Rotational connection system provided with a free-wheel and a lubrication device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11536324-B2
Application number	US-202117477007-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2021
Priority date	Oct 1, 2020
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

A lubricated rotational connection system provided with a free-wheel having a driving part and a driven part as well as at least one rotational link member arranged in a linking space, the linking space being located radially between a driving linking section and a driven linking section. A lubrication device comprises a fluid circulation device constrained to rotate with a driven pumping section of the driven part. The fluid circulation device is set in rotation with respect to a driving pumping section when the driving speed of rotation of the driving pumping section is lower than the driven speed of rotation of the driven pumping section about the axis of rotation in order to generate a forced circulation of the lubricating fluid within the linking space.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rotational connection system provided with a free-wheel, the free-wheel including a driving part and a driven part that are able to rotate about an axis of rotation, the free-wheel including at least one rotational link member arranged in a linking space, the linking space being located radially, relative to the axis of rotation, between a driving linking section of the driving part and a driven linking section of the driven part, the rotational connection system including a lubrication device for lubricating the free-wheel, the lubrication device including a lubricating fluid,
wherein the lubrication device comprises a fluid circulation device constrained to rotate, about the axis of rotation, with a driven pumping section of the driven part, a driving pumping section of the driving part and the driven pumping section being arranged one around the other radially with respect to the axis of rotation, the fluid circulation device being set in rotation with respect to the driving pumping section when a driving speed of rotation of the driving pumping section about the axis of rotation is lower than a driven speed of rotation of the driven pumping section about the axis of rotation in order to generate a forced circulation of the lubricating fluid within the linking space.

2. The system according to claim 1
wherein the fluid circulation device includes a pump.

3. The system according to claim 2
wherein the pump is provided with a rotary impeller that is constrained to rotate with the driven pumping section.

4. The system according to claim 1
wherein the fluid circulation device includes a worm screw.

5. The system according to claim 4
wherein the worm screw includes at least one helical spline constrained to rotate with the driven pumping section.

6. The system according to claim 1
wherein the driven pumping section is conical in shape.

7. The system according to claim 1
wherein the at least one rotational link member comprises a plurality of rolling elements, each rolling element being able to move on a ramp of the driving part.

8. The system according to claim 1
wherein the lubrication device includes at least one radial port opening into an injection space, the injection space being located radially with respect to the axis of rotation between a driving injection section of the driving part and a driven injection section of the driven part.

9. The system according to claim 8
wherein the driving linking section is located between the driving pumping section and the driving injection section, and the driven linking section is located between the driven pumping section and the driven injection section.

10. The system according to claim 8
wherein a surrounded part of the driven part is surrounded at least partially by the driving part or a surrounded part of the driving part is surrounded at least partially by the driven part, the at least one radial port is provided in the surrounded part, the surrounded part surrounding an internal space, the at least one radial port being in fluid communication with the internal space and the injection space.

11. The system according to claim 10
wherein the lubrication device includes an injector which injects the lubricating fluid into the internal space.

12. The system according to claim 1
wherein the rotational connection system includes at least one rotational guide bearing arranged between the driving part and the driven part.

13. The system according to claim 1
wherein at least the driving part or the driven part comprises at least one passage for discharging the lubricating fluid, the fluid circulation device being arranged along the axis of rotation between the linking space and the at least one passage.

14. A vehicle
wherein the vehicle comprises the rotational connection system according to claim 1 .

15. A method for lubricating the rotational connection system that is provided with a free-wheel, the free-wheel including a driving part and a driven part that are able to rotate about an axis of rotation, the free-wheel including at least one rotational link member arranged in a linking space, the linking space being located radially, relative to the axis of rotation, between a driving linking section of the driving part and a driven linking section of the driven part, the rotational connection system including a lubrication device for lubricating the free-wheel, the lubrication device including a lubricating fluid,
wherein the method includes the following steps:
during a disengaged operating mode of the free-wheel during which the driving part and the driven part are rotationally disengaged from each other about the axis of rotation, a fluid circulation device of the lubrication device is set in rotation, relative to a driving pumping section of the driving part, by speed differential between a driving speed of rotation, about the axis of rotation, of the driving pumping section and a driven speed of rotation, about the axis of rotation, of a driven pumping section constrained to rotate with the fluid circulation device, and the lubricating fluid is forced to move within the linking space at least under the influence of the fluid circulation device.

Assignees

• Airbus Helicopters

Inventors

• Zamponi Laurent
• Le Ru John

Classifications

• F16N2210/04

  Vehicles · CPC title

• F16D41/066 Primary

  all members having the same size and only one of the two surfaces being cylindrical · CPC title

• F16H57/0427

  on rotary parts, e.g. using baffles for collecting lubricant by centrifugal force · CPC title

• B64D35/00

  Transmitting power from power plants to propellers or rotors; Arrangements of transmissions · CPC title

• F16H57/0428

  Grooves with pumping effect for supplying lubricants · CPC title