Patent ID: 7466052

Claim:
A radial bearing assembly comprising: a radially inner component having an axis, wherein the radially inner component is a rotating component and is adapted to receive a supplemental load; a radially outer component, wherein the radially inner component is disposed for relative rotation within the radially outer component around the axis, wherein: (a) the radially outer component is a stationary component; (b) at least one of the radially inner component and the radially outer component comprises a magnetic source and the other component comprises a highly magnetically permeable material; (c) the radially inner component and the radially outer component are positioned to provide at least one annular gap across which a magnetic field, formed from the magnetic moment, imparts a magnetic attractive force between the radially inner component and the radially outer component; and (d) the radially outer component has a reduced annular height at its lower quadrant such that the at least one annular gap is wider at the bottom quadrant than at the top quadrant; a set of mechanical bearings coupled to the radially inner component and the radially outer component for allowing relative rotation between the radially inner component and the radially outer component and for axially aligning the radially inner component and the radially outer component, wherein the radially inner component and the radially outer component are configured to exert against the set of mechanical bearings a first load in a first direction opposing gravity exerted across the at least one annular gap and against the supplemental load received by the radially inner component; and means, attached to the radially inner component, for accepting a supplemental component providing the supplemental load on the radially inner component in a second direction opposite the first direction to oppose the first load.