A bearing support includes at least one sliding bearing defined by the bearing support and/or at least one rolling-element bearing having an outer raceway defined by the bearing support. The bearing support is formed from a fiber-plastic composite and includes an integrally formed sliding surface of the sliding bearing and/or an integrally formed raceway for rolling elements of the rolling-element bearing, and the fiber-plastic composite includes a matrix into which spatially oriented sliding fibers, for example, PTFE fibers, are embedded in a region of the sliding surface of the sliding bearing and/or a region of the raceway of the rolling-element bearing.

The various technologies presented herein relate to fabrication and operation of a heat exchanger that is configured to extract heat from an underlying substrate. Heat can be extracted by way of an air gap formed between an impeller and a baseplate. By utilizing a pump to create an initial air gap that is further maintained by rotation of the impeller relative to the baseplate, a spring can be utilized that can apply a force of greater magnitude to the impeller than is used in a conventional approach, thus enabling the weight of the impeller to be negligible with respect to a width of the air gap, thereby conferring the desirable feature of orientation independence with respect to gravity with no performance degradation.

The various technologies presented herein relate to fabrication and operation of a heat exchanger that is configured to extract heat from an underlying substrate. Heat can be extracted by way of an air gap formed between an impeller and a baseplate. By utilizing a pump to create an initial air gap that is further maintained by rotation of the impeller relative to the baseplate, a spring can be utilized that can apply a force of greater magnitude to the impeller than is used in a conventional approach, thus enabling the weight of the impeller to be negligible with respect to a width of the air gap, thereby conferring the desirable feature of orientation independence with respect to gravity with no performance degradation.

A universal joint includes a bearing including a bearing cup fitted in a bearing hole of a yoke and rolling elements arranged between the bearing cup and a shaft portion of a cross shaft. A method for manufacturing the universal joint includes: simulating a shrunken state in which a sample bearing cup selected from bearing cups in a same lot is fitted in the bearing hole such that only an outside diameter is restrained, by press-fitting the sample bearing cup into a reference hole of a reference jig; measuring a diameter of an inscribed circle inscribed to the rolling elements in the shrunken state; setting an outside diameter of the shaft portion to a required outside diameter according to the diameter of the inscribed circle; and inserting the bearing cup with the rolling elements between the shaft portion having the required outside diameter and the bearing hole.

An ice maker includes a casing that defines a chamber. The casing extends between a top portion and a bottom portion. An extruder die is mounted to the casing at the top portion of the casing. An auger is disposed within the chamber of the casing. A radial sleeve bearing engages the auger at the extruder die. A radial and thrust bearing engages the auger at the bottom portion of the casing. A related refrigerator appliance is also provided.

An ice maker includes a casing that defines a chamber. The casing extends between a top portion and a bottom portion. An extruder die is mounted to the casing at the top portion of the casing. An auger is disposed within the chamber of the casing. A radial sleeve bearing engages the auger at the extruder die. A radial and thrust bearing engages the auger at the bottom portion of the casing. A related refrigerator appliance is also provided.

A drive train of a wind turbine is disclosed as having a rotatable hub, a gearbox, a rotatable rotor shaft extending between the rotatable hub and the gearbox, and a main bearing assembly supporting the rotatable rotor shaft, the main bearing assembly having a main bearing housing enclosing one or more compound bearings, each of the one or more compound bearings having at least two axial thrust bearings and a radial bearing.

A drive train of a wind turbine is disclosed as having a rotatable hub, a gearbox, a rotatable rotor shaft extending between the rotatable hub and the gearbox, and a main bearing assembly supporting the rotatable rotor shaft, the main bearing assembly having a main bearing housing enclosing one or more compound bearings, each of the one or more compound bearings having at least two axial thrust bearings and a radial bearing.

A gas turbine engine comprises a gearbox comprising a sun gear, an annulus gear, a plurality of planet gears and a planet gear carrier. The sun gear meshes with the planet gears and the planet gears mesh with the annulus gear. Each planet gear is rotatably mounted in the planet gear carrier. The planet gear carrier comprises a plurality of axles arranged parallel to the axis of the gearbox. The axially spaced ends of each axle are secured to the planet gear carrier. Each planet gear is rotatably mounted on a corresponding one of the axles by a bearing arrangement. Each bearing arrangement comprises a journal bearing and a rolling element bearing and each planet gear is rotatably mounted on a journal bearing and each journal bearing is rotatably mounted on an axle by at least one rolling element bearing.

A gas turbine engine comprises a gearbox comprising a sun gear, an annulus gear, a plurality of planet gears and a planet gear carrier. The sun gear meshes with the planet gears and the planet gears mesh with the annulus gear. Each planet gear is rotatably mounted in the planet gear carrier. The planet gear carrier comprises a plurality of axles arranged parallel to the axis of the gearbox. The axially spaced ends of each axle are secured to the planet gear carrier. Each planet gear is rotatably mounted on a corresponding one of the axles by a bearing arrangement. Each bearing arrangement comprises a journal bearing and a rolling element bearing and each planet gear is rotatably mounted on a journal bearing and each journal bearing is rotatably mounted on an axle by at least one rolling element bearing.