Compliant hydrodynamic fluid bearing with resilient support matrix
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The field of fluid bearings has developed to the point at which bearing experts are now considering the application of compliant hydrodynamic fluid bearings for applications involving loads much greater than the load-carrying capacity that these bearings have previously been able to bear. The reason for this increased interest in this form of bearing is that the low cost, long life, and almost frictionless characteristics of these bearings make them extremely desirable for many applications. One of the primary impediments to adoption of bearings of this nature in place of conventional bearings has been their relatively limited load-carrying capacity. Numerous efforts have been made to solve this problem, with results that have been mostly disappointing or which introduce other problems, such as increased cost or lowered reliability. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the objects of this invention are to provide a compliant hydrodynamic fluid bearing having an increased load-carrying capacity. The bearing of this invention achieves its greater load-carrying capacity using the same thin, inexpensive and easily worked materials used in previous bearings of this nature, but arranged in a different manner to achieve a greater load capacity. The bearing of this invention also provides more uniform support for the shaft during start-up and slow-down phases of operation so that the anti-friction coating on the bearing sheet will last longer. 
     These objects of the invention are realized in one embodiment of this invention wherein the resilient support element for the bearing sheet is comprised of a plurality of strips formed in a wavy or corrugated pattern and disposed side-by-side between the bearing sheet and the bearing sleeve. The wave pattern of adjacent strips is displaced longitudinally an amount equal to 1/2 wave length so that peaks of one strip are laterally aligned adjacent the valleys of the adjacent strips. In this manner, a more uniform support is provided for the bearing sheet and therefore less local deflection of the bearing sheet occurs so that a large area of fluid film at high pressure can be generated without resort to heavier, stiffer and more expensive materials. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other objects of the invention and the invention itself will become more clear upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with an examination of the following drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a resilient support element for a fluid bearing made in accordance with this invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the bearing assembly unrolled from its installed configuration shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation of a bearing of the prior art in operation; 
     FIG. 4 is a view like FIG. 3, but of a bearing according to this invention in operation; and 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 are plan views of two sheets for making the supporting element of this invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate identical or corresponding parts, and more particularly FIG. 1 thereof, a compliant hydrodynamic fluid bearing is shown having a bearing assembly 11 received in a bearing sleeve 13 having a bore 15 for receiving a rotatable shaft 17. The bearing assembly 11 includes a flexible bearing sheet 19 which is supported on the wall of the bore 15 by a series of regularly spaced resilient projections 27 on a resilient supporting element 21. The supporting element 21 and the flexible bearing sheet 19 are attached together at one end 23 with an intervening spacer block 25. The ends of the resilient supporting element 21 and the bearing sheet 19 are resistance-welded together and to the spacer block 25 and the entire assembly is fixed in the bore 15 of the bearing sleeve 13 as by welding or other suitable means so that the bearing assembly 11 cannot rotate relative to the bearing sleeve 13, but the resilient supporting element 21 can move circumferentially as the resilient support projections 27 deflect slightly under load to provide compliance and damping characteristics. 
     With reference now to FIG. 2, the resilient support element 21 of the bearing assembly 11 is formed in a series of five parallel strips 29. The strips are made of steel in the anealed condition formed in the wavy corrugated pattern shown and then heat treated to produce the desired characteristics of stiffness, resilience and strength of spring steel. The wavy pattern shown is approximately a sinusodial wave form with the lower sections or valleys of the wave form made flat to increase the surface contact area between the support element and the bore 15 of the bearing sleeve 13. 
     The wave pattern of adjacent strips 29 is offset longitudinally with respect to the adjacent strips by an amount equal to 1/2 of the wave length of the wave form. This arrangement produces a matrix pattern of support zones for the bearing sheet 19 which in plan view is approximately in the nature of a checkerboard pattern. Although the total support force exerted by the support element 21 is no greater and possibly even less in this embodiment than in the prior art illustrated in FIG. 3, the effect produced by the support element is quite different. As shown in FIG. 3, the prior art support element 21&#39; permits a certain degree of deflection of the bearing sheet 19&#39; between adjacent elevations of the resilient support element 21&#39;. Each of these deflections produces its own hydrodynamic supporting fluid film which provides a support for the rotating shaft 17&#39; which is adequate for most prior art applications. However, by making the support for the bearing sheet 19 more uniform, a more uniform hydrodynamic fluid film is created, thereby increasing the load-bearing capacity of this bearing. 
     Greater uniformity of support is achieved in this invention by rearranging the pattern of the resilient projections of the support element 21 so that they produce a more uniform support matrix for the bearing sheet 19. As shown in FIG. 4, the span between adjacent support zones is decreased so that the total pattern of support for the bearing sheet 19 is made more uniform. This produces a smoother deflection pattern for the bearing sheet so that it deflects in a larger converging wedge encompassing the entire lower portion of the bearing rather than a series of smaller supporting fluid films distributed around the lower portion of the bearing. The effect of this new arrangement is to increase the total effective area of support and to increase the mean pressure of the supporting fluid film. The bearing sheet 19 supported uniformly deflects uniformly to enable a continuous supporting fluid film having a smooth pressure profile to be generated over a load-carrying zone which extends for approximately 120° of the shaft circumference. 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 show two different sheets from which the resilient support element 21 can be formed. In FIG. 5 the sheet is slit in five parallel cuts running from adjacent one end to adjacent the other end. The sheets are then formed in a static press-operated die, or can be fed through a die which has a series of gear-like corrugated rotors offset from one another by 1/2 of a pitch so that the wave form produced by the die arrangement is a series of corrugated strips attached to the two ends and having wave forms which are offset from those of adjacent strips by one-half wave length. This arrangement is advantageous because it offers the fastest and potentially cheapest fabrication and produces an element which is easily assembled into a compliant bearing. However, it requires careful design and quality control to remain within tolerances and to avoid distorting the end portions of the element to ensure that they will lie flat at the free end and will lie flat against the spacer block 25 during assembly, so that a smooth and flat end 23 is produced. 
     In FIG. 6 the sheet from which the support element 21 is formed is slit in five parallel slits starting from adjacent one end and running completely through the other end. This slit sheet then, like the sheet in FIG. 5, is processed in a die to produce the corrugated patterns offset in adjacent strips by 1/2 wave length. The free ends of the support element 21 shown in FIG. 7 can be left free and the tendency for the individual strips to spread can be prevented by shoulders 30 shown on the outside edges of the bearing sleeve 13. These shoulders should be a height equal to approximately 1/2 of the height of the bumps. The strips will not tend to cross inwardly because the alternating corrugations will hold them apart. 
     Other numbers of strips may be used, however, it is preferable that it be an odd number. An even number of strips would make the corrugations of the outside strips offset from each other which could cause some imbalance in the shaft for small shafts or large projections 27. 
     Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the disclosed embodiment are possible in view of the teachings contained herein. It is to be expressly understood that these modifications and variations, and equivalents thereof, may be employed while remaining within the spirit and scope of my invention which is defined in the appended claims.