Planet gearbox with cylindrical roller bearing with under race lube scheme
First Claim
1. A planet gearbox for connection to a carrier of an epicyclic gearing arrangement that has only a single input and a single output and that includes a sun gear and a ring gear surrounding the planet gearbox and the sun gear, the planet gearbox comprising:
- a support pin configured to be fixed to the carrier and defining a cylindrical outer surface that is radially equidistant from a central axis that extends in an axial direction, the support pin is further defined as a hollow cylinder by a cylindrical inner surface disposed opposite the cylindrical outer surface, the support pin includes a plurality of oil feed holes, each oil feed hole extending through the support pin between the inner and outer surfaces of the support pin and defining an exit opening at the outer surface of the support pin;
an inner ring defining a cylindrical inner surface that is non-rotatably connected to the cylindrical outer surface of the support pin, the inner ring defining an outer surface that defines at least one track;
a respective plurality of cylindrical rollers;
wherein each track of the at least one track is defined in the outer surface of the inner ring and is configured to receive and rotatably guide therein the respective plurality of cylindrical rollers;
an outer ring defining an inner cylindrical surface contacting each respective plurality of cylindrical rollers, the outer ring defining an outer cylindrical surface that defines a gear tooth surface that is configured to mesh with both the sun gear and the ring gear;
for each respective track, a respective roller cage disposed between the inner ring and the outer ring; and
a network of interconnected grooves defined in one of the cylindrical outer surface of the support pin and the cylindrical inner surface of the inner ring, wherein each oil feed hole through the support pin is disposed to intersect with the network of grooves.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A planet gear rotatable on a planet bearing with cylindrical rollers is mounted to a carrier of an epicyclic gearing arrangement. Either the cylindrical outer surface of the support pin or the opposing cylindrical inner surface of the inner ring of the planet bearing includes a network of interconnected grooves. The support pin includes oil feed holes intersecting the grooves. Passages through the planet bearing'"'"'s inner ring also connect to the grooves. A gas turbine engine includes a fan and LP shaft, which couples a compressor to a turbine. An epicyclic gearing arrangement has a single input from the LP shaft coupled to a sun gear, a single output coupled to the fan'"'"'s shaft, and a planet bearing with a network of interconnected grooves.
81 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A planet gearbox for connection to a carrier of an epicyclic gearing arrangement that has only a single input and a single output and that includes a sun gear and a ring gear surrounding the planet gearbox and the sun gear, the planet gearbox comprising:
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a support pin configured to be fixed to the carrier and defining a cylindrical outer surface that is radially equidistant from a central axis that extends in an axial direction, the support pin is further defined as a hollow cylinder by a cylindrical inner surface disposed opposite the cylindrical outer surface, the support pin includes a plurality of oil feed holes, each oil feed hole extending through the support pin between the inner and outer surfaces of the support pin and defining an exit opening at the outer surface of the support pin; an inner ring defining a cylindrical inner surface that is non-rotatably connected to the cylindrical outer surface of the support pin, the inner ring defining an outer surface that defines at least one track; a respective plurality of cylindrical rollers;
wherein each track of the at least one track is defined in the outer surface of the inner ring and is configured to receive and rotatably guide therein the respective plurality of cylindrical rollers;an outer ring defining an inner cylindrical surface contacting each respective plurality of cylindrical rollers, the outer ring defining an outer cylindrical surface that defines a gear tooth surface that is configured to mesh with both the sun gear and the ring gear; for each respective track, a respective roller cage disposed between the inner ring and the outer ring; and a network of interconnected grooves defined in one of the cylindrical outer surface of the support pin and the cylindrical inner surface of the inner ring, wherein each oil feed hole through the support pin is disposed to intersect with the network of grooves. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A gas turbine engine comprising:
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a longitudinal axis; a fan including a plurality of blades extending radially from a hub and rotatable about the longitudinal axis; a compressor disposed downstream from the fan; a turbine disposed downstream of the compressor; a rotatable input shaft mechanically coupling the compressor to rotate in unison with the turbine; an epicyclic gearing arrangement that has only a single input and that includes a carrier, a sun gear rotatable about a central axis that is coincident with the longitudinal axis, a ring gear disposed circumferentially around the sun gear, at least one planet gearbox that is carried by the carrier and houses a planet gear rotatable with respect to the carrier about the central axis, wherein the at least one planet gear meshes with both the sun gear and the ring gear; and an engine envelope surrounding the fan, the compressor, the turbine and the epicyclic gearing arrangement, wherein one of the ring gear and the carrier is non-rotatably coupled to the engine envelope; and the planet gearbox further including; a support pin configured to be fixed to the carrier and defining a cylindrical outer surface that is radially equidistant from the central axis that extends in an axial direction, the support pin is further defined as a hollow cylinder by a cylindrical inner surface disposed opposite the cylindrical outer surface, the support pin includes a plurality of oil feed holes, each oil feed hole extending through the support pin between the inner and outer surfaces of the support pin, an inner ring defining an inner cylindrical surface that is non-rotatably connected to the cylindrical outer surface of the support pin, the inner ring defining an outer surface that defines at least one track, each track being configured to receive and rotatably guide therein a respective plurality of cylindrical rollers, an outer ring defining an outer cylindrical surface that defines a gear tooth surface of the planet gear and that is configured to mesh with both the sun gear and the ring gear, the outer ring defining an inner cylindrical surface that is opposed to the outer cylindrical surface of the outer ring, a plurality of rollers disposed in each track of the inner ring, each roller being free to rotate about the central axis, each roller defining a cylindrical outer surface contacting both the inner ring and the inner cylindrical surface of the outer ring, and for each respective track, a respective roller cage disposed between the inner ring and the outer ring, wherein there is a close clearance between each roller cage and the inner ring, and a network of interconnected grooves defined in one of the cylindrical outer surface of the support pin and the cylindrical inner surface of the inner ring, wherein each oil feed hole through the support pin is disposed to intersect with the network of grooves. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification