/042; hydrostatic F16C32/0666)} · CPC title

• F16C17/035 Primary

  the segments being integrally formed with, or rigidly fixed to, a support-element · CPC title