US 11,933,356 B1
Continuous diamond surface bearings for sliding engagement with metal surfaces
Gregory Prevost, Spring, TX (US); and Edward C. Spatz, Spring, TX (US)
Assigned to Pi Tech Innovations LLC, Houston, TX (US)
Filed by Pi Tech Innovations LLC, Houston, TX (US)
Filed on Apr. 14, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/300,666.
Application 18/300,666 is a continuation of application No. 17/522,335, filed on Nov. 9, 2021, granted, now 11,655,850.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/111,145, filed on Nov. 9, 2020.
Int. Cl. F16C 17/02 (2006.01); F16C 25/04 (2006.01); F16C 33/04 (2006.01); F16C 33/06 (2006.01)
CPC F16C 25/04 (2013.01) [F16C 33/043 (2013.01); F16C 33/06 (2013.01); F16C 17/02 (2013.01); F16C 2206/04 (2013.01); F16C 2223/60 (2013.01); F16C 2240/54 (2013.01)] 31 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A bearing assembly, the bearing assembly comprising:
a bearing, the bearing comprising a bearing body and a first bearing surface on the bearing body;
a part, the part comprising a body and a second bearing surface on the body;
wherein one of the first and second bearing surfaces is a polycrystalline diamond bearing surface, and wherein the other of the first and second bearing surfaces is a metal bearing surface comprising a metal, the metal containing at least 2 weight percent of iron, cobalt, nickel, titanium, copper, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, chromium, manganese, or tantalum based on a total weight of the metal;
wherein the bearing is coupled with the part such that a metal contact area of the metal bearing surface is engaged with a diamond contact area of the polycrystalline diamond bearing surface and slides along the diamond contact area without contacting any boundary edges of the polycrystalline diamond bearing surface, and wherein the polycrystalline diamond bearing surface is a continuous surface along an entirety of the diamond contact area.