Epicyclic gear system having torsional fuse, torsional fuse in drivetrain system, and method of operating drivetrain system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11248681-B2
Application number	US-201916668546-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2019
Priority date	Oct 30, 2019
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

A torsional fuse in a drivetrain system, an epicyclic gear system, and a method of operating a drivetrain system are provided. The epicyclic gear system includes a housing, a shaft configured to rotate relative to the housing, a sun gear being disposed concentric to the shaft, a plurality of planet gears disposed around the sun gear, a ring gear disposed around the plurality of planet gears, a carrier connecting the plurality of planet gears, and a torsional fuse defined by an interface between a first torsional fuse portion and a second torsional fuse portion, the torsional fuse being configured to allow rotation between the first torsional fuse portion and the second torsional fuse portion upon application of a threshold torque at the torsional fuse.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An epicyclic gear system comprising:
a housing;
a shaft configured to rotate relative to the housing;
a sun gear being disposed concentric to the shaft;
a plurality of planet gears disposed around the sun gear;
a ring gear disposed around the plurality of planet gears;
a carrier connecting the plurality of planet gears; and
a torsional fuse defined by an interface between a first torsional fuse portion and a second torsional fuse portion, the torsional fuse being configured to allow rotation between the first torsional fuse portion and the second torsional fuse portion upon application of a threshold torque at the torsional fuse;
wherein the first torsional fuse portion includes a first diameter and the second torsional fuse portion includes a second diameter such that the first torsional fuse portion is press fit with the second torsional fuse portion due to a difference between the first diameter and the second diameter.

2. The epicyclic gear system of claim 1 , wherein the first torsional fuse portion is fixed to the shaft and the second torsional fuse portion is fixed to the ring gear.

3. The epicyclic gear system of claim 2 , wherein the first torsional fuse portion includes a radially extending member such that the torsional fuse is disposed between the radially extending member and the ring gear.

4. The epicyclic gear system of claim 2 , wherein the second torsional fuse portion includes a radially extending member such that the torsional fuse is disposed between the radially extending member and the shaft.

5. The epicyclic gear system of claim 1 , wherein the first torsional fuse portion is fixed to the ring gear and the second torsional fuse portion is fixed to the housing.

6. The epicyclic gear system of claim 1 , wherein the first torsional fuse portion is fixed to the sun gear and the second torsional fuse portion is fixed to a second shaft fixed to the housing.

7. The epicyclic gear system of claim 1 , wherein the interface includes a plurality of recesses extending axially in at least one of the first torsional fuse portion and the second torsional fuse portion.

8. The epicyclic gear system of claim 1 wherein the threshold torque is correlated to the difference between the first diameter and the second diameter.

9. The epicyclic gear system of claim 1 , further comprising a retainer configured to limit axial movement between the first torsional fuse portion and the second torsional fuse portion.

10. An epicyclic gear system comprising:
a housing;
a shaft configured to rotate relative to the housing;
a sun gear being disposed concentric to the shaft;
a plurality of planet gears disposed around the sun gear;
a ring gear disposed around the plurality of planet gears;
a carrier connecting the plurality of planet gears; and
a torsional fuse defined by an interface between a first torsional fuse portion and a second torsional fuse portion, the torsional fuse being configured to allow rotation between the first torsional fuse portion and the second torsional fuse portion upon application of a threshold torque at the torsional fuse;
wherein the first torsional fuse portion is fixed to the shaft and the second torsional fuse portion is fixed to the ring gear.

11. The epicyclic gear system of claim 10 , wherein the first torsional fuse portion includes a radially extending member such that the torsional fuse is disposed between the radially extending member and the ring gear.

12. The epicyclic gear system of claim 10 , wherein the second torsional fuse portion includes a radially extending member such that the torsional fuse is disposed between the radially extending member and the shaft.

13. The epicyclic gear system of claim 10 , wherein the interface includes a plurality of recesses extending axially in at least one of the first torsional fuse portion and the second torsional fuse portion.

14. The epicyclic gear system of claim 10 , wherein the first torsional fuse portion includes a first diameter and the second torsional fuse portion includes a second diameter such that the first torsional fuse portion is press fit with the second torsional fuse portion due to a difference between the first diameter and the second diameter.

15. The epicyclic gear system of claim 14 , wherein the threshold torque is correlated to the difference between the first diameter and the second diameter.

16. The epicyclic gear system of claim 10 , further comprising a retainer configured to limit axial movement between the first torsional fuse portion and the second torsional fuse portion.

17. An epicyclic gear system comprising:
a housing;
a shaft configured to rotate relative to the housing;
a sun gear being disposed concentric to the shaft;
a plurality of planet gears disposed around the sun gear;
a ring gear disposed around the plurality of planet gears;
a carrier connecting the plurality of planet gears; and
a torsional fuse defined by an interface between a first torsional fuse portion and a second torsional fuse portion, the torsional fuse being configured to allow rotation between the first torsional fuse portion and the second torsional fuse portion upon application of a threshold torque at the torsional fuse;
wherein the interface includes a plurality of recesses extending axially in at least one of the first torsional fuse portion and the second torsional fuse portion.

18. The epicyclic gear system of claim 17 , wherein the first torsional fuse portion is fixed to the shaft and the second torsional fuse portion is fixed to the ring gear.

19. The epicyclic gear system of claim 18 , wherein the first torsional fuse portion includes a radially extending member such that the torsional fuse is disposed between the radially extending member and the ring gear.

20. The epicyclic gear system of claim 18 , wherein the second torsional fuse portion includes a radially extending member such that the torsional fuse is disposed between the radially extending member and the shaft.

21. The epicyclic gear system of claim 17 , wherein the first torsional fuse portion is fixed to the ring gear and the second torsional fuse portion is fixed to the housing.

22. The epicyclic gear system of claim 17 , wherein the first torsional fuse portion is fixed to the sun gear and the second torsional fuse portion is fixed to a second shaft fixed to the housing.

23. The epicyclic gear system of claim 17 , wherein the first torsional fuse portion includes a first diameter and the second torsional fuse portion includes a second diameter such that the first torsional fuse portion is press fit with the second torsional fuse portion due to a difference between the first diameter and the second diameter.

24. The epicyclic gear system of claim 23 , wherein the threshold torque is correlated to the difference between the first diameter and the second diameter.

25. The epicyclic gear system of claim 17 , further comprising a retainer configured to limit axial movement between the first torsional fuse portion and the second torsional fuse portion.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Base Douglas S
• Fliearman Steven R

Classifications

• F16H57/042

  Guidance of lubricant · CPC title

• F16H1/2809 Primary

  with means for equalising the distribution of load on the planet gears · CPC title

• F16H57/0479

  Gears or bearings on planet carriers · CPC title

• F16H61/04

  Smoothing ratio shift · CPC title

• F16H61/18

  Preventing unintentional or unsafe shift {, e.g. preventing manual shift from highest gear to reverse gear} · CPC title