Self acting gas bearing apparatus

• US 5,018,881 A
• Filed: 10/20/1989
• Issued: 05/28/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Asada, Takafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Footland, Lenard A.
• Application Number:
  US07/424,493
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 384/113, 384/473, 384/107, 384/115, 384/120, 384/114, 384/100
• US Class Current: 384/113
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 17/026 with helical grooves in the bearing surface to generate hydrodynamic pressure, e.g. herringbone grooves
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/1015 Pressure generating grooves

Abstract

A self acting gas bearing apparatus comprising a cantilevered shaft, a sleeve that is fitted to the shaft so as to be freely rotatable around the shaft, and a lid that is fixed onto one end of the sleeve, wherein one or more intake holes having filters thereon are provided on the sleeve or lid in the vicinity of the free end side of the shaft, and dynamic pressure generating grooves that force gas from the intake holes toward the fixed end side of the shaft are provided on the outer surface of the shaft or the inner surface of the sleeve, whereby fine particles are prevented from entering into a bearing clearance between the shaft and the sleeve, thereby ensuring a smooth rotation of the sleeve around the shaft without coming into contact with the shaft.

Claims

1. A self acting gas bearing apparatus comprising a cantilevered shaft, a sleeve member that is fitted to said shaft so as to be freely rotatable around said shaft, and a lid member that is fixed onto one end of said sleeve, wherein one or more intake holes having filters thereon are provided on one of said members in the vicinity of the free end side of said shaft, and dynamic pressure generating grooves that force gas from said intake holes toward the fixed end side of said shaft are provided on the outer surface of said shaft.

2. A self acting gas bearing apparatus comprising a cantilevered shaft, a sleeve member that is fitted to said shaft so as to be freely rotatable around said shaft, and a lid member that is fixed onto one end of said sleeve, wherein first dynamic pressure generating grooves that force gas toward the free end side of said shaft are provided in the vicinity of the free end side of said shaft on the outer surface of said shaft, second dynamic pressure generating grooves that force gas toward the fixed end side of said shaft are provided in the vicinity of the fixed end side of said shaft on the outer surface of said shaft, and one or more intake holes having filters thereon are provided in an intermediate section between said first and second dynamic pressure generating grooves, one of said members having one or more vent holes in the vicinity of the free end side of said shaft that is provided with said first dynamic pressure generating grooves.

3. A self acting gas bearing apparatus comprising a cantilevered shaft, a sleeve that is fitted to said shaft so as to be freely rotatable around said shaft, and a lid that is fixed onto one end of said sleeve, wherein one or more intake holes having filters thereon are provided on said sleeve or lid, and dynamic pressure generating grooves that force gas from said intake holes toward the fixed end side of said shaft are provided on the outer surface of said shaft or the inner surface of said sleeve.

4. A self acting gas bearing apparatus comprising a cantilevered shaft, a sleeve member that is fitted to said shaft so as to be freely rotatable around said shaft, and a lid member that is fixed onto one end of said sleeve, wherein one or more intake holes having filters thereon are provided on one of said members in the vicinity of the free end side of said shaft, and dynamic pressure generating grooves that force gas from said intake holes toward the fixed end side of said shaft are provided on the inner surface of said sleeve.

5. A self acting gas bearing apparatus comprising a cantilevered shaft, a sleeve member that is fitted to said shaft so as to be freely rotatable around said shaft, and a lid member that is fixed onto one end of said sleeve, wherein first dynamic pressure generating grooves that force gas toward the free end side of said shaft are provided in the vicinity of the free end side of said shaft on the inner surface of said sleeve, second dynamic pressure generating grooves that force gas toward the fixed end side of said shaft are provided in the vicinity of the fixed end side of said shaft on the inner surface of said sleeve, and one or more intake holes having filters thereon are provided in an intermediate section between said first and second dynamic pressure generating grooves, one of said members having one or more vent holes in the vicinity of the free end side of said shaft that is provided with said first dynamic pressure generating grooves.