Patent ID: 7306374

Claim:
A spherical bearing device comprising an axial shaft, at least one rotating body in the shape of a sphere having a convex surface, fixedly attached to the axial shaft, and a supporting body having a concave spherical surface, the convex surface of the rotating body being slidably fitted to the concave spherical surface of the supporting body, at least one of the axial shaft, the rotating body, and the supporting body being made of an RB or CRB ceramic, wherein the RB ceramic is obtained by mixing a degreased bran derived from rice bran with a thermosetting resin to form a first mixture, kneading the first mixture, pressure forming the kneaded first mixture, drying the formed and kneaded first mixture and firing the dried, formed and kneaded first mixture in an inert gas atmosphere at a temperature in a range of 700 to 1000° C. to form the RB ceramic and the CRB ceramic is obtained by mixing a degreased bran derived from rice bran with a thermosetting resin to form a second mixture, kneading the second mixture, subjecting the kneaded second mixture to a primary firing in an inert gas at a temperature in a range of 700 to 1000° C., pulverizing the kneaded and fired second mixture into carbonized powders, mixing the carbonized powders with a thermosetting resin to form a third mixture, kneading the third mixture, pressure-forming the kneaded third mixture at a pressure in a range of 20 to 30 MPa to provide a formed and kneaded third mixture and subjecting the formed and kneaded third mixture to a heat treatment at a temperature in a range of 100 to 1100° C. in an inert gas atmosphere to form the CRB ceramic.