Bearing arrangement for tension forces and bearing head therefor

US6622579B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• AeroLas GmbH Aerostatische Lager-Lasertechnik · DE

Inventors

• Michael Muth · Munich, DE
• Bernd Schulz · Radebeul, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 20, 2000
• Grant date: Sep 23, 2003
• Expiry date: Feb 1, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B64G7/00
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A bearing arrangement for the support of tensile forces, in particular for the suspended mounting of a mass, in order to simulate the weightlessness of the latter in a gravitational field, has a first bearing element comprising at least one magnet and a second, metallic bearing element, to which the first bearing element is attracted magnetically. At least one of the bearing elements has, in its bearing surface, gas outflow nozzles which are loaded by a compressed gas, so that a gas stream flowing out of the gas outflow nozzles forms a gas cushion between the bearing elements attracting one another due to the magnetic force, said gas cushion keeping the bearing elements at a distance from one another. The magnetic attraction force between the bearing elements is, in this case, equal to the sum of the tensile force exerted by the mass and the first bearing element and of the repulsion force of the gas cushion. A bearing arrangement of this type may be used for the gravity-compensating suspension of a foldable solar panel arrangement for a satellite in a test apparatus for testing the deployment operation in a gravitational field so as to simulate weightlessness or may serve, in gene…