Resettable electro-mechanically actuated connection unit for generators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9685841-B2
Application number	US-201414539531-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2014
Priority date	Nov 12, 2014
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

An electrical generating system for an aircraft may include a first shaft connected with an engine gearbox, a second shaft connected with a generator of the aircraft, and a connection unit in which the first and second shafts are selectively engageable with one another. The connection unit may include a solenoid coil, an armature co-axial with the first and the second shafts, a plurality of balls positioned around the armature. The armature may include a first cylindrical segment and a second cylindrical segment. The armature may be selectively movable between a first axial position and a second axial position. When the armature is in a first axial position, the balls are positioned to transmit torque forces between the first shaft and the second shaft. When the armature is in a second axial position, the first shaft and the second shaft are free to rotate independently.

First claim

We claim:

1. An electrical generating system for an aircraft comprising:
a first shaft drivably connected with an engine gearbox of the aircraft;
a second shaft co-axial with the first shaft and drivably connected with a generator of the aircraft; and
a connection unit in which the first and second shafts are selectively engageable with one another, the connection unit comprising,
a solenoid coil,
an armature co-axial with the first and the second shafts,
a plurality of balls positioned circumferentially around the armature in contact with the armature,
wherein the armature includes a first cylindrical segment and a second cylindrical segment,
wherein the armature is selectively movable between a first axial position and a second axial position responsively to actuation of the solenoid coil,
wherein the first axial position of the armature positions the armature so that the balls are in contact with the first cylindrical segment,
wherein the second axial position of the armature positions the armature so that the balls are in contact with the second cylindrical segment,
wherein the balls engage with both the first and second shaft when the armature is in the first axial position so that torque loading between the first and second shaft is transmitted exclusively through the balls,
wherein the balls engage with only one of the first or second shaft when the armature is in the second axial position so that the first shaft and the second shaft are free to rotate independently of one another, and
wherein the balls roll during axial movement of the armature.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first cylindrical segment of the armature has an outside diameter greater than an outside diameter of the second cylindrical segment of the armature.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the first cylindrical segment of the armature has an inside diameter smaller than an inside diameter of the second cylindrical segment.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more permanent magnets positioned in the second cylindrical segment to magnetically hold the balls in contact with the second cylindrical segment when the first and the second shafts are free to rotate independently of one another.

5. The system of claim 1 :
wherein the first shaft and the second shaft are positioned in a co-axial overlapping configuration within the connection unit;
wherein the first shaft is provided with a plurality of first ball-engagement openings;
wherein the second shaft is provided with a plurality of second ball-engagement openings;
wherein the first ball-engagement openings are axially aligned with the second ball-engagement openings so that selective radial displacement of the balls produces selective connection or disconnection of the first and the second shafts.

6. The system of claim 5 :
wherein the first shaft has an overlapping segment that has an inside diameter greater than an outside diameter of an overlapping segment of the second shaft;
wherein the second ball-engagement openings are slotted holes which pass through a wall of the overlapping segment of the second shaft.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the armature includes a conical transition segment interposed between the first cylindrical segment and the second cylindrical segment.

8. A system for selectively connecting a generator to an aircraft engine gearbox comprising:
a stub shaft interconnected with the engine gearbox;
a generator shaft interconnected with the generator, the generator shaft being co-axial with the stub shaft and having an overlapping segment positioned within a hollow overlapping segment of the stub shaft;
an armature co-axial with and positioned within a hollow segment of the generator shaft, the armature having a first cylindrical segment with a first outside diameter and a second cylindrical segment with a second outside diameter smaller than the first outside diameter;
a solenoid coil surrounding at least a portion of the armature;
a plurality of balls circumferentially surrounding the armature; and
one or more permanent magnets positioned in the second cylindrical segment of the armature to magnetically hold the balls in contact with the second cylindrical segment when the stub shaft and the generator shaft are free to rotate independently of one another,
wherein the armature is selectively movable between a first axial position and a second axial position responsively to actuation of the solenoid coil,
wherein the first axial position of the armature positions the armature so that the balls are in contact with the first cylindrical segment,
wherein the second axial position of the armature positions the armature so that the balls are in contact with the second cylindrical segment,
wherein the balls engage with both the stub shaft and the generator shaft when the armature is in the first axial position so that the balls are positioned to transmit torque forces between the stub shaft and the generator shaft,
wherein the balls engage with only the generator shaft when the armature is in the second axial position so that the stub shaft and the generator shaft are free to rotate independently of one another.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the solenoid is a bi-directional solenoid.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the solenoid surrounds a portion of the generator shaft.

11. The system of claim 8 :
wherein the generator shaft is provided with a plurality of first ball-engagement openings;
wherein the stub shaft is provided with a plurality of second ball-engagement openings;
wherein the first ball-engagement openings are axially aligned with the second ball-engagement openings so that selective radial displacement of the balls produces selective connection or disconnection of the stub shaft and the generator shaft.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the first ball-engagement openings comprise slotted holes through a wall of the hollow segment of the generator shaft.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the second ball-engagement openings comprise conical detents formed in an inner surface of a hollow segment of the stub shaft.

14. A system for selectively connecting a generator to an aircraft engine gearbox comprising:
a stub shaft interconnected with the engine gearbox;
a generator shaft interconnected with the generator, the generator shaft being co-axial with the stub shaft and having a hollow segment overlapping a portion of the stub shaft;
a hollow armature co-axial with and surrounding the hollow segment of the generator shaft, the armature having a first cylindrical segment with a first inside diameter and a second cylindrical segment with a second inside diameter greater than the first inside diameter;
a solenoid coil surrounding at least a portion of the armature,
a plurality of balls circumferentially surrounding the stub shaft and contacting the armature;
wherein the armature is selectively movable between a first axial position and a second axial position responsively to actuation of the solenoid coil,
wherein the first axial position of the armature positions the armature so that the balls are in contact with the first cylindrical segment,
wherein the second axial position of the armature positions the armature so that the balls are in contact with the second cylindrical segment,
wherein the balls engage with both the stub shaft and the generator shaft when the armature is in the first axial position so that torque loading between the stub shaft and the generator shaft is transmitted exclusively through the balls,
wherein the balls engage with only the generator shaft when the armature is in the s

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Davis Torey
• Gehrke Jens
• Pearson Wayne
• Anghel Cristian
• Cooper Janiece Marie
• Fritz Mason Douglas
• Groff Matthew
• Johnson Tovi F
• Watters Eric John
• Yturralde Matthew A

Classifications

• H02K7/003

  Couplings; Details of shafts (means for mounting rotors on shafts H02K1/28) · CPC title

• F16D27/102

  with radially movable clutching members (F16D27/105 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02K7/1085 Primary

  Magnetically influenced friction clutches · CPC title