Emergency lubricating device for a reduction unit particularly for a main gear box of a rotary-wing aircraft

• US 5,121,815 A
• Filed: 02/19/1991
• Issued: 06/16/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aerospatiale Societe Nationale Industrielle
• Original Assignee: Aerospatiale Societe Nationale Industrielle
• Inventors: Francois, Roland C., Marnot, Paul H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cariaso, Alan B.
• Application Number:
  US07/656,889
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 184/6.4, 184/6.12, 184/6.11, 74/467, 123/196 R
• US Class Current: 184/6.4
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/12 Rotor drives
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0404 Lubricant filters
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0442 for supply in case of failure, i.e. auxiliary supply
• 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 57/0456 Lubrication by injection; Injection nozzles or tubes therefor oil mist or spray lubrication F16H57/0458
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0471 Bearing
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 29/02 for influencing the supply of lubricant

Abstract

An emergency lubricating device is disclosed for a reduction unit, particularly for the main gearbox of a rotary-wing aircraft, including a branch duct (10), coming from the normal lubricating circuit (3) of a rotary-wing aircraft gearbox (1), which feeds oil to at least one emergency reservoir placed at the upper part of the gearbox. The reservoir delivers the oil continuously through calibrated emergency supply ducts to the critical elements of the reduction unit (8, 9).

Claims

1. Emergency lubricating device for a gear reduction unit and more particularly for a main gearbox of a rotary-wing aircraft in which a normal lubricating circuit, fed by at least one pump, distributes oil from a normal reservoir under pressure through nozzles in a direction of elements of the gear reduction unit, said emergency lubricating device comprising:

at least one branch duct branching from the normal lubricating circuit;

a special emergency lubrication circuit; and

at least one emergency reservoir fed by oil from said at least one branch duct to maintain a predetermined level of oil during normal operation and having an overflow connected to the normal reservoir, said at least one emergency reservoir continuously distributing the oil maintained therein through said special emergency lubrication circuit to critical elements of the gear reduction unit at a low rate prior to returning the oil to the normal reservoir, wherein a minimum lubrication of said critical elements is provided for a time sufficient to reach a landing ground during a complete failure of the normal lubricating circuit.

2. Emergency lubricating device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one emergency reservoir is placed above the critical elements of the gear reduction unit and the special emergency lubricating circuit comprises ducts connected to a lower part of the at least one emergency reservoir for lubricating the critical elements of the gear reduction unit or the main gearbox from above.

3. Emergency lubricating device according to claim 1, further comprising an emergency pump is provided in at least one supply duct supplying the special emergency lubricating circuit for pressure feeding emergency nozzles at a low rate.

4. Emergency lubricating device according to claim 3, the at least one supply duct of the special emergency lubricating circuit has a low oil pressure alarm.