Compact thrust bearing assemblies, mechanical assemblies including compact thrust bearing assemblies, and methods of providing limited rotational motion in a compact thrust bearing assembly

摘要

Compact thrust bearing assemblies, mechanical assemblies including the compact thrust bearing assemblies, and methods of providing limited rotational motion in a compact thrust bearing assembly are disclosed herein. The thrust bearing assemblies include a plurality of rigid load-bearing structures arranged in a layered stack that defines a first end and an opposed second end. The thrust bearing assemblies further include a plurality of rotation-limiting structures configured to restrict relative rotation between adjacent pairs of rigid load-bearing structures. The thrust bearing assemblies also include a first load-receiving surface configured to receive a first thrust load and a second load-receiving surface configured to receive a second thrust load. The methods include methods of providing limited rotational motion in a thrust bearing assembly.