Mechanical device comprising a bearing and a lubrication system, implementing machine and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9382945-B2
Application number	US-201414572873-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2014
Priority date	Dec 23, 2013
Publication date	Jul 5, 2016
Grant date	Jul 5, 2016

Abstract

A mechanical device, comprising: a bearing including a fixed ring and a pivoting ring centered on a central axis and including an interface defined therebetween; and an interface lubrication system. An acceleration field pushes the stream of lubricant from a bearing first zone to a bearing second zone, each defining an angular sector around the central axis. The lubrication system comprises a set of peripheral channels passing through the fixed ring and including first channels positioned in the first zone and defining a first intake flow rate for bringing lubricant to the interface and second channels positioned in the second zone and defining a second intake flow rate bringing lubricant to the interface. The first flow rate is higher than the second flow rate. The interface receives a larger quantity of lubricant in the first zone than in the second zone. The mechanical device can be integrated into a machine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mechanical device, comprising:
a bearing including a fixed ring that is fixed to a rotatable shaft and a pivoting ring that are centered on a central axis and include an interface defined between them; and
a system for lubricating the interface having only a single supply channel, the system being configured to bring a flow of lubricant from the single supply channel to the interface through the fixed ring, wherein the single supply channel extends in an axial direction, the system comprising a plurality of junction channels that extend radially from the single supply channel, each one of the plurality of junction channels fluidly connect the single supply channel to one of a plurality of distributing channels that extend circumferentially;
the bearing including a first zone and a second zone, each defining an angular sector around the central axis, a first angular sector of the first zone being smaller than a second angular sector of the second zone;
wherein the lubrication system comprises at least a first one of the plurality of distributing channels being located entirely within the first zone and extending circumferentially for a first angle that is less than or equal to ninety (90) degrees around the central axis, a second one of the plurality of distributing channels comprising an axial junction channel extending therefrom and fluidly connecting the second one of the plurality of distributing channels with a third one of the plurality of distributing channels that is located entirely within the second zone and extending circumferentially for a second angle around the central axis, wherein each of the plurality of distributing channels comprise one of a plurality of first peripheral channels or a plurality of second peripheral channels, wherein each of the plurality of first and second peripheral channels extend radially outwardly from their respective distributing channel and pass through the fixed ring, the plurality of first peripheral channels are entirely located within the first zone and define a first intake flow rate for bringing lubricant to the interface, and the plurality of second peripheral channels are entirely located within the second zone and define a second intake flow rate bringing lubricant to the interface, the first intake flow rate being higher than the second intake flow rate, such that the interface between the rings of the bearing receives a larger quantity of lubricant in the first zone than in the second zone, and wherein the first one and the second one of the plurality of distributing channels comprise the plurality of first peripheral channels and the third one of the plurality of distributing channels comprises the plurality of second peripheral channels.

2. The mechanical device according to claim 1 , wherein the first angular sector of the first zone has an apical angle and the second angular sector of the second zone has an apical angle, and each of the apical angles are smaller than or equal to 180 degrees around the central axis.

3. The mechanical device according to claim 1 , wherein the first angular sector of the first zone including the plurality of first peripheral channels defines an apical angle smaller than or equal to 90 degrees, and the second angular sector of the second zone including the plurality of second peripheral channels defines an apical angle smaller than or equal to 150 degrees including the plurality of second peripheral channels each define an angular sector with an apical angle smaller than or equal to 90 degrees for the first zone and an angular sector with an apical angle smaller than or equal to 150 degrees for the second zone.

4. The mechanical device according to claim 1 , wherein the number of the first peripheral channels in the lubrication system is greater than the number of the second peripheral channels in the lubrication system.

5. The mechanical device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of first peripheral channels has a section defining a first diameter,
each of the plurality of second peripheral channels has a section defining a second diameter, and
the first diameter is larger than the second diameter.

6. The mechanical device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of first peripheral channels is separated by an angle comprised between 2 and 30 degrees around the central axis relative to an adjacent peripheral channel among the first channels, in one of a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction.

7. The mechanical device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of second peripheral channels is separated by an angle comprised between 45 and 75 degrees around the central axis relative to an adjacent peripheral channel among the second channels, in one of a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction.

8. The mechanical device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of first peripheral channels is inclined in one of a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction by an angle comprised between 0 and 30 degrees relative to a radial plane comprising the central axis.

9. The mechanical device according to claim 1 , wherein the overall lubricant flow rate flowing in the plurality of distributing channels is greater in the first zone than the second zone.

10. The mechanical device according to claim 1 , wherein the second one of the plurality of distribution channels is the only one of the plurality of distribution channels that extends both in the first zone and the second zone.

11. The mechanical device according to claim 1 , wherein the second one of the plurality of distributing channels fluidly connects one of the plurality of first peripheral channels and the plurality of second peripheral channels to each other.

12. The mechanical device according to claim 11 , wherein the number of the first peripheral channels in the lubrication system is greater than the number of the second peripheral channels in the lubrication system greater than the number of second peripheral channels in the lubrication system.

13. The mechanical device according to one of claim 1 , wherein the third one of the plurality of distribution channels is only connected to the single supply channel by the axial junction channel such that lubricant in the single supply channel must travel a greater distance to reach the third one of the plurality of distribution channels than for the lubricant to reach the first and second ones of the plurality of distribution channels.

14. The mechanical device according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing is a rolling bearing, wherein the interface is a rolling path.

15. The mechanical device according to claim 1 , wherein the interface is a sliding surface.

16. The mechanical device according to claim 1 , wherein the fixed ring is an inner ring of the bearing and the pivoting ring is an outer ring of the bearing.

17. A method for implementing a mechanical device having:
a bearing including a fixed ring that is fixed to a rotatable shaft and a pivoting ring that are centered on a central axis and include an interface defined between them; and
a system for lubricating the interface having only a single supply channel, the system being configured to bring a flow of lubricant from the single supply channel to the interface through the fixed ring, wherein the single supply channel extends in an axial direction, the system comprising a plurality of junction channels that extend radially from the single supply channel, each one of the plurality of junction channels fluidly connect the single supply channel

Assignees

• Doki-Thonon Thomas
• Aury Alexandre
• Deloeil Pascal
• Skf Aerospace France Sas

Inventors

• Doki-Thonon Thomas
• Aury Alexandre
• Deloeil Pascal

Classifications

• F16C2361/61

  Toothed gear systems, e.g. support of pinion shafts · CPC title

• F16C33/1085 Primary

  Channels or passages to recirculate the liquid in the bearing · CPC title

• F16H57/0423

  Lubricant guiding means mounted or supported on the casing, e.g. shields or baffles for collecting lubricant, tubes or pipes · CPC title

• F16C33/6681

  Details of distribution or circulation inside the bearing, e.g. grooves on the cage or passages in the rolling elements · CPC title

• F16C19/38

  with two or more rows of rollers · CPC title