Compliant bearing for oilfield applications
US11428262B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 12, 2021 |
| Grant date | Aug 30, 2022 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 12, 2041 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF16C2380/26
- WIPO fieldMechanical elements
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
The present disclosure provides a bearing design that accommodates misalignment of a rotatable shaft in the bearing and is well suited to usage in a particulate-laden fluid. The bearing can be shaped with a curved surface along a longitudinal axis of the bearing, such as in a curved barrel shape or a ball shape, to provide a point contact instead of a line contact as is the case with conventional plain bearings. The point contact allows the bearing to adjust with a misalignment between ends of the shaft or between the external supports and facilitates the assembly and disassembly of the rotating shaft. Because the bearing compensates for misalignment, the bearing surfaces can have closer tolerances for a smaller gap between the bearing surfaces, which can result in improved performance.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.