As gantry speeds experienced in CT scanners increase, so too does the radial load force exerted on components attached to the gantry. A self-lubricating sliding bearing used inside a rotary X-Ray source of a CT scanner is particularly susceptible to increasing radial load force, because in operation, a self-lubricating bearing floats on a film of liquid lubricant. Thus, the radial load force will tend to act on the floating portion of the bearing to develop an eccentricity in the longitudinal axis of the floating portion of the bearing as compared to the longitudinal axis of the stationary part of the bearing. The eccentricity will eventually cause the floating portion of the bearing to contact the stationary part of the bearing in operation, thus limiting the load carrying characteristic of the self-lubricating sliding bearing. Accordingly, the present application proposes a modification to the design of a self-lubricating sliding bearing, in which the pumping pattern of the bearing is reduced or removed at special portions within the bearing, to thus compensate for the effect of the radial load force.

A bearing system and method may include a bearing element that may have a first surface. A mating element may have a second surface that may face the first surface. A fluid film interface may be defined between the first and the second surfaces. The mating element may rotate about an axis and relative to the bearing element. An axial direction may be defined parallel to the axis. A radial direction may be defined perpendicular to the axis. The first surface may have a profile that may vary in the axial direction and that may varies in the radial direction. The profile may direct a fluid present in the fluid film interface in a direction or directions having circumferential and/or axial components.

A bearing structure for an X-ray tube is provided that includes a journal bearing shaft with a radially protruding thrust bearing encased within a bearing sleeve, one of which rotates relative to the other. The stationary component, e.g., the journal bearing and/or the thrust bearing includes at least one vent groove formed therein that improves the ability of the journal bearing structure to enable gases trapped by the liquid metal within the bearing assembly to escape through the vent groove to the exterior of the X-ray tube. By adding a strategically located channel or vent groove of sufficient size in at least one of the journal bearing or the thrust bearing, the pressures resisted by the seal created between the liquid metal and the vent groove(s) in the bearing components is significantly reduced, allowing escape of the gases to avoid detrimental effects to the operation of the X-ray tube, while maintaining the load carrying capacity of the bearing assembly.

A ratio W1/W2 of a circumferential width W1 of each of inclined hill portions G2 of a radial dynamic pressure generating portion G and a circumferential width W2 of each of inclined groove portions G3 is 1.2 or larger. And when an inner diameter of a bearing member is D, the circumferential width W2 of each of the inclined groove portions satisfies 0.2D≦W2≦0.4D.

A liquid guiding structure for a fluid dynamic pressure bearing, comprising: a fluid dynamic pressure bearing having an inner recess chamber and a liquid guiding trench which is formed between two sides of the inner recess chamber so as to form a circular close liquid guiding structure; wherein the liquid guiding trench includes at least two small V shape paths and at least one large V shape path; the large V shape path is larger than the small V shape paths and is located between the at least two small V shape paths. First angles at tip ends of the at least two small V shape paths are equal. A second angle between connections of the small V shape path and a respective large V shape path is larger than the first angle at tip ends of the at least two small V shape paths.

A mechanical component, a mechanism module, a movement, and a timepiece superior in lubricating oil retaining performance are to be provided. A mechanical component includes: a first component having a first surface region; a second component having a second surface region on which the first surface region can slide; and an oil retaining film formed on at least one of the first surface region and the second surface region and more lipophilic than the region.

The disclosure relates to a bearing system for a drive turbine of a rotary atomizer, having a rotatable turbine shaft for receiving a bell cup which is used for spraying off the paint, and having a radial bearing for rotatably supporting the turbine shaft. The disclosure provides that the radial bearing has at least one foil bearing or a spiral groove bearing.

A sliding component includes: a dynamic pressure generation groove provided in a sliding surface of the sliding component, the dynamic pressure generation groove having a first end forming a closed end and a second end forming an inlet communicating with any one side of a sealed fluid side and a leakage side in a radial direction; and a deep groove provided in the sliding surface and deeper than the dynamic pressure generation groove, an inlet 16a of the deep groove communicating with an inlet of the dynamic pressure generation groove on a side of a side wall of the dynamic pressure generation groove, the side wall being circumferentially opposite to a dynamic pressure generation wall constituting another side wall of the dynamic pressure generation groove.

A turbocharger includes a rolling bearing including at least one rolling element for rotatably supporting a rotational shaft, a bearing support cylinder located on a radially outer side relative to the rolling bearing, for supporting the rolling bearing, and a housing located on the radially outer side relative to the bearing support cylinder, for covering a circumference of the bearing support cylinder. Between an outer circumferential surface of the bearing support cylinder and an inner circumferential surface of the housing, a gap for forming an oil film by inflow of lubricant oil is provided. At least one of the outer circumferential surface of the bearing support cylinder and the inner circumferential surface of the housing includes an oil film holding portion for suppressing outflow of the lubricant oil from the gap. The oil film holding portion is a protrusion disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the bearing support cylinder, or a recess or the protrusion disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the housing.

A turbocharger includes a rolling bearing including at least one rolling element for rotatably supporting a rotational shaft, a bearing support cylinder located on a radially outer side relative to the rolling bearing, for supporting the rolling bearing, and a housing located on the radially outer side relative to the bearing support cylinder, for covering a circumference of the bearing support cylinder. Between an outer circumferential surface of the bearing support cylinder and an inner circumferential surface of the housing, a gap for forming an oil film by inflow of lubricant oil is provided. At least one of the outer circumferential surface of the bearing support cylinder and the inner circumferential surface of the housing includes an oil film holding portion for suppressing outflow of the lubricant oil from the gap. The oil film holding portion is a protrusion disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the bearing support cylinder, or a recess or the protrusion disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the housing.