Power gearbox pin arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10267365-B2
Application number	US-201514966291-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2015
Priority date	Dec 11, 2015
Publication date	Apr 23, 2019
Grant date	Apr 23, 2019

Abstract

A planet gearbox has a planet gear rotatable on a planet bearing that includes an inner ring that is mounted to a carrier of an epicyclic gearing arrangement. A respective cylindrical inner surface of each opposite respective end of the inner ring is non-rotatably connected to a respective cylindrical outer surface of a respective one of a pair of support plugs that are fixed to the carrier of the epicyclic gearing arrangement. A gas turbine engine includes a fan and LP shaft, which couples a compressor to a turbine. An epicyclic gearing arrangement has a single input from the LP shaft coupled to a sun gear, a single output coupled to the fan's shaft, and at least one planet bearing as described above.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A planet gearbox for connection to a carrier of an epicyclic gearing arrangement that includes a sun gear and a ring gear surrounding the planet gearbox and the sun gear, the planet gearbox comprising:
an inner ring defining a substantially cylindrical shape having a virtual central axis of rotation, the inner ring defining a forward end and an aft end, the aft end of the inner ring disposed axially spaced apart from the forward end of the inner ring, the virtual central axis of rotation having a midpoint disposed halfway along a length of the inner ring, the inner ring having an interior surface that defines a hollow interior cavity having a forward opening and an aft opening, the aft opening of the inner ring disposed axially spaced apart from the forward opening of the inner ring,
the forward opening of the inner ring being defined by a forward annular surface facing inwardly toward the virtual central axis of rotation and having a larger diameter section and a smaller diameter section, the smaller diameter section of the forward opening of the inner ring being disposed closer to the midpoint of the virtual central axis of rotation than the larger diameter section of the forward opening of the inner ring,
the aft opening of the inner ring being defined by an aft inner annular surface facing inwardly toward the virtual central axis of rotation and having a larger diameter section and a smaller diameter section, the smaller diameter section of the aft opening of the inner ring being disposed closer to the midpoint of the virtual central axis of rotation the larger diameter section of the aft opening of the inner ring,
the inner ring defining an outer surface facing outwardly away from the virtual central axis of rotation, the outer surface of the inner ring defining at least one track, each track of the at least one track being configured to receive and rotatably guide therein a respective plurality of rotatable members, each rotatable member of the respective plurality of rotatable members being freely rotatable with respect to the outer surface of a respective track of the at least one track of the inner ring;

a forward support plug configured to be fixed to the carrier and the forward opening of the inner ring, the forward support plug defining a substantially cylindrical shape about the virtual central axis of rotation, the forward support plug having a forward end and an aft end, the aft end of the forward support plug disposed axially apart from the forward end of the forward support plug, the aft end of the forward support plug defining an outer surface that is radially equidistant from the virtual central axis and configured to be received within the forward opening of the inner ring, the forward end of the forward support plug defining an outer surface that is radially equidistant from the virtual central axis and has a larger diameter than the outer surface of the aft end of the forward support plug; and
an aft support plug configured to be fixed to the carrier and the aft opening of the inner ring, the aft support plug defining a substantially cylindrical shape about the virtual central axis of rotation, the aft support plug having a forward end and an aft end, the aft end of the aft support plug disposed axially apart from the forward end of the aft support plug, the forward end of the aft support plug defining an outer surface that is radially equidistant from the virtual central axis and configured to be received within the aft opening of the inner ring, the aft end of the aft support plug defining an outer surface that is radially equidistant from the virtual central axis and has a larger diameter than the outer surface of the forward end of the aft support plug;
wherein the outer surface of the forward end of the forward support plug is fixed by a press fit to the larger diameter section of the forward annular surface of the forward opening of the inner ring; and
wherein the outer surface of the aft end of the aft support plug is fixed by a press fit to the larger diameter section of the aft annular surface of the aft opening of the inner ring.

2. The planet gearbox of claim 1 , wherein the smaller diameter section of the forward annular surface of the forward opening of the inner ring defines screw threads, and the outer surface of the aft end of the forward support plug defines screw threads that mate with the screw threads of the smaller diameter section of the forward annular surface of the forward opening of the inner ring.

3. The planet gearbox of claim 1 , wherein the smaller diameter section of the aft annular surface of the aft opening of the inner ring is attached to the outer surface of the forward end of the aft support plug by a screw threaded connection.

4. The planet gearbox of claim 1 , wherein the forward support plug includes a flange that extends diametrically from the outer surface of the forward end of the forward support plug, the flange is spaced apart axially from the forward end of the inner ring to define between the flange and the forward end of the inner ring a recess, the recess configured to receive a section of the carrier.

5. The planet gearbox of claim 1 , wherein the aft support plug includes a flange that extends diametrically from the outer surface of the aft end of the aft support plug, the flange is spaced apart axially from the aft end of the inner ring to define between the flange and the aft end of the inner ring a recess, the recess configured to receive a section of the carrier.

6. The planet gearbox of claim 1 , wherein the smaller diameter section of the forward annular surface of the forward opening of the inner ring defines at least one non-cylindrical surface, and the outer surface of the aft end of the forward support plug defines at least one non-cylindrical surface that mates with a respective non-cylindrical surface of the at least one non-cylindrical surface of the smaller diameter section of the forward annular surface of the forward opening of the inner ring and thereby renders the forward support plug non-rotatable with respect to the inner ring.

7. The planet gearbox of claim 6 , wherein each of the at least one non-cylindrical surfaces of the outer surface of the aft end of the forward support plug and of the smaller diameter section of the forward annular surface of the forward opening of the inner ring defines a flat plane.

8. The planet gearbox of claim 1 , wherein the smaller diameter section of the aft annular surface of the aft opening of the inner ring defines at least one non-cylindrical surface, and the outer surface of the forward end of the aft support plug defines at least one non-cylindrical surface that mates with a respective non-cylindrical surface of the at least one non-cylindrical surface of the smaller diameter section of the aft annular surface of the aft opening of the inner ring and thereby renders the aft support plug non-rotatable with respect to the inner ring.

9. The planet gearbox of claim 8 , wherein each of the at least one non-cylindrical surfaces of the outer surface of the forward end of the aft support plug and of the smaller diameter section of the aft annular surface of the aft opening of the inner ring defines a flat plane.

10. The planet gearbox of claim 1 , wherein the forward end of the forward support plug defines an inner surface facing the virtual central axis of rotation and configured for receiving an assembly tool.

11. The planet gearbox of claim 10 , wherein the inner surface of the forward end of the forward support plug defining at least one non-cylindrical surface for rendering the forward support plug non-rotatable with respect to the assembly tool when the assembl

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Hasting William Howard

Classifications

• F16C33/6659

  Details of supply of the liquid to the bearing, e.g. passages or nozzles · CPC title

• Y02T50/671

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F16C35/067 Primary

  Fixing them in a housing (with interposition of an element F16C35/07) · CPC title

• F02C7/36

  Power transmission arrangements between the different shafts of the gas turbine plant, or between the gas-turbine plant and the power user ({F02C3/107 - F02C3/13 and} F02C7/32 take precedence; couplings for transmitting rotation F16D; gearing in general F16H) · CPC title

• F16C2360/23

  Gas turbine engines · CPC title