Apparatuses and methods for induction heating

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11845137-B2
Application number	US-201916717508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2019
Priority date	Apr 16, 2009
Publication date	Dec 19, 2023
Grant date	Dec 19, 2023

Abstract

A heating apparatus for induction heating is disclosed. The heating apparatus may comprise a bearing ring, at least one bearing element disposed in the bearing ring, and a braze material adjacent to the at least one bearing element and the bearing ring. The heating apparatus may additionally comprise an inductor positioned radially adjacent to at least a portion of the bearing ring. A current source may be electrically coupled to the inductor. A bearing orienting member may also abut a surface of the at least one bearing element. The bearing orienting member may orient a surface of the at least one bearing element. A heating method is also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heating method, comprising:
positioning at least one bearing element in a bearing ring such that a braze material is adjacent to and between the at least one bearing element and the bearing ring;
after positioning the at least one bearing element in the bearing ring, passing a current through an inductor to generate a magnetic field from the inductor;
exposing at least a portion of the bearing ring to the magnetic field generated from the inductor;
rotating the bearing ring with a rotational support member relative to the inductor, the rotational support member coupled with a support structure, the rotational support member being removably coupled with the bearing ring of the bearing assembly and having a rotational axis about which the rotational support member rotates.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising exerting a force against a surface of the at least one bearing element.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the force is directed toward the bearing ring.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein:
the at least one bearing element includes a plurality of bearing elements;
the bearing ring defines a plurality of recesses extending partially therethrough, each of the plurality of sliding bearing elements and the braze material is disposed in an associated one of the plurality of recesses; and
exerting a force against a surface of the at least one bearing element includes directly contacting and applying the force from a plurality of bearing orienting members to an associated bearing element of the plurality of bearing elements to maintain each of the plurality of bearing elements within its associated recess.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein exposing at least a portion of the bearing ring to the magnetic field generated from the inductor comprises melting the braze material.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein melting the braze material comprises fixedly attaching the at least one bearing element to the bearing ring.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein exposing at least a portion of the bearing ring to the magnetic field generated from the inductor comprises positioning the bearing ring such that the inductor at least partially surrounds the bearing ring.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein exposing at least a portion of the bearing ring to the magnetic field generated from the inductor comprises positioning the bearing ring such that the bearing ring at least partially surrounds the inductor.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
passing a current through a second inductor to generate a magnetic field from the second inductor;
exposing at least a portion of the bearing ring to the magnetic field generated from the second inductor.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein positioning at least one bearing element in a bearing ring includes positioning a plurality of sliding bearing elements such that the braze material is adjacent to and between each of the plurality of sliding bearing elements and the bearing ring.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the bearing ring defines a plurality of recesses extending partially therethrough, each of the plurality of sliding bearing elements and the braze material are disposed in each of the plurality of recesses.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein rotating the bearing ring with a rotational support member includes cooperatively grasping the bearing ring with a plurality of jaws of the rotational support member, the plurality of jaws displaceable in a radial direction relative to the rotational axis.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one bearing element includes a plurality of bearing elements; and
exerting a force against a surface of the at least one bearing element includes directly contacting and applying the force a plurality of bearing orienting members to an associated bearing element of the plurality of bearing elements to maintain the plurality of bearing elements against the bearing ring; and
rotating the bearing ring relative to the inductor includes the rotational support member and the plurality of bearing orienting members cooperatively rotating the bearing assembly about the rotational axis relative to the inductor and the support structure, wherein each bearing orienting member maintains direct contact with its associated bearing element during rotation of the bearing assembly.

14. A method of induction heating, comprising:
providing a superabrasive compact and a base member, the superabrasive compact comprising:
a substrate; and
a superabrasive material bonded to the substrate;

providing an inductor proximate to the base member;
induction heating the base member to at least one of braze, solder, or weld the superabrasive compact to the base member;
wherein at least one of a braze material or a solder material is positioned between the base member and the superabrasive compact before induction heating the base member.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising rotating the base member.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein rotating the base member comprises rotating the base member with a rotational support member coupled with a support structure, the rotational support member being removably coupled with the base member and having a rotational axis about which the rotational support member rotates.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein rotating the base member with a rotational support member includes cooperatively grasping the base member with a plurality of jaws of the rotational support member, the plurality of jaws displaceable in a radial direction relative to the rotational axis.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the base member defines at least one recess extending partially therethrough; and
providing a superabrasive compact and a base member includes positioning the superabrasive compact in the at least one recess.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein induction heating the base member comprises brazing the superabrasive compact to the base member.

Assignees

• Us Synthetic Corp

Inventors

• Peterson S Barrett
• Sexton Timothy N
• Simons Curtis M
• Campbell Troy C

Classifications

• B23K1/002 Primary

  Soldering by means of induction heating · CPC title

• B23K1/18

  circumferential seams, e.g. of shells · CPC title

• B23K3/0475

  using induction effects, e.g. Kelvin or skin effects · CPC title

• B23K13/01

  by induction heating · CPC title

• F16C33/043

  Sliding surface consisting mainly of ceramics, cermets or hard carbon, e.g. diamond like carbon [DLC] · CPC title