US 11,885,341 B2
Rotor support and vacuum pump with such a rotor support
Nigel Paul Schofield, Burgess Hill (GB)
Assigned to Edwards Limited, Burgess Hill (GB)
Appl. No. 17/617,795
Filed by Edwards Limited, Burgess Hill (GB)
PCT Filed Jun. 2, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/065222
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 9, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/249431, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 17, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 1908277 (GB), filed on Jun. 10, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0235778 A1, Jul. 28, 2022
Int. Cl. F04D 19/04 (2006.01); F04D 29/059 (2006.01); F04D 29/66 (2006.01)
CPC F04D 19/042 (2013.01) [F04D 29/059 (2013.01); F04D 29/668 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A rotor support configured to rotatably mount a rotor shaft in a vacuum pump, said rotor support comprising:
a rolling bearing for rotatably supporting said shaft;
an insert and at least one resilient damping member, said insert and said at least one resilient damping member surrounding said rolling bearing; wherein
said insert comprises inner and outer annular portions connected by a plurality of flexible members, said plurality of flexible members being configured to flex in a radial plane and resist movement in an axial plane, thereby absorbing radial movement of said shaft; and
said at least one resilient damping member is formed of an elastomeric material configured to flex in both a radial and axial direction; wherein
said at least one resilient damping member is configured to support said insert and is in at least one of the following configurations with said insert:
at least one of said at least one resilient damping member is located between said inner annular portion of said insert and said rolling bearing; and
said outer annular portion of said insert is located between at least one of said at least one resilient damping member and said rolling bearing.