Proposal of lightweight and low starting torque slide bearing with looped carbon fibers brush

Abstract

This paper addresses a novel lightweight and low starting torque bearing with looped carbon fiber brush (LCFB). LCFB simulates bristle of living being. Moreover, the static friction coefficient is nearly equal to the kinetic friction coefficient. By applying LCFB to a slide bearings, where a shaft is supported by multiple LCFBs, it is realized low starting torque bearings as well as lightness compared to conventional ball bearings. In this paper, we manufacture prototype LCFB slide bearings. With the bearings, we compare friction torque between LCFB slide bearings, slide bearings and deep groove ball bearings. As results, the ratio of starting torque to regular torque of LCFB slide bearing is from 0.93 to 1.07 which is smaller than that of the slide bearing. When micro-spline shaft is used as a mating material of LCFB slide bearing, the torque reduces because of decrease of real contact area between LCFB and mating materials. In addition, since LCFB utilize elastic deformation of fibers, LCFB slide bearings are not endurable in heavy radial load as high as load rating of ball bearing. Therefore, we define the load capacity of LCFB slide bearing from buckling load of a carbon fiber bundle to avoid overload state. We propose the load capacity as a design guideline of LCFB slide bearings.