Sliding bearing with bearing substrate and polymer in-fill

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9605713-B2
Application number	US-201314441511-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2013
Priority date	Nov 8, 2012
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

A half bearing for a sliding bearing may include a bearing substrate having at least one relief region provided in a surface of the half bearing, and a substrate adjacent respective end faces of the bearing substrate. The half bearing may further include a polymer in-fill having a non-uniform thickness provided in a filled region, wherein the thickness of the polymer in-fill in the filled region may be greater proximate the respective end face than remote from the respective end face.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A half bearing for a sliding bearing, the half bearing comprising:
a bearing substrate having at least one relief region provided in a surface of the half bearing;
a substrate adjacent respective end faces of the bearing substrate;
a polymer in-fill of non-uniform thickness provided in the at least one relief region to form a filled relief region, wherein the thickness of the polymer in-fill in the filled relief region is greater proximate the respective end face than remote from the respective end face; and
at least one circumferential channel in the filled relief region, wherein the polymer in-fill has a greater thickness in lateral portions of the filled relief region adjacent axial sides of the half bearing than in an intermediate portion.

2. A half bearing according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the polymer in-fill in the filled relief region decreases away from the respective end face.

3. A half bearing according to claim 2 , wherein the thickness of the polymer in-fill in the filled relief region decreases substantially continuously away from the respective end face.

4. A half bearing according to claim 2 , wherein the polymer in-fill in the filled relief region has a stepped reduction in thickness away from the respective end face.

5. A half bearing according to claim 2 , comprising polymer seals extending circumferentially along the surface of the bearing substrate adjacent axial sides of the half bearing.

6. A half bearing according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one relief region includes a relief region adjacent each end face of the bearing substrate.

7. A half bearing according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of circumferential channels in the filled relief region.

8. A half bearing according to claim 1 , comprising polymer seals extending circumferentially along the surface of the bearing substrate adjacent axial sides of the half bearing.

9. A half bearing according to claim 1 , comprising a filled relief region adjacent each end face of the bearing substrate.

10. A half bearing according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer comprises at least one of polyimide/amide resin, acrylate resin, epoxy resin, fluoropolymer and formaldehyde.

11. A half bearing according to claim 1 , comprising at least one of a bearing shell and a housing.

12. A half bearing according to claim 11 , wherein the half bearing is a bearing shell, and the bearing shell has a substantially uniform cross-sectional thickness.

13. A half bearing according to claim 1 , wherein the filled relief region comprises at least one of a crush relief region and an eccentric relief region.

14. An engine comprising a half bearing including:
a bearing substrate having at least one relief region provided in a surface of the half bearing;
a substrate adjacent respective end faces of the bearing substrate;
a polymer in-fill of non-uniform thickness provided in the at least one relief region to form a filled relief region, wherein the thickness of the polymer in-fill in the filled relief region is greater proximate the respective end face than remote from the respective end face; and
at least one circumferential channel in the filled relief region, wherein the polymer in-fill has a greater thickness in lateral portions of the filled relief region adjacent axial sides of the half bearing than in an intermediate portion.

15. A method of manufacturing a sliding bearing which is a half bearing, the method comprising:
forming a bearing substrate having at least one relief region provided in a surface of the half bearing, and
depositing a polymer onto the bearing substrate in the at least one relief region to form a filled relief region such that a thickness of the polymer in the filled region is greater proximate a respective end face of a bearing substrate of the half bearing than remote from the respective end face;
wherein the polymer is deposited by one of a printing process or a spraying process in which polymer in-fill of non-uniform thickness is deposited by at least first and second deposition steps in which deposited polymer layers extend by different distances from an end face.

Assignees

• Mahle Int Gmbh
• Mahle Engine Systems Uk Ltd
• Mahle Engine Systems Uk Ltd

Inventors

• Fisher Nathan
• Phipps Natalie

Classifications

• F16C33/203

  Multilayer structures, e.g. sleeves comprising a plastic lining · CPC title

• F16C33/74 Primary

  of sliding-contact bearings · CPC title

• F16C17/022 Primary

  with a pair of essentially semicircular bearing sleeves · CPC title

• F16C33/106

  Details of distribution or circulation inside the bearings, e.g. details of the bearing surfaces to affect flow or pressure of the liquid · CPC title

• F16C33/24

  with different areas of the sliding surface consisting of different materials · CPC title