Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
173 words
A fluid bearing comprising: a sleeve having a radial inner peripheral surface and an end portion with a thrust bottom face; and a journal having a radial outer peripheral surface opposing said radial inner peripheral surface of the sleeve, and an end portion with a thrust end face opposing said thrust bottom face; one of said sleeve and said journal being mounted to rotate relative to the other with a predetermined clearance between said radial outer peripheral surface and said inner peripheral surface; a magnetic retaining force means for magnetically supporting said rotatable one of the sleeve and the journal forming a predetermined gap between said thrust bottom face of the sleeve and said thrust end face of the journal; said end portion of one of the sleeve and the journal including a porous body having fluid permeability characteristics effective to discharge gas from the predetermined gap between said thrust bottom face and said thrust end face at a rate effective for preventing fluctuations between the sleeve and the journal during relative rotation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
173 words
A fluid bearing comprising: a sleeve having a radial inner peripheral surface and an end portion with a thrust bottom face; and a journal having a radial outer peripheral surface opposing said radial inner peripheral surface of the sleeve, and an end portion with a thrust end face opposing said thrust bottom face; one of said sleeve and said journal being mounted to rotate relative to the other with a predetermined clearance between said radial outer peripheral surface and said inner peripheral surface; a magnetic retaining force means for magnetically supporting said rotatable one of the sleeve and the journal forming a predetermined gap between said thrust bottom face of the sleeve and said thrust end face of the journal; said end portion of one of the sleeve and the journal including a porous body having fluid permeability characteristics effective to discharge gas from the predetermined gap between said thrust bottom face and said thrust end face at a rate effective for preventing fluctuations between the sleeve and the journal during relative rotation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
91 words
The fluid bearing according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic retaining force means includes a permanent magnet disposed along an outer circumferential surface of said sleeve, and means for generating a revolving magnetic field including a stator arranged to surround said permanent magnet across a second predetermined clearance for attracting said permanent magnet to said stator by magnetic force; and the predetermined gap between said thrust bottom face and said thrust end face is not less than approximately 0.5 mm when there is no relative rotation between the sleeve and journal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
The fluid bearing according to claim 1, wherein said sleeve is rotatable and the predetermined clearance between said radial inner peripheral surface and said outer peripheral surface defines an inlet for a fluid adjacent an end portion of said journal opposite said thrust end face.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The fluid bearing according to claim 3, wherein the end portion of said sleeve is said porous body.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
The fluid bearing according to claim 3, wherein the end portion of said sleeve is defined by a peripheral boundary and said porous body is disposed centrally in said end portion radially spaced from the peripheral boundary.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
The fluid bearing according to claim 3, wherein said journal includes a hollow portion communicating with the end portion thereof, the end portion of said sleeve is closed, and the end portion of said journal includes said porous body.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
The fluid bearing according to claim 1, wherein said journal is rotatable and the predetermined clearance between said radial inner peripheral surface and said outer peripheral surface defines an inlet for a fluid adjacent an end portion of said journal opposite said thrust end face.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The fluid bearing according to claim 7, wherein the end portion of said sleeve includes said porous body.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
The fluid bearing according to claim 1, wherein the radial outer peripheral surface includes a groove therein for producing dynamic pressure effective to introduce a fluid into the predetermined clearance between said radial inner peripheral surface and said radial outer peripheral surface.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The fluid bearing according to claim 9, wherein said sleeve is rotatable and the end portion of said sleeve includes said porous body.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
The fluid bearing according to claim 9, wherein said sleeve is rotatable, said journal includes a hollow portion communicating with the end portion thereof, the end portion of said sleeve is closed, and the end portion of said journal includes said porous body.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
The fluid bearing according to claim 9, wherein said journal is rotatable and the end portion of said sleeve includes said porous body.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
14 words
The fluid bearing according to claim 1, wherein said porous body is sintered bronze.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
The fluid bearing according to claim 1, wherein said porous body is sintered stainless steel.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
13 words
The fluid bearing according to claim 1, wherein said porous body is ceramic.