Planetary gear carrier with compliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10605332-B2
Application number	US-201715701884-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2017
Priority date	Sep 13, 2016
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

A planetary gear assembly (30) and method of assembly in an electric camshaft phaser (20) with a split ring gear including a drive-side ring gear portion (32) rotatable by an engine crankshaft and an output-side ring gear portion (34) that can be connected to a camshaft (22). A plurality of rotatable planetary gears (36a, 36b, 36c) can be interposed between the split ring gear and the sun gear (28). The output-side ring gear portion (34) can have a different number of teeth than the drive-side ring gear portion (32) by a value corresponding to a multiple of the number of planetary gears (36a, 36b, 36c). A compliant planetary gear carrier (40, 140) can support the plurality of planetary gears (36a, 36b, 36c) allowing variance of a normally equidistant distance between separate spaced rotational axes of at least two of the planetary gears (36a, 36b, 36c) to selectively compensate for mechanical tolerances of the drive-side ring gear portion (32) and the output-side ring gear portion (34) of the split ring gear.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A planetary gear assembly ( 30 ) comprising: at least one ring gear ( 32 , 34 ), a sun gear ( 28 ), and a plurality of rotatable planetary gears ( 36 a , 36 b , 36 c ) radially interposed between the at least one ring gear ( 32 , 34 ) and the sun gear ( 28 ), each of the plurality of planetary gears ( 36 a , 36 b , 36 c ) having a separate spaced rotational axis with respect to other planetary gears ( 36 a , 36 b , 36 c );
a compliant planetary gear carrier ( 40 , 140 ) supporting the plurality of planetary gears ( 36 a , 36 b , 36 c ) for rotation and connected between each rotational axis of the plurality of planetary gears ( 36 a , 36 b , 36 c ), the compliant planetary gear carrier ( 40 , 140 ) having at least one biasing member ( 48 , 142 a , 142 b , 144 a , 144 b , 146 a , 146 b ) connected between the rotational axes of two of the plurality of planetary gears ( 36 a , 36 b , 36 c ) and at least a portion of the compliant planetary gear carrier ( 40 , 140 ) pivoting about a rotational axis of one of the plurality of planetary gears ( 36 a , 36 b , 36 c ) allowing variance of a distance between the axes of at least two of the plurality of planetary gears ( 36 a , 36 b , 36 c ) compensating for mechanical tolerances of the at least one ring gear ( 32 , 34 ).

2. The planetary gear assembly ( 30 ) of claim 1 , wherein the at least one ring gear ( 32 , 34 ) further comprises a split ring gear including a drive-side ring gear portion ( 32 ) for driven rotation by a first shaft and an output-side ring gear portion ( 34 ) located concentric with respect to the sun gear ( 28 ) for driving connection to a second shaft ( 22 ), the output-side ring gear ( 34 ) having a different number of teeth with respect to the drive-side ring gear ( 32 ) by a value corresponding to a multiple of the number of planetary gears ( 36 a , 36 b , 36 c ) to provide tooth alignment at an engagement position of each of the planetary gears ( 36 a , 36 b , 36 c ).

3. The planetary gear assembly ( 30 ) of claim 1 , wherein the compliant planetary gear carrier ( 40 ) further comprises:
a first rigid link ( 42 ) and a second rigid link ( 44 ) connected for pivoting movement with respect to the rotational axis of a first planetary gear ( 36 a ), the first rigid link ( 42 ) connected between a first rotational axis of the first planetary gear ( 36 a ) and a second rotational axis of a second planetary gear ( 36 b ), the first rigid link ( 42 ) supporting the second planetary gear ( 36 b ) for slight movement with respect to the first planetary gear ( 36 a ), the second rigid link ( 44 ) connected between the first rotational axis of the first planetary gear ( 36 a ) and a third rotational axis of a third planetary gear ( 36 c ), the second rigid link ( 44 ) supporting the third planetary gear ( 36 c ) for slight movement with respect to the first planetary gear ( 36 a ); and, wherein the at least one biasing member comprises a spring ( 48 ) engageable between the first rigid link ( 42 ) and the second rigid link ( 44 ) allowing pivoting movement of the first rigid link ( 42 ) and the second rigid link ( 44 ) with respect to one another about the first rotational axis of the first planetary gear ( 36 a ).

4. The planetary gear assembly ( 30 ) of claim 1 , wherein the compliant planetary gear carrier ( 40 ) further comprises:
a first rigid link ( 42 ) and a second rigid link ( 44 ) connected for pivoting movement with respect to the rotational axis of a first planetary gear ( 36 a ), the first rigid link ( 42 ) connected between a first rotational axis of the first planetary gear ( 36 a ) and a second rotational axis of a second planetary gear ( 36 b ), the first rigid link ( 42 ) supporting the second planetary gear ( 36 b ) for slight movement with respect to the first planetary gear ( 36 a ), the second rigid link ( 44 ) connected between the first rotational axis of the first planetary gear ( 36 a ) and a third rotational axis of a third planetary gear ( 36 c ), the second rigid link ( 44 ) supporting the third planetary gear ( 36 c ) for slight movement with respect to the first planetary gear ( 36 a ); and, wherein the at least one biasing member comprises a jack screw ( 50 ) engageable between the first rigid link ( 42 ) and the second rigid link ( 44 ), the jack screw ( 50 ) adjustable during assembly of the planetary gear assembly ( 30 ) and fixed after the plurality of planetary gears ( 36 a , 36 b , 36 c ) are assembled for meshing engagement between the at least one ring gear ( 32 , 34 ) and the sun gear ( 28 ).

5. The planetary gear assembly ( 30 ) of claim 1 , wherein the at least one biasing member comprises:
a plurality of blade spring links ( 142 a , 142 b , 144 a , 144 b , 146 a , 146 b ), each of the plurality of blade spring links ( 142 a , 142 b , 144 a , 144 b , 146 a , 146 b ) connected between the rotational axes of two of the plurality of planetary gears ( 36 a , 36 b , 36 c ).

6. The planetary gear assembly ( 30 ) of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of blade spring links ( 142 a , 142 b , 144 a , 144 b , 146 a , 146 b ) further comprises:
a pair of first blade spring links ( 142 a , 142 b ) supporting a first planetary gear ( 36 a ) and a second planetary gear ( 36 b ) interposed between the pair of first blade spring links ( 142 a , 142 b ), the first and second planetary gears ( 36 a , 36 b ) pivotally connected for rotation about separate spaced rotational axes between a first rotational axis of the first planetary gear ( 36 a ) and a second rotational axis of the second planetary gear ( 36 b );
a pair of second blade spring links ( 144 a , 144 b ) supporting the second planetary gear ( 36 b ) and a third planetary gear ( 36 c ) interposed between the pair of second blades spring links ( 144 a , 144 b ), the second and third planetary gears ( 36 b , 36 c ) pivotally connected for rotation about separate spaced rotational axes between the second rotational axis of the second planetary gear ( 36 b ) and a third rotational axis of the third planetary gear ( 36 c ); and
a pair of third blade spring links ( 146 a , 146 b ) supporting the first planetary gear ( 36 a ) and the third planetary gear ( 36 c ) interposed between the pair of third blade spring links ( 146 a , 146 b ), the first and third planetary gears ( 36 a , 36 c ) pivotally connected for rotation about separate spaced rotational axes between the first rotational axis of the first planetary gear ( 36 a ) and the third rotational axis of the third planetary gear ( 36 c ).

7. The planetary gear assembly ( 30 ) of claim 6 further comprising:
a plurality of shoulder pins ( 52 a , 52 b , 52 c ) corresponding in number to the plurality of planetary gears ( 36 a , 36 b , 36 c ), each of the plurality of shoulder pins ( 52 a , 52 b , 52 c ) located along the rotational axis of the corresponding one of the plurality of planetary gears ( 36 a , 36 b , 36 c ), each of the plurality of planetary gears ( 36 a , 36 b , 36 c ) mounted for rotation on a corresponding one of the plurality of shoulder pins ( 52 a , 52 b , 52 c ), each of the plurality of blade springs ( 142 a , 142 b , 144 a , 144 b , 146 a , 146 b ) mounted to the corresponding one of the plurality of shoulder pins ( 52 a , 52 b , 52 c ); and
a plurality of crimp rings ( 54 a , 54 b , 54 c , 54 d , 54 e , 54 f ) corresponding to the plurality of shoulder pins ( 52 a , 52 b , 52 c ), each of the p

Assignees

• Borgwarner Inc

Inventors

• Pluta Christopher J
• Marsh Michael

Classifications

• F16H1/2863 Primary

  Arrangements for adjusting or for taking-up backlash · CPC title

• F01L1/352

  using bevel or epicyclic gear · CPC title

• F16H2057/125

  Adjustment of backlash during mounting or assembly of gearing · CPC title

• F16H57/082

  Planet carriers · CPC title

• F16H2057/123

  using electric control means · CPC title