Bearing with visco-metal layers reactive to increase dynamically clearance and minimum oil film thickness

Abstract

A bearing supporting a non-homogeneously or homogeneously loaded rotating component of a motor vehicle engine includes a plurality of bearing portions joined together and forming a substantially cylindrical outer surface and a substantially cylindrical center bore, the substantially cylindrical central bore surrounding and supporting the non-homogeneously or homogeneously loaded rotating component. The bearing having a plurality of bearing layers made of different materials unevenly distributed about a circumference and along a longitudinal axis of the bearing, the bearing layers reactively ovalizing in response to loads imparted by the non-homogeneously or homogeneously rotating components, and changing a minimum lubricating fluid thickness on a portion of the substantially cylindrical central bore that ovalizes in response to transient local loads imparted by the non-homogeneously or homogeneously loaded rotating component.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A bearing supporting a non-homogeneously or homogeneously loaded rotating component of a motor vehicle engine comprises:
 a plurality of bearing portions joined together and forming a substantially cylindrical outer surface and a substantially cylindrical center bore, the substantially cylindrical central bore surrounding and supporting the non-homogeneously or homogeneously loaded rotating component; 
 a lubricating fluid supplied to the multi-layer bearing and forming a lubricating film between the substantially cylindrical central bore and the non-homogeneously or homogeneously loaded rotating component; 
 the bearing having a plurality of bearing layers unevenly distributed about a circumference and along a longitudinal axis of the bearing; 
 wherein the bearing layers reactively ovalize and alter a minimum lubricating fluid thickness on a portion of the substantially cylindrical central bore that ovalizes in response to transient local loads imparted by the non-homogeneously or homogeneously loaded rotating component. 
 
     
     
       2. The bearing of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of bearing portions include a first or lower bearing portion joined to a second or upper bearing portion, the plurality of bearing layers further comprising a first bearing layer disposed radially inward of and overtop a second bearing layer, the second bearing layer disposed radially inward of and overtop a third bearing layer, the third bearing layer disposed radially inward of and overtop a fourth bearing layer. 
     
     
       3. The bearing of  claim 2  wherein the first bearing layer comprises a coating layer forming the substantially cylindrical central bore, the coating layer directly supporting and in contact with the non-homogeneously or homogeneously loaded rotating component. 
     
     
       4. The bearing of  claim 2  wherein the second bearing layer comprises one or more hard viscoplastic or viscoelastic material and a metal insert or metal layer. 
     
     
       5. The bearing of  claim 2  wherein the third bearing layer comprises one or more hard viscoplastic or viscoelastic material, and is unevenly distributed about the circumference and along the longitudinal axis of the bearing, and wherein the third bearing layer has a non-uniform thickness. 
     
     
       6. The bearing of  claim 5  wherein the third bearing layer comprises a plurality of thickened smooth lobate areas at predetermined locations of peak transient load. 
     
     
       7. The bearing of  claim 6  wherein the fourth bearing layer comprises a metallic bearing substrate, the metallic bearing substrate forming the substantially cylindrical outer surface, the metallic bearing substrate unevenly distributed about the circumference and along the longitudinal axis of the bearing, the fourth bearing layer having a non-uniform thickness, and the fourth bearing layer having a plurality of wells receiving the plurality of thickened smooth lobate areas. 
     
     
       8. The bearing of  claim 2  wherein in combination, the third bearing layer and the fourth bearing layer have a substantially cylindrical shape. 
     
     
       9. The bearing of  claim 1  wherein the reactively ovalizing bearing layers increase a clearance at predetermined locations about the circumference and along the longitudinal axis of the bearing. 
     
     
       10. The bearing of  claim 9  wherein the increased clearance further comprises a localized increased minimum oil film thickness or fluid lubricating film thickness at the predetermined locations about the circumference and along the longitudinal axis of the bearing. 
     
     
       11. A multi-layer bearing supporting a non-homogeneously or homogeneously loaded rotating component of a motor vehicle engine comprises:
 a first or upper bearing portion joined to a second or lower bearing portion, the first and second bearing portions forming a substantially cylindrical outer surface and a substantially cylindrical center bore, the substantially cylindrical central bore surrounding and supporting the non-homogeneously or homogeneously loaded rotating component; 
 a lubricating fluid supplied to the multi-layer bearing and forming a lubricating film between the substantially cylindrical central bore and the non-homogeneously or homogeneously loaded rotating component; 
 the multi-layer bearing having a first bearing layer disposed radially inward of and overtop a second bearing layer, the second bearing layer disposed radially inward of and overtop a third bearing layer, the third bearing layer disposed radially inward of and overtop a fourth bearing layer, at least two of the first, second, third and fourth bearing layers having variable thicknesses distributed unevenly about a circumference and along a longitudinal axis of the multi-layer bearing; wherein the variable thicknesses of the at least two of the first, second, third, and fourth bearing layers reactively locally ovalize and alter a minimum lubricating fluid thickness on a portion of the substantially cylindrical central bore that ovalizes in response to transient loads imparted by the non-homogeneously or homogeneously loaded rotating component. 
 
     
     
       12. The bearing of  claim 11  wherein the first or upper bearing layer comprises a metallic coating or spray powder multi-chemical component coating layer forming the substantially cylindrical central bore, the coating layer directly supporting and in contact with the non-homogeneously or homogeneously loaded rotating component. 
     
     
       13. The bearing of  claim 11  wherein the second or lower bearing layer comprises one or more hard viscoplastic or viscoelastic material and a metal insert or metal layer. 
     
     
       14. The bearing of  claim 11  wherein the third bearing layer comprises one or more hard viscoplastic or viscoelastic material unevenly distributed about the circumference and along the longitudinal axis of the bearing. 
     
     
       15. The bearing of  claim 11  wherein the third bearing layer comprises a plurality of thickened smooth lobate areas at predetermined locations of peak transient load. 
     
     
       16. The bearing of  claim 15  wherein the fourth bearing layer comprises a metallic bearing substrate, the metallic bearing substrate forming the substantially cylindrical outer surface, the metallic bearing substrate unevenly distributed about the circumference and along the longitudinal axis of the bearing and the fourth bearing layer having a plurality of wells receiving the plurality of thickened smooth lobate areas at the predetermined locations of peak load. 
     
     
       17. The bearing of  claim 11  wherein in combination, the third bearing layer and the fourth bearing layer have a substantially cylindrical shape. 
     
     
       18. The bearing of  claim 11  wherein the reactively ovalizing bearing layers increase a clearance at predetermined locations about the circumference and along the longitudinal axis of the bearing. 
     
     
       19. The bearing of  claim 18  wherein the increased clearance further comprises a localized increased minimum oil film thickness or fluid lubricating film thickness at the predetermined locations about the circumference and along the longitudinal axis of the bearing. 
     
     
       20. A multi-layer bearing supporting a non-homogeneously or homogeneously loaded rotating component of a motor vehicle engine comprises:
 a first or upper bearing portion joined to a second or lower bearing portion, the first or upper and second or lower bearing portions forming a substantially cylindrical outer surface and a substantially cylindrical center bore, the substantially cylindrical central bore surrounding and supporting the non-homogeneously or homogeneously loaded rotating component; 
 a lubricating fluid supplied to the multi-layer bearing and forming a lubricating film between the substantially cylindrical central bore and the non-homogeneously or homogeneously loaded rotating component; 
 a plurality of bearing layers; 
 a first of the plurality of bearing layers being a metallic coating or spray powder multi-chemical component coating bearing layer forming the substantially cylindrical bore, directly supporting and in contact with the non-homogeneously or homogeneously loaded rotating component, and the first metallic coating or spray powder multi-chemical component coating bearing layer disposed radially inward of and overtop a second of the plurality of bearing layers; 
 the second of the plurality of bearing layers composed of one or more hard viscoplastic or viscoelastic material and a metal insert, the second of the plurality of bearing layers disposed radially inward of and overtop a third of the plurality of bearing layers; 
 the third of the plurality of bearing layers composed of one or more hard viscoplastic or viscoelastic material, the third of the plurality of bearing layers disposed radially inward of and overtop a fourth of the plurality of bearing layers; 
 the fourth bearing layer including a steel bearing substrate forming the substantially cylindrical outer surface of the bearing; and 
 at least two of the plurality of bearing layers having variable thicknesses distributed unevenly about a circumference and along a longitudinal axis of the multi-layer bearing, one of the at least two of the plurality of bearing layers having a plurality of thickened smooth lobate areas at predetermined locations of peak transient load, another of the at least two of the plurality of bearing layers having a plurality of wells receiving the plurality of thickened smooth lobate areas at the predetermined locations of peak load, the variable thicknesses of the at least two of the plurality of bearing layers reactively ovalizing in response to transient local loads imparted by the non-homogeneously or homogeneously loaded rotating component, and the reactively ovalizing bearing layers increasing a clearance at predetermined locations about the circumference and along the longitudinal axis of the bearing and increase minimum oil film thickness or fluid lubricating film thickness at the predetermined locations about the circumference and along the longitudinal axis of the bearing.