Hybrid bearing assembly with rolling elements and plain bearing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11149788-B2
Application number	US-201314438785-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2013
Priority date	Apr 30, 2012
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

A bearing assembly includes an outer race having an inner surface defining a concave contour and an inner race positioned in the outer race. The inner race has an inner surface defining a bore therethrough and an outer surface defining at least one groove circumscribing the outer surface. A plurality of rolling elements is rollably located in the groove and is in rolling contact with the inner surface of the outer race. A lubricious liner has an inner liner-surface and an exterior liner-surface, the exterior liner-surface being disposed on the inner surface defining the bore. The lubricious liner has a modulus of compression of a magnitude sufficient to allow misalignment of the inner liner-surface relative to the exterior liner-surface in response to a force applied thereto.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flap hinge arm ( 40 ) of a fixed wing aircraft, comprising:
an arm ( 42 );
a connecting rod ( 44 ) pivotally connected to the arm ( 42 ) and pivotally connectable to a flap ( 54 ); and
a bearing assembly ( 10 , 110 , 210 , 310 , 410 ) positioned on the arm and connectable to a wing of the fixed wing aircraft, the bearing assembly comprising:
a bearing comprising:
an outer race ( 14 , 114 , 214 , 314 , 414 ) having an inner surface ( 26 ) defining a concave contour;

an inner race ( 12 , 112 , 212 , 312 , 412 ) positioned in the outer race ( 14 , 114 , 214 , 314 , 414 ), the inner race ( 12 , 112 , 212 , 312 , 412 ) having an inner surface ( 18 ) defining an inner race bore ( 22 ) therethrough and an outer surface ( 20 ) defining at least one groove ( 17 ) circumscribing the outer surface ( 20 );
a plurality of rolling elements ( 16 , 116 , 216 , 316 , 416 ) rollably located in the at least one groove and in rolling contact with the inner surface ( 26 ) of the outer race ( 14 , 114 , 214 , 314 , 414 ); and
a lubricious liner ( 36 , 136 , 236 , 336 , 436 ) having an inner liner-surface ( 36 B) and an exterior liner-surface ( 36 A), the inner liner-surface ( 36 B) defining a liner bore engaging an exterior surface ( 25 ) of a shaft ( 23 ) extending through the liner bore such that during normal operation of the bearing assembly, the shaft is fixed relative to the inner race, the exterior liner-surface ( 36 A) adhered to the inner surface ( 18 ), the lubricious liner ( 36 , 136 , 236 , 336 , 436 ) is an angular misalignment feature disposed between the shaft ( 23 ) and the inner race ( 12 , 112 , 212 , 312 , 412 ) and a torque dependent rotational fail-safe mechanism, the shaft being press fit into the liner bore;

wherein the angular misalignment feature is configured to accommodate angular misalignment between the shaft ( 23 ) and the inner race ( 12 , 112 , 212 , 312 , 412 ); and
wherein during normal operation the bearing assembly is configured to accommodate rotation of the outer race ( 14 , 114 , 214 , 314 , 414 ) relative to the inner race ( 14 , 114 , 214 , 314 , 414 ) and to rotationally fix the inner race ( 12 , 112 , 212 , 312 , 412 ) relative to the shaft ( 23 ) when a torque exerted on the outer race ( 14 , 114 , 214 , 314 , 414 ) is a first torque magnitude t 1 ,
wherein during anomalous operation or when the bearing seizes, the torque exerted on the outer race ( 14 , 114 , 214 , 314 , 414 ) is of a second torque magnitude that is selected from the group consisting of 1.1, 1.25, and 1.5 times the first torque magnitude t 1 and the torque dependent rotational fail-safe mechanism is configured to accommodate rotation of the inner race ( 12 , 112 , 212 , 312 , 412 ) relative to the shaft ( 23 ),
wherein the lubricious liner ( 36 , 136 , 236 , 336 , 436 ) has an axial length (L) and a continuous annular shape, the lubricious liner ( 36 , 136 , 236 , 336 , 436 ) comprising a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin, the thermosetting resin selected from the group consisting of a phenolic resin, a polyester resin, an epoxy resin, a urethane resin, a polyurethane resin, and a polyimide resin, wherein the thermoplastic resin or the thermosetting resin comprises PTFE fibers and a fabric selected from the non-metallic material group consisting of cotton, polyester, glass fiber, carbon fiber, nylon, aramid material, and combinations of the foregoing materials, and
the lubricious liner ( 36 , 136 , 236 , 336 , 436 ) engaging the exterior surface ( 25 ) of the shaft ( 23 ) continuously and entirely circumferentially along the axial length (L) of the lubricious liner ( 36 , 136 , 236 , 336 , 436 ), and the exterior liner-surface ( 36 A) adhered to the inner surface ( 18 ) continuously and entirely circumferentially along the axial length (L) of the lubricious liner ( 36 , 136 , 236 , 336 , 436 ).

2. The flap hinge arm ( 40 ) of a fixed wing aircraft of claim 1 , further comprising:
a seal secured to the outer race and engaging a surface of the inner race; and
a retaining ring positioned on a side of the seal to secure the seal in place.

3. The flap hinge arm ( 40 ) of a fixed wing aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rolling elements ( 16 , 116 , 216 , 316 , 416 ) are made from a material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel and corrosion resistant nitrided steel.

4. The flap hinge arm ( 40 ) of a fixed wing aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the outer race ( 14 , 114 , 214 , 314 , 414 ) and the inner race ( 12 , 112 , 212 , 312 , 412 ) are made from a material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel and corrosion resistant nitrided steel.

5. The flap hinge arm ( 40 ) of a fixed wing aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rolling elements ( 16 , 116 , 216 , 316 , 416 ) is selected from a group consisting of spherical rollers, convex rollers, concave rollers and cylindrical rollers.

6. The flap hinge arm ( 40 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the arm comprises a rod end, wherein the outer race ( 14 , 114 , 214 , 314 , 414 ) is mounted in an eye of the rod end with a Grumman groove or is press fit.

7. A flap hinge arm ( 40 ) of a fixed wing aircraft, comprising:
an arm ( 42 );
a connecting rod ( 44 ) pivotally connected to the arm ( 42 ) and pivotally connectable to a flap ( 54 ); and
a bearing assembly ( 10 , 110 , 210 , 310 , 410 ) positioned on the arm and connectable to a wing of the fixed wing aircraft, the bearing assembly comprising:
a bearing comprising:
an outer race ( 14 , 114 , 214 , 314 , 414 ) having an inner surface ( 26 ) defining a concave contour;
an inner race ( 12 , 112 , 212 , 312 , 412 ) positioned in the outer race ( 14 , 114 , 214 , 314 , 414 ), the inner race ( 12 , 112 , 212 , 312 , 412 ) having an inner surface ( 18 ) defining an inner race bore ( 22 ) therethrough and an outer surface ( 20 ) defining at least one groove ( 17 ) circumscribing the outer surface ( 20 );
a plurality of rolling elements ( 16 , 116 , 216 , 316 , 416 ) rollably located in the at least one groove and in rolling contact with the inner surface ( 26 ) of the outer race ( 14 , 114 , 214 , 314 , 414 ); and
a lubricious liner ( 36 , 136 , 236 , 336 , 436 ) extending from a first end ( 36 C) to an opposing second end ( 36 D) and having an inner liner-surface ( 36 B) and an exterior liner-surface ( 36 A), the inner liner-surface ( 36 B) defining a liner bore engaging an exterior surface ( 25 ) of a shaft ( 23 ) extending through the liner bore such that during normal operation of the bearing assembly the shaft is fixed relative to the inner race, the exterior liner-surface ( 36 A) adhered to the inner surface ( 18 ), the lubricious liner ( 36 , 136 , 236 , 336 , 436 ) is an angular misalignment feature disposed between the shaft ( 23 ) and the inner race ( 12 , 112 , 212 , 312 , 412 ) and a torque dependent rotational fail-safe mechanism, the shaft being press fit into the liner bore;

wherein the angular misalignment feature is configured to accommodate angular misalignment between the shaft ( 23 ) and the inner race ( 12 , 112 , 212 , 312 , 412 ) upon application of a force perpendicular to the central axis (C) of the shaft ( 23 ), wherein upon application of the force, the central axis (C) of the shaft ( 23 ) is misaligned by a misalignment angle (a), the misalignment angle is from about 1 degree to about 15 degrees, the lubricious liner having a modulus of compression of a magnitude to allow misalignment through compression and expansion between an initial width, a compressed width and an expanded width, wherein compression of the first end ( 36 C) or

Assignees

• Roller Bearing Co America Inc

Inventors

• Mcneil Scott
• Crossman Scott
• Coombe David
• Phoenix Jay

Classifications

• F16C21/00 Primary

  Combinations of sliding-contact bearings with ball or roller bearings, for exclusively rotary movement (F16C17/24, F16C19/52 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16C33/201

  Composition of the plastic · CPC title

• F16C39/02

  using mechanical means · CPC title

• F16C19/06

  with a single row or balls · CPC title

• B64C9/02

  Mounting or supporting thereof · CPC title