Bearing apparatus for power transmissions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9938004-B2
Application number	US-201514714911-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2015
Priority date	May 18, 2015
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A transmission includes a first pericyclic motion converter having a first aperture to receive at least a portion of an output shaft and a second pericyclic motion converter having a second aperture to receive at least a portion of the output shaft. A first bearing is positioned between an inner surface of the first pericyclic motion converter defined by the first aperture and an outer surface of the output shaft. A second bearing is positioned between an inner surface of the second pericyclic motion converter defined by the second aperture and the outer surface of the output shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transmission comprising:
a first pericyclic motion converter, the first pericyclic motion converter having a ring-shaped gear defining a first aperture to receive at least a portion of an output shaft;
a second pericyclic motion converter, the second pericyclic motion converter having a ring-shaped gear defining a second aperture to receive at least a portion of the output shaft;
a first bearing positioned between an inner surface defined by the first aperture of the first pericyclic motion converter and an outer surface of the output shaft; and
a second bearing positioned between an inner surface defined by the second aperture of the second pericyclic motion converter and the outer surface of the output shaft.

2. The transmission as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first bearing or the second bearing comprises a spherical uniball bearing.

3. The transmission as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a carrier to impart rotational motion to the first and second pericyclic motion converters.

4. The transmission as defined in claim 3 , further comprising a first pericyclic bearing positioned between an outer surface of first pericyclic motion converter and an inner surface of the carrier, the first pericyclic bearing positioned to provide a first nutating angle to the first pericyclic motion converter.

5. The transmission as defined in claim 4 , further comprising a second pericyclic bearing positioned between an outer surface of second pericyclic motion converter and the inner surface of the carrier, the second pericyclic bearing positioned to provide a second nutating angle to the second pericyclic motion converter.

6. The transmission as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first bearing comprises a first roller bearing to impart a wobble motion to the first pericyclic motion converter and a second roller bearing to react loads from a gear mesh of the first pericyclic motion converter to the output shaft.

7. The transmission as defined in claim 6 , further comprising a first carrier positioned between the inner surface of the first pericyclic motion converter and the outer surface of the output shaft, wherein the first carrier supports the first roller bearing and second roller bearing between the first pericyclic motion converter and the output shaft.

8. The transmission as defined in claim 7 , further comprising a first tether to operatively couple the first carrier to an input gear, the input gear to drive the first carrier via the first tether.

9. The transmission as defined in claim 8 , wherein the second bearing comprises a third roller bearing to impart a wobble motion to the second pericyclic motion converter and a fourth roller bearing to react loads from a gear mesh of the second pericyclic motion converter to the output shaft.

10. The transmission as defined in claim 9 , further comprising a second carrier positioned between gears of the second pericyclic motion converter and the outer surface of the output shaft, wherein the second carrier supports the third roller bearing and fourth roller bearing between the second pericyclic motion converter and the output shaft.

11. The transmission as defined in claim 10 , further comprising a second tether to operatively couple the second carrier to the input gear, the input gear to drive the second carrier via the second tether.

12. The transmission as defined in claim 11 , wherein the first and second tethers comprise a unitary structure.

13. A transmission comprising:
a first pericyclic motion converter and a second pericyclic motion converter to drive an output shaft of a transmission, the first pericyclic motion converter including a ring-shaped gear having a first aperture defining a first inner surface and the second pericyclic motion converter including a ring-shaped gear having a second aperture defining a second inner surface, the first and second apertures to receive the output shaft of the transmission;
a carrier to drive the first and second pericyclic motion converters;
a first bearing positioned in the first aperture of the first pericyclic motion converter between an outer surface of the output shaft and the first inner surface of the first pericyclic motion converter; and
a second bearing positioned in the second aperture of the second pericyclic motion converter between the outer surface of the output shaft and the second inner surface of the second pericyclic motion converter.

14. The transmission as defined in claim 13 , wherein the first pericyclic motion converter includes a first gear face and a second gear face, the first gear face to engage a first reaction gear and the second gear face to engage a first output gear face of an output shaft gear coupled to the output shaft.

15. The transmission as defined in claim 14 , wherein the second pericyclic motion converter includes a third gear face and a fourth gear face, the third gear face to engage a second reaction gear and the fourth gear face to engage a second output gear face of the output shaft gear coupled to the output shaft.

16. The transmission as defined in claim 15 , wherein the first gear face faces away from the third gear face, and the second gear face faces toward the fourth gear face.

17. A transmission comprising:
a first pericyclic motion converter and a second pericyclic motion converter to drive an output shaft of a transmission,
the first pericyclic motion converter including a first gear face and a second gear face, the first gear face to engage a first reaction gear and the second gear face to engage a first output gear face of an output shaft gear coupled to the output shaft;
the second pericyclic motion converter including a third gear face and a fourth gear face, the third gear face to engage a second reaction gear and the fourth gear face to engage a second output gear face of the output shaft gear coupled to the output shaft, the first gear face facing away from the third gear face, and the second gear face facing toward the fourth gear face,

wherein, when the first pericyclic motion converter is at a first angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the output shaft, a first portion of the first gear face is to engage a first portion of the first reaction gear and a second portion of the first gear face is to disengage a second portion of the first reaction gear, and a first portion of the second gear face is to engage a first portion of the first output gear face and a second portion of the second gear face is to disengage a second portion of the first output gear face;
a carrier to drive the first and second pericyclic motion converters;
a first spherical bearing positioned between an outer surface of the output shaft and a first inner surface of a first opening of the first pericyclic motion converter; and
a second spherical bearing positioned between the outer surface of the output shaft and a second inner surface of a second opening of the second pericyclic motion converter.

18. The transmission as defined in claim 17 , wherein, when the second pericyclic motion converter is at a second angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the output shaft, a first portion of the third gear face is to engage a first portion of the second reaction gear and a second portion of the second gear face is to disengage a second portion of the second reaction gear, and a first portion of the fourth gear face is to engage a first portion of the second output gear face and a second portion of the fourth gear face is to disengage a second portion of the second output gear face.

19. T

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Robuck Mark J
• Kaiser Eric

Classifications

• B64C27/14 Primary

  Direct drive between power plant and rotor hub · CPC title

• B64C27/12 Primary

  Rotor drives · CPC title

• B64D35/00

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

• F16H1/321

  the orbital gear being nutating · CPC title