Thrust ball bearing supporting orbiting rotor of air compressor has modified upper and lower races giving three-point contact with one point on lower race and two points on upper race

摘要

The lower race (9.2) of the ball bearing (9) has a shallow groove (9.2.1) shaped as an arc of a circle of larger radius (R2) than the radius (R1) of the ball (9.3). There is a single contact point (9.2.1.1) on the centerline of the groove. The upper race (9.1) has a groove (9.1.1) shaped as two circular arcs (9.1.1.1) and (9.1.1.2) meeting at an angle on the centerline (9.4). The radii (R3,R4) of these arcs are equal and greater than the radius of the ball. This gives two contact points (9.1.1.1.1) and (9.1.1.2.1) equispaced from the centerline.