A half thrust bearing includes a sliding surface for receiving an axial force of a crankshaft of an engine, and a rear surface on an opposite side thereto. The sliding surface includes a flat surface portion near a circumferentially central portion, and two inclined flat surface portions on both circumferential sides of the flat surface portion. The axial distance between the rear surface and the sliding surface is maximum at the flat surface portion. At any radial positions, the axial distance in each inclined flat surface portion is maximum on a circumferentially central portion side and is reduced toward a circumferential end portion of the half thrust bearing. Each inclined flat surface portion is arranged to form one constant thickness portion extending linearly from a radially inner end to a radially outer end at a circumferential angle of 45.

A hydrodynamic plain bearing having a stator and a rotor rotatable with respect to the stator, a rotor bearing surface being located opposite a counter-surface of the stator in order to generate hydrodynamic pressure. The rotor bearing surface and/or the counter-surface constitutes in a section view, in the context of a section along and through the rotation axis, a continuous bearing contour that is constituted from at least two contour segments. The contour segments are suitable for generating hydrodynamic load capacity in a radial and axial direction. The contour segments are led into one another, by at least one transition segment, in such a way that hydrodynamic load capacity is generatable via the contour segments and the transition segment. The plain bearing is embodied as a multiple-surface plain bearing having two or more lubrication wedges in the region of the contour segments and of the transition segment.

An axial bearing may include a body having a disk-form configuration, a centrally disposed passage opening extending axially into the body structured to receive a shaft, and at least one circular segmental oil pocket opening towards the passage opening. The at least one oil pocket, in both circumferential directions relative to the body, may transition into a plateau surface section directly adjoining the at least one oil pocket.

A thrust bearing, particularly for a turbocharger, having unique configurations on the thrust pad faces, including free-form curvatures or non-linear configurations defined by a geometric equation. The thrust pad faces can be configured by a programmed linear actuator system and cutting tool.

A thrust washer for an internal combustion engine may include a body. The body may have a slip surface and a planar contact surface associated with an engine block. The slip surface may have a surface profile the may include at least one ramp section, at least one flat horizontal section, and at least one oil channel. The at least one ramp section and the at least one flat horizontal section may be connected via an asymptotic curve. The at least one ramp section may extend asymptotically toward the at least one flat horizontal section. The at least one ramp section may have an angular length of 45 or less, the at least one flat horizontal section may have an angular length of 45 or less, and the at least one oil channel may have an angular length of 20 or less.

Provided is a bearing structure, including: a thrust bearing surface having a through hole for allowing a shaft to be inserted therethrough; a plurality of land portions, which are formed on the thrust bearing surface, and are separated apart from each other in a rotation direction of the shaft; a tapered portion, which is formed between the plurality of land portions on the thrust bearing surface, and has a projection height in an insertion direction of the shaft which becomes higher toward a forward side in the rotation direction; and a thrust groove, which is formed in the tapered portion, and extends from the through hole to a radially inner side of an outer peripheral end of the tapered portion.

A slide surface of a thrust bearing includes a planar portion, a taper portion, and a pocket portion. The pocket portion includes a bottom surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface. The first side surface is formed on the side of the taper portion. The second side surface is formed on a side opposed to the first side surface. A depth from the plane of the planar portion to the thinnest portion of the taper portion is between 10 m and 80 m. A first angle that is an angle between a virtual surface obtained by extending the bottom surface and the second side surface is between 90 and 120. And a second angle that is an angle between a virtual surface obtained by extending the first side surface and the tapered surface is between 60 and 120.

A drive assembly for a torque converter is provided. The drive assembly includes a turbine; a damper assembly fixed to a first side of the turbine by connectors; and a hydrodynamic bearing fixed to a second side of the turbine opposite the first side. The hydrodynamic bearing includes at least one recess formed therein receiving ends of the connectors. A method of forming a drive assembly is also provided. The method includes fixing a damper assembly cover plate to a first side of a turbine via connectors; and fixing a hydrodynamic bearing to a second side of the turbine opposite the first side. The hydrodynamic bearing including at least one recess formed therein receiving an ends the connectors. A torque converter is also provided.

A thrust bearing includes two physically separate one-piece segments. At least one segment has a wedge-shaped surface serving as a sliding surface. An alternative thrust bearing includes precisely one segment of a one-piece design. The segment is interrupted along its course around an axis of rotation of the thrust bearing. The segment has a wedge-shaped surface serving as a sliding surface.

A half thrust bearing having a semi-annular shape includes a sliding surface for receiving an axial force of a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, and a rear surface on an opposite side of the sliding surface, and defines a reference plane on the rear surface side that is perpendicular to an axial direction. The sliding surface includes a flat surface portion near a circumferentially central portion and in parallel with the reference plane, and inclined surface portions on both sides of the flat surface portion in a circumferential direction. At any radial positions of the half thrust bearing, an axial distance between the reference plane and the sliding surface is maximum at the flat surface portion, and is reduced in the inclined surface portions toward both circumferential end portions of the half thrust bearing.