Joint bearing lubricant system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9856914-B2
Application number	US-201514842482-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 1, 2015
Priority date	Jun 13, 2013
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

A bearing assembly is disclosed having a wearing surface formed from an alloying including tin, a wear material configured to be contacted by the wearing material during use, and the wear material having a smoothed surface. A method of providing superlubricious performance of a bearing assembly is also provided.

First claim

I claim:

1. A bearing assembly comprising:
a wearing surface formed from an alloy including tin;
a wear material configured to be contacted by the wearing surface during use, wherein the wear material comprises a surface having a measured root mean squared surface roughness (Rq) less than 3 microinches (μin) to about 0, and/or a maximum surface roughness (Rmax) less than 30 μin to about 0 and/or an average maximum height surface roughness (Rz) less than 20 μin to about 0; and
one or more additives of a lubricant composition having an affinity for the tin of the alloy, wherein the one or more additives are present on the wearing surface.

2. The bearing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the wearing surface and/or the wear material is a spinodal alloy.

3. The bearing assembly of claim 2 , wherein the spinodal alloy comprises copper, nickel, and tin.

4. The bearing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the wearing surface has an operating surface having a measured root mean squared surface roughness (Rq) less than 3 microinches (μin) to about 0, and/or a maximum surface roughness (Rmax) less than 30 μin to about 0 and/or an average maximum height surface roughness (Rz) less than 20 μin to about 0.

5. The bearing assembly of claim 4 , wherein the wearing surface has an initial surface having a measured root mean squared surface roughness (Rq) greater than 3 microinches (μin), and/or greater than a maximum surface roughness (Rmax) of 30 μin to and/or an average maximum height surface roughness (Rz) greater than 20 μin, wherein the initial surface transitions to the operating surface by operating under load.

6. The bearing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the Rq of an operating surface of the wear material is less than 1.5 μin.

7. The bearing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more additives comprise boron or borate.

8. The bearing assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the surface of the wear material comprises tungsten carbide or hard chrome.

9. An assembly comprising:
a first member and a second member that define a space therebetween, at least one of the first member or the second member being a spinodal alloy comprising copper, nickel, and tin, wherein the space therebetween is configured to receive at least one additive of a lubricant composition having an affinity for tin; and
at least one of the first member or the second member having a measured root mean squared surface roughness (Rq) less than 3 microinches (μin) to about 0, and/or a maximum surface roughness (Rmax) less than 30 μin to about 0 and/or an average maximum height surface roughness (Rz) less than 20 μin to about 0.

10. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein at least a portion of the surface of the at least one of the first member or the second member comprises tungsten carbide or hard chrome.

11. A bearing assembly for a truck pivot joint in a landing gear assembly, the bearing assembly comprising:
a metallic truck assembly defining an opening therein;
a pin rotatably positioned in the opening of the truck assembly, the pin having a measured root mean squared surface roughness (Rq) less than 3 microinches (μin) to about 0, and/or a maximum surface roughness (Rmax) less than 30 μin to about 0 and/or an average maximum height surface roughness (Rz) less than 20 μin to about 0; and
a truck pivot bushing comprised of a spinodal alloy including tin, the truck pivot bushing positioned at least partially in the opening defined by the truck assembly, the truck pivot bushing having an inner surface proximate the pin such that a space is defined between the inner surface of the truck pivot bushing and the pin.

12. The bearing assembly of claim 11 , further comprising one or more boron or borate additives positioned in the space defined between the pivot bushing and the pin.

13. The bearing assembly of claim 12 , further comprising a coating thickness of about 0.005 inches of a lubricant composition, the lubricant composition comprising the boron or borate additive, and wherein the bearing assembly in combination with the lubricant composition has a friction coefficient of 0.1 or less during use.

14. A method of providing superlubricious performance of a bearing assembly, comprising:
providing a wear material having an operating surface configured to be contacted by a wearing surface during use, the wearing surface comprising an alloy including tin;
wherein the operating surface has measured root mean squared surface roughness (Rq) less than 3 microinches (μin) to about 0, and/or a maximum surface roughness (Rmax) less than 30 μin to about 0 and/or an average maximum height surface roughness (Rz) less than 20 μin to about 0;
wherein the operating surface or wearing material receives one or more additives of a lubricant composition with an affinity for the tin of the alloy; and
providing superlubricious performance between the operating surface and the wearing surface during use.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the lubricant composition has a thickness of about 0.005 inches, and wherein the lubricant composition provides a friction coefficient of 0.1 or less during use.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more additives are one or more boron or borate additives.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the wear material has a surface comprising tungsten carbide or hard chrome.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the wearing surface is a spinodal alloy comprising copper, nickel, and tin.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the wearing surface has an initial surface having a measured root mean squared surface roughness (Rq) greater than 3 microinches (μin), and/or greater than a maximum surface roughness (Rmax) of 30 μin to and/or an average maximum height surface roughness (Rz) greater than 20 μin, configured for breaking-in the initial surface by operating under load to provide the operating surface.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Kane Daniel J

Classifications

• C22C9/02

  with tin as the next major constituent · CPC title

• F16C2223/06

  polishing · CPC title

• C22C9/06

  with nickel or cobalt as the next major constituent · CPC title

• F16C33/121

  Use of special materials · CPC title

• F16C33/14

  Special methods of manufacture; Running-in · CPC title