US Patent 9169931 Sliding component

An aspect of the invention provides a sliding component in which a phase made of liquid and a phase made of gas, which are formed in a sliding portion, are stabilized. A sliding component constitutes one of two sliding components that rotate relatively, and planar end faces of the two sliding component slide on each other. In the sliding component, a plurality of dimples is arrayed in a sliding surface such that, in a phase made of liquid and a phase made of gas, the phase made of the gas is positioned when the two components rotate relatively. The phase made of the liquid and the phase made of the gas are formed so as to revolve about rotation centers of sliding portions of the two components.