Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corporation

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Rencol Limited

Florian Foerster

Paul Haines

Hans-Juergen Jaeger

Vincent Dimartino

Jan Fluegge

Martin Schwiegel

Baltasar R Garcia

Sebastian Giesen

Mehmet Usta

Jiri Zlebek

Juergen Freese

Daniel Tobias

Juan Vaya Valcarce

Emre Ulbay

A bearing including a sidewall including an electrically conductive substrate, and an electrically non-conductive or low-conductive sliding layer coupled to the substrate, where the sidewall includes at least one circumferential rib feature protruding radially inward or radially outward from a bore defining a central axis, where the at least one circumferential rib feature has an aspect ratio between a circumferential length and an axial width of at least 2:1, where the circumferential rib feature is adapted to contact an opposing component such that at a point of contact the bearing has a void area free of sliding layer so as to provide electrical conductivity between the bearing and the opposing component.

Electrically conductive bearing with rib and method of making and using the same

A bearing including a generally cylindrical sidewall including an electrically conductive substrate, and an electrically non-conductive or low-conductive sliding layer coupled to the substrate, where the generally cylindrical sidewall includes a plurality of protrusions protruding radially inward or radially outward from a bore defining a central axis, where at least one protrusion is adapted to contact an opposing component such that at a point of contact the bearing has a void area free of sliding layer so as to provide electrical conductivity between the bearing and the opposing component, and wherein at least one protrusion has a spring rate of not greater than 30 kN/mm, such as not greater than 25 kN/mm, such as not greater than 15 kN/mm, or such as not greater than 10 kN/mm.

Electrically conductive bearings

Growing community of inventors

Duisburg, Germany

Florian Foerster