Combination spherical and laminated bearing assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9709089-B2
Application number	US-201615042572-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2016
Priority date	Feb 12, 2015
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

A bearing assembly for coupling first and second members includes a housing coupled with, or integrally formed with the first member, a laminated bearing section and a spherical bearing section, each section disposed within a housing bore. The laminated bearing section is configured such that at least a portion of the laminated bearing section flexes when torque on the first and second members is less than a predetermined value. The spherical bearing section is configured such that a spherical bearing inner member slidably displaces within a spherical bearing outer member when torque on the first and second members is at least the predetermined value.

First claim

I claim:

1. A bearing assembly for coupling first and second members, at least one of the first and second members being movable relative to the other one of the first and second members, the bearing assembly comprising:
a housing one of coupled with the first member and integrally formed with the first member, the housing having a central bore;
a laminated bearing section and a spherical bearing section each disposed within the housing bore, one of the laminated bearing section and the spherical bearing section being disposed within the other one of the laminated bearing section and the spherical bearing section and configured to connect with the second member;
the laminated bearing section including a generally cylindrical body formed of a plurality of alternating, generally tubular, substantially flexible laminae and generally tubular, substantially rigid laminae nested coaxially about a central axis, the laminated bearing section being configured such that at least a portion of the laminated bearing section flexes when torque on at least one of the first and second members has a value less than a predetermined value; and
the spherical bearing section including a generally annular outer race having a concave inner circumferential surface, the inner surface being partially spherical and defining a bore, and a partially spherical inner member disposed within the outer race bore and having a convex, partially spherical outer surface disposed against the inner surface of the outer race portion, the spherical bearing section being configured such that the spherical bearing inner member slidably displaces within the spherical bearing outer member when torque on the at least one of the first and second members has a value of at least the predetermined value.

2. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the spherical bearing section is configured such that the spherical bearing inner member remains substantially stationary relative to the spherical bearing outer member when torque on the at least one of the first and second members is less than the predetermined value.

3. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 2 wherein the spherical bearing section inner and outer members are sized such that friction between the inner member and the outer member prevents movement of the inner member relative to the outer member when torque on the at least one of the first and second members has a value less than the predetermined value.

4. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of the flexible laminae is at least one of compressed, extended and twisted relative to a pair of coaxially adjacent rigid laminae during flexure of the laminated bearing section.

5. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein each one of the flexible and rigid laminae has an outside diameter, the plurality of laminae being arranged such that each one of the laminae is disposed within all of the other laminae having an outside diameter greater than the outside diameter of the one lamina.

6. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein each one of the flexible laminae and each one of the rigid laminae has opposing axial ends and an axial length between the opposing axial ends, the plurality of laminae being arranged such that the axial length of each one of the laminae is greater than the axial length of all laminae disposed within the one laminae.

7. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 6 wherein each one the flexible and rigid laminae is partially spherical.

8. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein each one of the flexible laminae is formed of an elastomer and each one of the rigid laminae is formed of a metallic material.

9. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein one of:
the laminated bearing section has a central bore and the spherical bearing section is disposed within the central bore of the laminated bearing section; and
the spherical bearing section has a central bore and the laminated bearing section is disposed within the central bore of the spherical bearing section.

10. A bearing assembly for coupling first and second members, at least one of the first and second members being movable relative to the other one of the first and second members, the bearing assembly comprising:
a housing one of coupled with the first member and integrally formed with the first member, the housing having a central bore;
a laminated bearing section disposed within the housing bore and including a generally cylindrical body formed of a plurality of alternating, generally tubular elastomeric laminae and generally tubular metallic laminae nested coaxially about a central axis and including a central bore; and
a spherical bearing section disposed within the central bore of the laminated bearing section body and including a generally annular outer race having a concave inner circumferential surface, the inner surface being partially spherical and defining a bore, and a partially spherical inner member disposed within the outer race bore and having a convex, partially spherical outer surface disposed against the inner surface of the outer race portion, the inner member being coupled with the second member;
wherein the laminated bearing section is configured such that at least a portion of the laminated bearing section flexes when torque on at least one of the first and second members has a value less than a predetermined value and the spherical bearing section is configured such that the spherical bearing inner member slidably displaces within the spherical bearing outer member when torque on the at least one of the first and second members has a value of at least the predetermined value.

11. A mechanical assembly for a rotary wing aircraft, the assembly comprising:
a rod having an end with a bore;
a pin configured to connect the rod with the aircraft; and
a bearing assembly disposed within the rod bore, configured to movably couple the rod and the pin and including:
a housing one of coupled with the rod and integrally formed with the rod, the housing having a central bore;
a laminated bearing section and a spherical bearing section each disposed within the housing bore, one of the laminated bearing section and the spherical bearing section being disposed within the other one of the laminated bearing section and the spherical bearing section and configured to connect with the pin;
the laminated bearing section including a generally cylindrical body formed of a plurality of alternating, generally tubular, substantially flexible laminae and generally tubular, substantially rigid laminae nested coaxially about a central axis, the laminated bearing section being configured such that at least a portion of the laminated bearing section flexes when torque on at least one of the rod and pin has a value less than a predetermined value; and
the spherical bearing section including a generally annular outer race having a concave inner circumferential surface, the inner surface being partially spherical and defining a bore, and a partially spherical inner member disposed within the outer race bore and having a convex, partially spherical outer surface disposed against the inner surface of the outer race portion, the spherical bearing section being configured such that the spherical bearing inner member slidably displaces within the spherical bearing outer member when torque on the at least one of the rod and pin has a value of at least the predetermined value.

Assignees

• Bohm Anthony Carl
• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Bohm Anthony Carl

Classifications

• F16C23/043 Primary

  with spherical surfaces, e.g. spherical plain bearings · CPC title

• F16C27/063

  Sliding contact bearings · CPC title

• F16C23/045 Primary

  for radial load mainly, e.g. radial spherical plain bearings · CPC title

• F16C11/0614

  the female part of the joint being open on two sides · CPC title

• F16C33/125

  Details of bearing layers, i.e. the lining · CPC title