Vented gear spline lubrication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10260615-B2
Application number	US-201514961086-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2015
Priority date	Dec 7, 2015
Publication date	Apr 16, 2019
Grant date	Apr 16, 2019

Abstract

A gearbox assembly includes an outer housing and a gear box shaft at least partially disposed in the outer housing. The gear box shaft includes an interior region and a reservoir dam that separates the interior region into a reservoir volume and a spline volume. The reservoir dam has a vent hole formed therein that passes through it such that a surface of the dam is in fluid communication with a region defined by the outer housing and outside of the gear box shaft.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gear box assembly comprising:
an outer housing;
a gear box shaft at least partially disposed in the outer housing, the gear box shaft comprising:
an interior region having two volumes defined therein, the two volumes including a reservoir volume ( 114 ) and a spline volume ( 116 ), the reservoir volume defined by a reservoir toroid ( 140 ) formed by a lubricant during rotation of the gear box shaft and having a height (Rh) and the spline volume defined by a spline toroid formed by the lubricant during rotation of the gear box shaft and having a height (Sh); and
a reservoir dam that extends inwardly into the interior region that separates the interior region into the reservoir volume and the spline volume, the reservoir dam having a vent hole formed therein that passes through it such that a surface of the dam is in fluid communication with a region defined by the outer housing and outside of the gear box shaft the reservoir dam having a height on a first side equal to Rh and on height on a second side equal to Sh, wherein the height on the first side is greater than the height on the second side.

2. The gear box assembly of claim 1 , wherein the outer housing includes an exterior gear formed on an outer surface thereof.

3. The gear box assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a regulator disposed in one end of the gear box shaft that allows lubricant to pass into the interior region.

4. The gear box assembly of claim 3 , further comprising:
a lubrication jet that directs lubricant towards the regulator.

5. The gear box assembly of claim 3 , wherein the regulator includes:
a base that includes one or more feed holes formed therein;
a tubular sidewall extending from the base; and
a feed dam formed on the tubular side wall.

6. The gear box assembly of claim 5 , wherein a height of the feed dam and a length of the tubular sidewall define a feed volume.

7. A power delivery system comprising:
a driven shaft; and
a gear box assembly comprising:
an outer housing;
a gear box shaft at least partially disposed in the outer housing and connected by a spline joint to the driven shaft, the gear box shaft comprising:
an interior region having two volumes defined therein, the two volumes including a reservoir volume ( 114 ) and a spline volume ( 116 ), the reservoir volume defined by a reservoir toroid ( 140 ) formed by a lubricant during rotation of the gear box shaft and having a height (Rh) and the spline volume defined by a spline toroid formed by the lubricant during rotation of the gear box shaft and having a height (Sh); and
a reservoir dam in the interior region that separates the interior region into the reservoir volume and the spline volume, the reservoir dam having a vent hole formed therein that passes through it such that a surface of the dam is in fluid communication with a region defined by the outer housing and outside of the gear box shaft the reservoir dam having a height on a first side equal to Rh and on height on a second side equal to Sh, wherein the height on the first side is greater than the height on the second side.

8. The power delivery system of claim 7 , wherein the outer housing includes an exterior gear formed on an outer surface thereof.

9. The power delivery system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a regulator disposed in one end of the gear box shaft that allows lubricant to pass into the interior region.

10. The power delivery system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a lubrication jet that directs lubricant towards the regulator.

11. The power delivery system of claim 9 , wherein the regulator includes a base that includes one or more feed holes formed therein, a tubular sidewall extending from the base and a feed dam formed on the tubular side wall.

12. The power delivery system of claim 11 , wherein a height of the feed dam and a length of the tubular sidewall define a feed volume.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Slayter Matthew Allen
• Blewett Michael R

Classifications

• F02C7/32

  Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries · CPC title

• F05D2260/608

  Aeration, ventilation, dehumidification or moisture removal of closed spaces · CPC title

• F16H57/0431

  Means for guiding lubricant directly onto a tooth surface or to foot areas of a gear, e.g. by holes or grooves in a tooth flank · CPC title

• F01D25/18

  Lubricating arrangements (of machines or engines in general F01M) · CPC title

• F16H57/027 Primary

  characterised by means for venting gearboxes, e.g. air breathers · CPC title