Lubrication structure and transmission

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10001210-B2
Application number	US-201615046981-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2016
Priority date	Feb 19, 2015
Publication date	Jun 19, 2018
Grant date	Jun 19, 2018

Abstract

A lubrication structure includes a liquid drop splashing device and an electret portion. The liquid drop splashing device is configured to turn a lubricating liquid for lubricating machine-element components into liquid drops. The liquid drop splashing device is configured to splash the lubricating liquid turned into the liquid drops. The machine-element components configure contact parts. Each contact part is a part where corresponding adjacent machine-element components come into contact with each other. An electret portion is provided to a vicinity of each contact part. The electret portion is composed of an electret.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lubrication structure comprising:
a liquid drop splashing device configured to form a lubricating liquid used for lubricating machine-element components into liquid drops,
the liquid drop splashing device being configured to splash the lubricating liquid formed into the liquid drops, the machine-element components configuring contact parts, each contact part being a part where corresponding adjacent machine-element components come into contact with each other; and
an electret portion provided to a vicinity of each contact part, the electret portion composed of an electret.

2. The lubrication structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the electret portion has liquid-repellency relative to the lubricating liquid.

3. The lubrication structure according to claim 1 , wherein
wettability between the electret portion and the lubricating liquid is smaller than wettability between each contact part and the lubricating liquid.

4. The lubrication structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the electret portion is an electretized fluoropolymer film provided to a surface of each machine-element component.

5. The lubrication structure according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a case; and
a liquid sump,
wherein
the case houses the machine-element components,
the liquid sump is disposed to a bottom portion of the case,
the liquid sump is configured to reserve the lubricating liquid in the liquid sump,
the liquid drop splashing device is soaked in the lubricating liquid reserved in the liquid sump while the liquid drop splashing device is rotatably supported,
the liquid drop splashing device includes a rotary member, the rotary member is configured to scoop up the lubricating liquid in the liquid sump by rotation, and the rotary member is configured to splash the liquid drops inside the case.

6. The lubrication structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the liquid drop splashing device includes a liquid drop generator, and
the liquid drop generator is configured to splash the lubricating liquid in a mist state.

7. The lubrication structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the machine-element components are components included in a bearing,
the components include sliding parts at each of which corresponding adjacent components slide against each other, and
the electret portion is provided to a vicinity of each sliding part.

8. The lubrication structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the machine-element components are gears, and
the electret portion is provided to a vicinity of a meshing part between corresponding adjacent gears.

9. A transmission comprising:
a lubrication structure including a liquid drop splashing device and an electret portion,
the liquid drop splashing device being configured to turn a lubricating liquid for lubricating machine-element components into liquid drops,
the liquid drop splashing device being configured to splash the lubricating liquid turned into the liquid drops, the machine-element components configuring contact parts, each contact part being a part where corresponding adjacent machine-element components come into contact with each other, and
the electret portion being provided to a vicinity of each contact part, the electret portion composed of an electret.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ichige Keisuke
• Iritani Masanori
• Takayama Hitoshi
• Shiina Takahiro
• Tokozakura Daisuke
• Tominaga Satoshi
• Arakawa Kazuya

Classifications

• F16C33/565

  Coatings · CPC title

• F16H57/046

  Oil-mist or spray lubrication · CPC title

• F16H57/0456 Primary

  Lubrication by injection; Injection nozzles or tubes therefor (oil mist or spray lubrication F16H57/0458) · CPC title

• F16H57/0494

  with variable gear ratio or for reversing rotary motion · CPC title

• F16H57/0409 Primary

  characterised by increasing efficiency, e.g. by reducing splash losses · CPC title