Lubrication system with passive valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10655726-B2
Application number	US-201715729112-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2017
Priority date	Mar 11, 2013
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A valve with supplemental media and a piston configured to open the valve when a first force is greater than a second force. The pressure of the supplemental media exerts a substantial portion of the first force. The valve also has a biasing member that changes volume as temperature changes and exerts a substantial portion of the second force. The second force decreases as the temperature of the biasing member increases.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a mechanical assembly;
a pumping mechanism configured to deliver a lubricating media to a mechanical assembly; and
a cooling system comprising:
a storage unit configured to contain a supplemental media; and
a valve operable to deliver the supplemental media from the storage unit to the mechanical assembly when a first force is greater than a second force, wherein the first force is substantially caused by the pressure of the supplemental media, the valve comprising:
a biasing member that changes volume as temperature changes and exerts a substantial portion of the second force, wherein the second force decreases as the temperature of the biasing member increases.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the biasing member is a spring.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the supplemental media is a lubricant.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the mechanical assembly comprises a plurality of gears.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the valve comprises an inner chamber and an outer chamber.

6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the inner chamber comprises the biasing member, the outer chamber comprises a port that allows the supplemental media to flow from the storage unit to the mechanical assembly when the valve is open.

7. A valve comprising:
a piston configured to open the valve when a first force is greater than a second force;
supplemental media, wherein the pressure of the supplemental media exerts a substantial portion of the first force;
a biasing member that changes volume as temperature changes and exerts a substantial portion of the second force, wherein the second force decreases as the temperature of the biasing member increases.

8. The valve according to claim 7 , wherein the biasing member is a spring.

9. The valve according to claim 7 , wherein the supplemental media is a lubricant.

10. The valve according to claim 7 , wherein the valve comprises an inner chamber and an outer chamber.

11. The valve according to claim 10 , wherein the inner chamber comprises the biasing member, the outer chamber comprises a port that allows the supplemental media to flow from a storage unit to a mechanical assembly when the valve is open.

Assignees

• Bell Helicopter Textron Inc
• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Poster Scott

Classifications

• B64C27/12

  Rotor drives · CPC title

• F16H57/045

  Lubricant storage reservoirs, e.g. reservoirs in addition to a gear sump for collecting lubricant in the upper part of a gear case · CPC title

• F16H57/0413 Primary

  Controlled cooling or heating of lubricant; Temperature control therefor · CPC title

• F16N7/00

  Arrangements for supplying oil or unspecified lubricant from a stationary reservoir or the equivalent in or on the machine or member to be lubricated · CPC title

• F16H57/0447

  Control of lubricant levels, e.g. lubricant level control dependent on temperature · CPC title