Patent ID: 7108488
Filing Date: 2006-09-19
Classification: F16C

Abstract:
1. A hydrodynamic foil bearing assembly installable as a unit into a turbocharger, and comprising: a foil thrust bearing assembly comprising an annular thrust disk and a pair of annular foil thrust bearings respectively disposed adjacent opposite faces of the thrust disk; and a foil journal bearing assembly comprising a pair of annular journal bearing carriers mounting a journal foil assembly along an inner surface of each annular bearing carrier, the annular bearing carriers respectively disposed on opposite sides of the foil thrust bearing assembly with the annular bearing carriers being connected to each other so as to capture the foil thrust bearing assembly therebetween, each annular bearing carrier having an outer diameter greater than an outer diameter of the thrust bearing assembly such that the thrust bearing assembly does not project radially outward beyond the outer diameters of the annular bearing carriers.