Patent ID: 6626573
Filing Date: 2003-09-30
Classification: B63H,F16C,Y10S

Abstract:
A bearing assembly for holding a shaft, said bearing assembly comprising:an outer shell having a central opening with a central axis and an inner surface defined by a central opening; and at least one bearing element disposed on said inner surface for contacting and supporting the shaft, said bearing element having a discontinuous surface with a plurality of discrete, separated contact locations tangentially contacting the shaft including means to create dynamic lubricant trapping pockets; said lubricant, said means formed on said contact locations from the plasto-elastohydrodynamic lubrication effect in response to the rotation of a shaft relative to said bearing element in a fluid lubricant; said bearing element being comprised of a thermoplastic rubber polymer alloy, said alloy including a thermoplastic plastic having a toughness of at least 20 foot-pound/inch based on an Izod un-notched impact test, a breakaway coefficient of static friction at 0 rpm of no greater than 0.25, a wear resistance for passing the sand slurry abrasion test, and a thermoset rubber compound for adding sufficient flexibility to said bearing element to enable said bearing element to develop hydrodynamic lubrication in order to support said shaft with minimum system wear, wherein the system wear comprises bearing and shaft wear.