Journal bearing assembly with dual oil cavities

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10935076-B2
Application number	US-201916403002-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2019
Priority date	May 3, 2019
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

A gas turbine engine comprising a gearbox, the gearbox having gear(s). A journal bearing assembly rotatably supports the gear, the journal bearing assembly having at least a pin, and a journal having a tubular body defining a pin-receiving inner cavity having an inner surface, a first cavity and a second cavity defined in the inner surface of the pin-receiving inner cavity, a rib support located between the first cavity and the second cavity, the rib support being aligned with a longitudinal center of the tubular body, with the first cavity and the second cavity on opposed axial sides of the rib support.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gas turbine engine comprising a gearbox, the gearbox having at least one gear, a journal bearing assembly rotatably supporting said gear, the journal bearing assembly having at least a pin, and a journal having a tubular body defining a pin-receiving inner cavity having an inner surface and receiving the pin therein, a first cavity and a second cavity defined in the inner surface of the pin-receiving inner cavity, a rib support located between the first cavity and the second cavity, the rib support being aligned with a longitudinal center of the tubular body, with the first cavity and the second cavity on opposed axial sides of the rib support, the pin-receiving inner cavity defining a pin-engaging surface contacting the pin at the rib support and between axial end faces and the first cavity and the second cavity.

2. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1 , wherein a recess is defined in an outer annular surface of the tubular body, a first oil passage extending from the first cavity to the recess.

3. The gas turbine engine according to claim 2 , wherein a second oil passage extends from the second cavity to the recess.

4. The gas turbine engine according to claim 2 , wherein the recess has a plane on the outer annular surface.

5. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1 , wherein an undercut is defined circumferentially in a first and/or a second one of the axial end faces of the tubular body.

6. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1 , wherein the first cavity and the second cavity are annular.

7. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1 , wherein a length to diameter ratio of the tubular body is from between 1.50 and 3.00 inclusively.

8. The journal according to claim 1 , wherein the journal has a plane of symmetry passing through the longitudinal center and transverse to a longitudinal axis of the tubular body.

9. A journal bearing assembly comprising
a pin, and
a journal defining an inner cavity receiving the pin, a first cavity and a second cavity defined in an inner surface of the pin-receiving cavity, a central support located between the first cavity and the second cavity and contacting said pin, the central support being aligned with a longitudinal center of the journal, the pin-receiving inner cavity defining a pin-engaging surface contacting the pin at the central support and between axial end faces and the first cavity and the second cavity;
wherein the pin defines an inner oil reservoir, a first outlet oil passage extending from the oil reservoir to the first cavity.

10. The journal bearing assembly according to claim 9 , wherein a second outlet oil passage extends from the oil reservoir to the second cavity.

11. The journal bearing assembly according to claim 10 , further comprising a sleeve rotatably mounted onto the journal, and a recess is defined between an outer annular surface of the journal and an inner surface of the sleeve, a first oil passage extending from the first cavity to the recess and a second oil passage extending from the second cavity to the recess.

12. The journal bearing assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the recess is defined in the outer annular surface of the journal.

13. The journal bearing assembly according to claim 9 , wherein the first cavity and the second cavity are annular.

14. The journal bearing assembly according to claim 9 , wherein a length to diameter ratio of the tubular body is from between 1.50 and 3.00 inclusively.

15. The journal bearing assembly according to claim 9 , wherein the journal has a plane of symmetry passing through the longitudinal center and transverse to a longitudinal axis of the tubular body.

16. A journal bearing assembly comprising
a pin, and

a journal defining an inner cavity receiving the pin, a first cavity and a second cavity defined in an inner surface of the pin-receiving cavity, a central support located between the first cavity and the second cavity and contacting said pin, the central support being aligned with a longitudinal center of the journal, the pin-receiving inner cavity defining a pin-engaging surface contacting the pin at the central support and between axial end faces and the first cavity and the second cavity;
wherein the first cavity and the second cavity are annular.

17. The journal bearing assembly according to claim 16 , wherein a length to diameter ratio of the tubular body is from between 1.50 and 3.00 inclusively.

18. The journal bearing assembly according to claim 16 , wherein the journal has a plane of symmetry passing through the longitudinal center and transverse to a longitudinal axis of the tubular body.

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Martin Bruno
• Brillon Louis
• Simard-Bergeron Julien

Classifications

• F16C33/1065

  Grooves on a bearing surface for distributing or collecting the liquid · CPC title

• F16H57/043

  within rotary parts, e.g. axial channels or radial openings in shafts · CPC title

• F16C2361/65

  Gear shifting, change speed gear, gear box · CPC title

• F16C33/1055 Primary

  from radial inside, e.g. via a passage through the shaft and/or inner sleeve · CPC title

• F16C17/00 Primary

  Sliding-contact bearings for exclusively rotary movement (F16C32/06 takes precedence; adjustable bearings F16C23/00, F16C25/00) · CPC title