Patent ID: 8500331

Claim:
An air foil bearing for supporting a shaft by an air layer formed between a substantially circular inner surface of a housing and the shaft, the air foil bearing comprising: a top foil formed into a substantially circular shape having one or more sets of top foil orifice holes, wherein each set of top foil orifice holes comprise at least three top foil orifice holes along a circumference of the circular-shaped top foil; an orifice tube for each set of top foil orifice holes, wherein the orifice tube comprises (a) a flat side having a set of tube orifice holes such that each tube orifice hole is substantially aligned with one of the top foil orifice holes when the flat side of the orifice tube is connected to an outer surface of the top foil, (b) a closed end, (c) an open end, and (d) a bend proximate to the open end; a bump foil strip attached to the outer surface of the top foil adjacent to each side of each orifice tube; and an opening extending through the housing to receive the open end of each orifice tube.