초록

A foil-fluid bearing assembly adapted for supporting a shaft within an outer bearing housing and is adapted for accommodating angular misalignment of the rotating shaft relative to the housing.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A foil-fluid bearing assembly for use in a housing, the assembly comprising: a bearing sleeve, disposed between a rotating shaft and the housing, such that an clearance gap, adapted for receiving a support fluid therein, is provided between the rotating shaft and the be

The invention claimed is: 1. A foil-fluid bearing assembly for use in a housing, the assembly comprising: a bearing sleeve, disposed between a rotating shaft and the housing, such that an clearance gap, adapted for receiving a support fluid therein, is provided between the rotating shaft and the bearing sleeve; a foil element being disposed within the clearance gap; at least two independently-deflectable elastic supports supporting the bearing sleeve within the housing, disposed between the bearing sleeve and the housing; and the first elastic support being radially stiffer than the second elastic support. 2. The foil-fluid bearing assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least two elastic supports comprise three supports including a central support being stiffer than two opposing end supports. 3. The foil-fluid bearing assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein the two opposing end supports have substantially the same stiffness. 4. The foil-fluid bearing assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least two elastic supports are disposed and retained in respective recesses in the bearing sleeve. 5. The foil-fluid bearing assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least two elastic supports are deflectable independently from foil element movement. 6. The foil fluid bearing assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least two elastic supports are contiguously disposed around an interface between the bearing sleeve and the housing. 7. The foil fluid bearing assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least two elastic supports and the bearing sleeve facilitate rotational flexibility of the bearing sleeve about an axis perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the shaft. 8. A foil-fluid bearing assembly adapted for rotatably supporting a shaft within a bearing housing, the foil-fluid bearing assembly comprising: a bearing sleeve having an outer surface and an inner surface defining an inner race, said inner race sized to receive a rotating shaft therewithin and maintain a substantially annular clearance gap between said rotating shaft and said inner surface, the bearing sleeve adapted, in use, to direct a pressurized support fluid to substantially fill said clearance gap and thereby rotatably support said shaft; a foil element circumferentially disposed between said inner race and said shaft; and a bearing support disposed between the outer surface of the bearing, sleeve and the bearing housing, the bearing support having three independently-deflectable elastic support elements arranged with a central support element between two end support elements, said central support element being radially stiffer than the end support elements. 9. The foil-fluid bearing assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein the central support element is substantially disposed at an axial midpoint of the bearing sleeve. 10. The foil-fluid bearing assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein the central support element is disposed substantially equidistantly between the end support elements. 11. The foil-fluid bearing assembly defined in claim 8, wherein the end support elements are disposed adjacent opposing ends of the bearing sleeve. 12. The foil-fluid bearing assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein the end support elements have substantially the same stiffness. 13. The foil-fluid bearing assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein the elastic support elements are disposed and retained in respective recesses in the bearing sleeve. 14. The foil-fluid bearing assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein the elastic support elements are deflectable independently from foil element movement. 15. The foil fluid bearing assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein the elastic support elements are contiguously disposed between the bearing sleeve and the bearing housing.