Thrust washer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9726219-B2
Application number	US-201414905924-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2014
Priority date	Jul 18, 2013
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A thrust washer for a flange half-bearing may include a semi-annular panel having an inner edge and an outer edge. A plurality of hooking lugs may project inwardly from the inner edge of the panel. The hooking lugs may have at least one latching edge configured to engage with a corresponding opening in a bearing shell received by the thrust washer and prevent disconnection of the thrust washer and the bearing shell without deformation of the bearing shell. The hooking lugs may have a hooking lug inner portion proximate to a central part of the thrust washer around the inner edge of the panel for engaging against an edge of the corresponding opening of the bearing shell, and a hooking lug outer portion remote from the central part around the inner edge of the panel. The hooking lug inner portion may be thinner than the hooking lug outer portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thrust washer for a flange half-bearing, comprising:
a substantially semi-annular panel extending about a rotation axis and having an inner edge and an outer edge; and
a plurality of hooking lugs projecting inwardly from the inner edge of the panel, wherein the plurality of hooking lugs have at least one latching edge configured to engage within a corresponding opening in a bearing shell received by the panel and facilitate preventing disconnection of the panel and the bearing shell without deformation of the bearing shell;
the plurality of hooking lugs each having a hooking lug inner portion proximate to a central part with respect to a circumferential direction of the axis and located around the inner edge of the panel for engaging against an edge of the corresponding opening in the bearing shell and a hooking lug outer portion remote from the central part with respect to the circumferential direction and located around the inner edge of the panel; and
the hooking lug inner portion of at least one hooking lug is thinner in an axial direction of the axis than the hooking lug outer portion of the at least one hooking lug.

2. A thrust washer according to claim 1 , further comprising a bearing face provided with a plurality of oil distribution grooves extending to the inner edge of the panel, and at least one of the plurality of oil distribution groove extends across the hooking lug inner portion of at least one of the plurality of hooking lugs.

3. A thrust washer according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of oil distribution grooves extend only in a region spaced apart from the hooking lug outer portion of the plurality of hooking lugs, and the hooking lug outer portion of the plurality of hooking lugs each correspond in thickness with a thickness of the panel adjacent the hooking lug outer portion of the plurality of hooking lugs.

4. A thrust washer according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of oil distribution grooves extends across the hooking lug outer portion of the at least one of the plurality of hooking lugs, and wherein a part of the at least one of the plurality of oil distribution grooves that extends across the hooking lug inner portion of the at least one of the plurality of hooking lugs is deeper than another part of the at least one of the plurality of oil distribution grooves that extends across the hooking lug outer portion of the at least one of the plurality of hooking lugs.

5. A thrust washer according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of oil distribution grooves each include a region of constant depth between sloping sides, and the at least one latching edge of each of the plurality of hooking lugs has a depth within the constant depth of the plurality of oil distribution grooves.

6. A thrust washer according to claim 2 , wherein at a deepest part of the plurality of oil distribution grooves, the panel has a thickness that is less than half of an average thickness of the panel outside of the plurality of oil distribution grooves.

7. A thrust washer according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of oil distribution grooves extend parallel to one another across the bearing face.

8. A thrust washer according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of oil distribution grooves extend from the inner edge of the panel to the outer edge of the panel.

9. A thrust washer according to claim 1 , further comprising a stabilisation lug projecting inwardly from the inner edge of the panel and disposed intermediate to the plurality of hooking lugs.

10. A thrust washer according to claim 9 , wherein the stabilisation lug has a uniform thickness.

11. A thrust washer according to claim 9 , further comprising a bearing face including at least one other oil distribution groove extending to the inner edge of the panel, and the at least one other oil distribution groove extends across the stabilisation lug.

12. A thrust washer according to claim 1 , further comprising a bearing face including at least one oil distribution groove extending from the outer edge to the inner edge of the panel and disposed intermediate of the plurality of hooking lugs.

13. A thrust washer according to claim 1 , wherein at least one hooking lug of the plurality of hooking lugs is disposed at a distance in the circumferential direction from an end of the panel.

14. A flange half-bearing, comprising:
at least one thrust washer including:
a semi-annular panel extending about a rotation axis and having an inner edge and an outer edge;
a plurality of hooking lugs projecting inwardly from the inner edge of the panel, wherein the plurality of hooking lugs each have at least one latching edge;
the plurality of hooking lugs each having a hooking lug inner portion proximate to a central part of the at least one thrust washer with respect to a circumferential direction of the axis and located around the inner edge of the panel, and a hooking lug outer portion remote from the central part with respect to the circumferential direction and located around the inner edge of the panel, wherein the hooking lug inner portion of at least one of the plurality of hooking lugs is thinner in an axial direction of the axis than the hooking lug outer portion of the at least one of the plurality of hooking lugs; and

a semi-cylindrical half journal bearing shell having a respective opening at an axial end face corresponding to the at least one latching edge of each of the plurality of hooking lugs, wherein the respective opening via an edge is configured to engage against the hooking lug inner portion of each of the plurality of hooking lugs;
wherein the at least one latching edge of each of the plurality of hooking lugs is connected to the respective opening of the bearing shell to facilitate preventing disconnection of the at least one thrust washer and the bearing shell without deformation of the bearing shell.

15. A flange half-bearing according to claim 14 , wherein the thrust washer further includes a bearing face provided with a plurality of oil distribution grooves extending to the inner edge of the panel, and at least one of the plurality of oil distribution grooves extends across the hooking lug inner portion of at least one of the plurality of hooking lugs.

16. A flange half-bearing according to claim 14 , wherein the thrust washer further includes a stabilisation lug projecting inwardly from the inner edge of the panel and disposed intermediate to the plurality of hooking lugs.

17. A flange half-bearing according to claim 16 , wherein the thrust washer further includes at least one oil distribution groove extending along the panel to the inner edge, wherein the at least one oil distribution groove extends across the stabilisation lug.

18. An engine, comprising:
a bearing assembly including a thrust washer and a semi-circular half journal bearing shell;
the thrust washer including:
a semi-annular panel extending about a rotation axis and having an inner edge and an outer edge;
a plurality of hooking lugs projecting inwardly from the inner edge of the panel, wherein the plurality of hooking lugs each have at least one latching edge;
the plurality of hooking lugs having a respective hooking lug inner portion proximate to a central part of the at least one thrust washer with respect to a circumferential direction of the axis and located around the inner edge of the panel, and a respective hooking lug outer portion remote from the central part with respect to the circumferential direction and located around the inner edge of the panel, wherein the respec

Assignees

• Mahle Engine Systems Uk Ltd
• Mahle Composants Moteur France Sas
• Mahle Ind Incorporated
• Mahle Engine Components Slovakia S R O
• Mahle Int Gmbh

Inventors

• Gallas Tino
• Tran Ha
• Sharpe Mark
• Barral Stephane
• Berkery Kevin
• Bukna Miroslav
• Scott Murray

Classifications

• F16C2360/22

  Internal combustion engines · CPC title

• F16C2226/74

  with snap-fit, e.g. by clips · CPC title

• F16C2226/12

  by press-fit, e.g. plug-in · CPC title

• F16C43/02

  Assembling sliding-contact bearings · CPC title

• F16C33/1065

  Grooves on a bearing surface for distributing or collecting the liquid · CPC title