Lubrication system for automotive transmission pocket bearing

• US 4,842,100 A
• Filed: 11/19/1987
• Issued: 06/27/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NOVO INDUSTRI A/S, NOVO ALLE, DK-2880 BAGSVAERD
• Original Assignee: The Timken Company
• Inventors: Cameron, Robert W., Dressler, Gary J., Hartline, Jack I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Croyle, Carlton R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/122,922
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 184/13.1, 184/11.2, 184/6.12, 184/6.2, 184/11.1, 184/11.3, 184/11.4, 74/467
• US Class Current: 184/6.2
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/55 with intermediate floating or independently-driven rings rotating at reduced speed or with other differential ball or roller bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/6659 Details of supply of the liquid to the bearing, e.g. passages or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0037 Special features of coaxial shafts, e.g. relative support thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0423 Lubricant guiding means mounted or supported on the casing, e.g. shields or baffles for collecting lubricant, tubes or pipes means for guiding lubricant into an axial channel of a shaft F16H57/0426; lubrication by injection, injection nozzles or tubes therefore F16H57/0456
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0443 for supply of lubricant during tilt or high acceleration, e.g. problems related to the tilt or extreme acceleration of the transmission casing and the supply of lubricant under these conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/045 Lubricant storage reservoirs, e.g. reservoirs in addition to a gear sump for collecting lubricant in the upper part of a gear case
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0457 Splash lubrication characterised by the problem reducing losses, e.g. splash losses F16H57/0409
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0471 Bearing
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0495 with fixed gear ratio
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 7/18 with one or more feed members fixed on a shaft

Abstract

The invention is directed to a transmission assembly comprising: a power output delivery end and a power input end; a pocket bearing operative between the power delivery end and the input end of the transmission; a lubricant containing housing remote from the pocket bearing in the transmission; a lubricant conduit system extending from said housing to said power input end of the transmission; a lubricant pump in said housing responsive to transmission operation for throwing lubricant outwardly under pressure within said housing; and a lubricant collector in said housing in the path of the lubricant thrown out by said pump, said collector directing the lubricant under pressure into said conduit system for delivery into said power input end of the transmission for supplying lubricant under pressure to reach said pocket bearing.

Claims

1. In a lubricating system for delivering a lubricant to a pocket bearing adjacent the forward end of an elongated transmission assembly receiving the rearward end of an engine power output shaft, the rearward end of the engine power output shaft being formed with an internal pocket adjacent the forward end of the transmission assembly, a power receiving shaft in the transmission assembly having a forward end projecting into the internal pocket, and bearing means disposed in the internal pocket between the rearward end of the engine output shaft and the power receiving shaft end of the transmission assembly, the improvement of an arrangement for lubricating the bearing means in the internal pocket when the engine output shaft is inclined at least to a position in which the engine is higher than the internal pocket and the bearing means therein, the improvement comprising:

(a) a lubricant retaining cavity in the rearward end of the elongated transmission assembly, said cavity being separated from the location of the internal pocket enclosing the end of the engine output shaft;

(b) lubricant transfer means interconnecting the separated lubricant retaining cavity in the rearward end of the transmission assembly with the internal pocket; and

(c) lubricant pumping means in the lubricant retaining cavity which is operable in response to operation of the transmission assembly to pump lubricant from the lubricant retaining cavity into the lubricant interconnecting means to supply lubricant to the bearing means disposed in the internal pocket under transmission operating conditions.

2. The improvement set forth in claim 1 wherein the lubricant interconnecting means includes a lubricant pickup baffle means in said lubricant retaining cavity to direct the pumped lubricant into the lubricant interconnecting means.

3. A transmission pocket bearing lubricating system in a transmission assembly associated with an engine output shaft comprising:

(a) a power delivery shaft from an engine having a drive gear thereon formed with an internal cavity;

(b) a transmission operating shaft having a forward end portion projecting into said internal cavity of said drive gear and said transmission operating shaft having an opposite remote rearward end;

(c) bearing means operative in said internal cavity between said drive gear and said transmission shaft first said end portion;

(d) a cavity means in the transmission assembly for retaining a source of lubrication remote from said internal cavity, said cavity means having a connection with said internal cavity; and

(e) pump means operably disposed in said cavity means at said remote source of lubricant for forcing lubricant to flow to said internal cavity for lubricating said bearing means therein.

4. The transmission pocket bearing lubricating system set forth in claim 3 wherein said pump means includes gear means operating in the cavity means for forcing the lubricant to flow in said connection with said internal cavity.

5. The transmission pocket bearing lubricating system set forth in claim 3 wherein a lubricant directing baffle is mounted in said cavity means in position to receive lubricant forced by said pump means, said directing baffle having an outlet to said connection.