GEARS, GEAR ARRANGEMENTS AND GAS TURBINE ENGINES

• US 20160363056A1
• Filed: 05/16/2016
• Published: 12/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: WEBSTER, John R
• Granted Patent: US 10,408,134 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/36 Power transmission arrangements between the different shafts of the gas turbine plant, or between the gas-turbine plant and the power user F02C3/107 - F02C3/13 and F02C7/32 take precedence; couplings for transmitting rotation F16D; gearing in general F16H
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/40311 of the epicyclical, planetary or differential type
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 1/28 with gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 55/12 with body or rim assembled out of detachable parts
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 55/17 Toothed wheels worm wheels F16H55/22; chain wheels F16H55/30

Abstract

A gear including an inner bearing part; an outer part including a plurality of teeth; an intermediate part between the inner bearing part and the outer part, the intermediate part including a plurality of support members extending radially between the inner bearing part and the outer part, the plurality of support members being distributed along a longitudinal axis of the gear.

Claims

1. A gear comprising:

an inner bearing part;

an outer part including a plurality of teeth;

an intermediate part between the inner bearing part and the outer part, the intermediate part comprising a plurality of support members extending radially between the inner bearing part and the outer part, the plurality of support members being distributed along a longitudinal axis of the gear.

2. A gear as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner bearing part, the intermediate part and the outer part are integral to one another.

3. A gear as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner bearing part and the intermediate part are coupled to one another at a first interface.

4. A gear as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first interface is a brazed joint, or a diffusion bonded joint, or a shrink fit joint, or an interference fit joint.

5. A gear as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate part and the outer part are coupled to one another at a second interface.

6. A gear as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second interface is a brazed joint, or a diffusion bonded joint, or a shrink fit joint, or an interference fit joint.

7. A gear as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner bearing part, the intermediate part and the outer part comprise the same material.

8. A gear as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate part comprises a different material to the inner bearing part and/or the outer part.

9. A gear as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first support member of the plurality of support members has a first axial position along the longitudinal axis, and a second support member of the plurality of support members has a second axial position along the longitudinal axis, different to the first axial position, the first support member and the second support member defining a cavity there between.

10. A gear as claimed in claim 9, wherein the cavity extends at least partially into at least one of the teeth of the plurality of teeth.

11. A gear as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate part has a closed cell structure, the plurality of support members defining at least a portion of the closed cell structure.

12. A gear as claimed in claim 11, wherein the closed cell structure of the intermediate part has a honeycomb structure or a bone-like matrix structure.

13. A gear as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate part comprises a cylindrical sleeve defining a plurality of radial holes.

14. A gear as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate part is manufactured from a single object.

15. A gear arrangement comprising at least one gear as claimed in claim 1.

16. A gear arrangement as claimed in claim 15, wherein the gear arrangement is an epicyclic gear train, and the at least one gear is arranged as a planet gear.

17. A gas turbine engine comprising a gear arrangement as claimed in claim 15.

18. A gas turbine engine as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

a fan;

a compressor;

a turbine;

a shaft coupled to the compressor and to the turbine;

the gear arrangement being coupled to the shaft and to the fan.