Epicyclic gear carrier assembly having an integrated lubrication pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12104690-B2
Application number	US-202117444346-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2021
Priority date	Aug 3, 2021
Publication date	Oct 1, 2024
Grant date	Oct 1, 2024

Abstract

An example transmission comprising a lubricant feed passageway to receive lubricant; an input shaft having a cavity that defines a shaft collection trough to receive the lubricant from the lubricant feed passageway, the input shaft defining a radial passageway to enable the lubricant to flow from the shaft collection trough to an exterior surface of the input shaft; and a carrier to receive at least a portion of the input shaft, the carrier defining a carrier collection trough and channels formed in the carrier to distribute the lubricant to at least one of rotating components or non-rotating components in the carrier, the carrier collection trough to receive the lubricant from the shaft collection trough via the radial passageway in response to the input shaft rotating.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transmission comprising:
a lubricant feed passageway to receive lubricant;
an input shaft having a shaft collection trough to receive the lubricant from the lubricant feed passageway, the input shaft defining a radial passageway to enable the lubricant to flow from the shaft collection trough to an exterior surface of the input shaft; and
a carrier to receive at least a portion of the input shaft, the carrier defining a carrier collection trough and channels formed in the carrier to distribute the lubricant to at least one of rotating components or non-rotating components in the carrier, the carrier collection trough axially aligned with the shaft collection trough, the carrier collection trough to receive the lubricant from the shaft collection trough via the radial passageway in response to the input shaft rotating, the carrier including a first housing portion removably coupled to a second housing portion, the channels of the carrier include a carrier radial passageway, a carrier longitudinal passageway, and jet passageways, the carrier longitudinal passageway extending between the first carrier housing and the second carrier housing in a direction along a longitudinal axis of the input shaft.

2. The transmission of claim 1 , wherein a centrifugal pressure of the lubricant causes the lubricant to flow from the shaft collection trough to the carrier collection trough via the radial passageway, and causes the lubricant to flow through the channels of the carrier.

3. The transmission of claim 2 , wherein the centrifugal pressure of the lubricant causes the lubricant to flow from the carrier collection trough to the channels of the carrier.

4. The transmission of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the rotating components includes at least one of a sun gear and a planetary gear, wherein the at least one of the non-rotating components include at least one bearing, the channels formed in the carrier define dedicated passageways to at least one of the sun gear, the planetary gear or the bearing.

5. The transmission of claim 4 , wherein the sun gear enmeshes with the planetary gear at a gear interface, and a respective one of the channels provides a dedicated passageway from the shaft collection trough to the gear interface.

6. The transmission of claim 1 , wherein the carrier collection trough has a scalloped shape.

7. The transmission of claim 1 , further including a pump to distribute lubricant to the input shaft, the input shaft to distribute the lubricant to the carrier collection trough via centrifugal pressure as the input shaft rotates.

8. A transmission comprising:
an input shaft including a lubricant feed passageway and a shaft collection trough, the shaft collection trough to receive lubricant from the lubricant feed passageway, the input shaft having a radial passageway in fluid communication with the shaft collection trough to enable fluid communication between the shaft collection trough and an external surface of the input shaft; and
a carrier having a first body and a second body coupled to the first body to define a cavity between a carrier input and a carrier output to house a plurality of planetary gears, the carrier input defining a carrier collection trough to collect lubricant from the shaft collection trough of the input shaft, the carrier collection trough axially aligned with the shaft collection trough, the carrier having a plurality of channels formed in at least one of the first body or the second body to distribute the lubricant to the planetary gears positioned in the cavity of the carrier, respective ones of the channels to provide a dedicated flow path to respective ones of the planetary gears, wherein the collection trough is to receive the lubricant in response to a rotation of the input shaft.

9. The transmission of claim 8 , wherein a centrifugal pressure is imparted to the lubricant in response to the input shaft rotating is to cause the lubricant to move through the channels of the carrier.

10. The transmission of claim 8 , wherein the channels are formed in the at least one of the first body or the second body via molding or machining.

11. The transmission of claim 8 , wherein the channels are to convey the lubricant to a sun gear, planetary gears, and bearings positioned within the cavity of the carrier.

12. The transmission of claim 8 , wherein the carrier collection trough has a scalloped shape defining a varying radius to increase pressure of the lubricant at the channels.

13. A transmission comprising:
an input shaft, an outer surface of the input shaft having impellers; and
a carrier having a first body and a second body coupled to the first body to define a cavity between a carrier input and a carrier output, the carrier input to receive the input shaft, the carrier input defining a collection trough to collect lubricant from the input shaft, the carrier having channels formed in at least one of the first body or the second body to distribute the lubricant to at least one of a rotating component or a non-rotating component positioned in the cavity of the carrier, the impellers of the input shaft to cause transport of the lubricant from the collection trough to the channels.

14. The transmission of claim 13 , further including an end plate to enclose the impellers inside the collection trough to increase a pressure imparted to the lubricant to cause the lubricant to flow within the channels.

15. The transmission of claim 13 , wherein the channels are formed in the at least one of the first body or the second body via molding or machining.

16. The transmission of claim 13 , wherein the channels are to convey the lubricant to a sun gear, planetary gears, and bearings positioned within the cavity of the carrier.

17. The transmission of claim 13 , wherein the collection trough has a scalloped shape defining a varying radius to increase pressure of the lubricant at the channels.

18. A transmission comprising:
an input shaft having an interior cavity and a shaft collection trough to receive lubricant, the input shaft having an aperture in fluid communication with the shaft collection trough to enable fluid communication between the interior cavity and an external surface of the input shaft;
a sun gear coupled to the input shaft;
a planetary gear radially spaced from and enmeshed with the sun gear;
a bearing proximate the planetary gear; and
a carrier to house at least a portion of the input shaft, the sun gear, the planetary gear, and the bearing, the carrier having a carrier trough and a channel formed in a surface of the carrier, the carrier trough to axially align with the input shaft trough, the carrier trough being in fluid communication with the aperture of the input shaft, the carrier trough in fluid communication with the channel, the channel fluidly coupled to at least one of the planetary gear or the bearing, the channel to receive the lubricant from the interior cavity of the input shaft via the aperture and distribute the lubricant to the at least one of the planetary gear or the bearing in response to rotation of the input shaft.

19. The transmission of claim 18 , wherein a centrifugal pressure of the lubricant is to cause the lubricant to flow from the interior cavity to the channel to distribute the lubricant to the at least one of the planetary gear or the bearing.

20. The transmission of claim 18 , wherein the channel includes a carrier radial passageway, a carrier longitudinal passageway, and a jet passageway.

21. The tra

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Walters John C
• Robuck Mark J
• Harder Todd T
• Kaiser Eric A

Classifications

• F02C7/36

  Power transmission arrangements between the different shafts of the gas turbine plant, or between the gas-turbine plant and the power user ({F02C3/107 - F02C3/13 and} F02C7/32 take precedence; couplings for transmitting rotation F16D; gearing in general F16H) · CPC title

• F05D2260/40311

  of the epicyclical, planetary or differential type · CPC title

• F05D2220/323

  for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines · CPC title

• F02C7/06

  Arrangements of bearings (bearings F16C); Lubricating ({of turbo machines F01D25/18; of machines or} engines in general F01M) · CPC title

• F05D2260/98

  Lubrication · CPC title