Axial scoop seal plate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016273657-A1
Application number	US-201415034756-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 13, 2014
Priority date	Nov 6, 2013
Publication date	Sep 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An annular seal plate for a shaft assembly in which the seal plate is disposed between and abuts a first adjacent element that rotates with the shaft and seal plate and a second adjacent element that does not rotate with the shaft. The annular seal plate includes an axial scoop defining an annular lubricant collection area disposed radially outwardly from an oil supply orifice that is in fluid communication with a source of pressurized lubricant supplied through the first adjacent element. Lubricant flows through the oil supply orifice and collects in the collection area. An oil passage places the collection area in fluid communication with a lateral surface facing and abutting the second adjacent element to provide lubricant to the interface between the annular seal plate and the second adjacent element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An annular seal plate for rotating on a shaft, the annular seal plate comprising:
an annular inner surface that receives the shaft; an oil inlet lateral surface; an oil outlet lateral surface axially opposing the oil inlet lateral surface; an oil supply orifice in fluid communication with the oil inlet lateral surface; an axial scoop disposed radially outwardly from the oil supply orifice and defining an annular oil collection area placed in fluid communication with the oil inlet lateral surface by the oil supply orifice; and an oil passage extending through the seal plate and placing the oil collection area in fluid communication with the oil outlet, wherein lubricant at the oil inlet lateral surface flows through the oil supply orifice, collects in the annular oil collection area, and subsequently flows through the oil passage to the oil outlet lateral surface when the seal plate rotates with the shaft.

2 . The annular seal plate according to claim 1 , wherein the annular seal plate and the shaft are components of a shaft assembly having a first element capable of rotating with the shaft and having a first lateral surface and an oil supply slot there through, and a second element not rotating with the shaft, and wherein lubricant from the first element oil supply slot is capable of flowing through the oil supply orifice when the seal plate, the first element and the second element are assembled on the shaft with the oil inlet lateral surface facing and engaging the first lateral surface and the oil outlet lateral surface facing and engaging the second lateral surface, and the shaft rotates.

3 . The annular seal plate according to claim 1 , wherein the seal plate inner surface defines a seal plate oil supply slot extending axially inwardly from the oil inlet lateral surface and intersecting the oil supply orifice to place the oil supply orifice in fluid communication with the first element oil supply slot.

4 . The annular seal plate according to claim 1 , wherein the first adjacent element has a plurality of circumferentially spaced first element oil supply slots, and wherein the oil supply orifice of the annular seal plate comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced oil supply orifices, with each of the plurality of circumferentially spaced oil supply orifices corresponding to one of the plurality of circumferentially spaced first element oil supply slots and placing the corresponding one of the plurality of circumferentially spaced first element oil supply slots in fluid communication with the annular oil collection area.

5 . The annular seal plate according to claim 1 , comprising:
a plurality of oil supply orifices circumferentially spaced about the annular seal plate; and a plurality of oil passages circumferentially spaced about the annular seal plate.

6 . The annular seal plate according to claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of circumferentially spaced oil supply orifices corresponds to one of the plurality of oil passages and is radially aligned with the corresponding one of the plurality of oil passages.

7 . The annular seal plate according to claim 1 , wherein the axial scoop comprises an annular lip extending radially inwardly toward the seal plate inner surface and defining a lateral boundary of the annular oil collection area opposite the oil passage.

8 . The annular seal plate according to claim 1 , wherein the oil passage comprises an inlet portion extending inwardly from the annular oil collection area and an outlet portion extending inwardly from the oil outlet lateral surface and intersecting the inlet portion.

9 . A gas turbine engine comprising a shaft assembly and the annular seal plate of claim 1 , the shaft assembly including a first element capable of rotating with the shaft and having a first lateral surface and an oil supply slot there through, and a second element not rotating with the shaft, and wherein lubricant from the first element oil supply slot is capable of flowing through the oil supply orifice when the seal plate, the first element and the second element are assembled on the shaft with the oil inlet lateral surface facing and engaging the first lateral surface and the oil outlet lateral surface facing and engaging the second lateral surface, and the shaft rotates.

10 . An annular seal plate for a shaft assembly having a shaft upon which the annular seal plate is disposed for rotation there with, a first adjacent element disposed on the shaft for rotation there with and having a first element oil supply slot through a first element lateral surface, and a second adjacent element disposed about the shaft and not rotating with the shaft so that the annular seal plate rotates relative to the second adjacent element, the annular seal plate comprising:
an annular inner section having an inner section inner surface dimensioned to receive the shaft, an inner section outer surface, an oil inlet lateral surface, an oil outlet lateral surface axially opposite the oil inlet lateral surface, an inner section axial length, and an oil supply orifice extending through the annular inner section from the inner section inner surface to the inner section outer surface and placing the oil inlet lateral surface in fluid communication with the inner section outer surface; an annular body section extending outwardly from the inner section outer surface and having an end defined by the oil outlet lateral surface, an oppositely disposed body section lateral surface, a body section axial length that is less than the inner section axial length, and an oil passage extending through the annular body section from a body section lateral surface to the oil outlet lateral surface and placing the body section lateral surface in fluid communication with the oil outlet lateral surface; and an annular axial scoop extending axially from the body section lateral surface, wherein the annular axial scoop is disposed radially outwardly from the oil supply orifice and combines with a corresponding portion of the body section lateral surface through which the oil passage extends to define an annular oil collection area, wherein, when the seal plate, the first adjacent element and the second adjacent element are assembled on the shaft with the oil inlet lateral surface facing and engaging the first element lateral surface and the oil outlet lateral surface facing and engaging the second element lateral surface, and when the shaft, the first adjacent element and the annular seal plate rotate, lubricant from the first element oil supply slot flows through the oil supply orifice and collects in the annular oil collection area, and subsequently flows from the annular oil collection area through the oil passage to the oil outlet lateral surface.

11 . The annular seal plate according to claim 10 , wherein the inner section inner surface defines a seal plate oil supply slot extending axially inwardly from the oil inlet lateral surface and intersecting the oil supply orifice to place the oil supply orifice in fluid communication with the first element oil supply slot.

12 . The annular seal plate according to claim 10 , wherein the first adjacent element has a plurality of circumferentially spaced first element oil supply slots, and wherein the annular inner section of the annular seal plate comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced oil supply orifices, with each of the plurality of circumferentially spaced oil supply orifices corresponding to one of the plurality of circumferentially spaced first element oil supply slots and placing the corresponding one of the plurality of circumferentially spaced first element oil supply slots i

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Amador Armando
• Witlicki Russell B

Classifications

• F16J15/342 Primary

  with means for feeding fluid directly to the face · CPC title