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US 10,744,566 B2Granted
Gear, a method of manufacturing a gear and a geared gas turbine engine
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorDerek W J Clarke
Life of this patent
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AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorDerek W J Clarke
Estimating the term…
A gas turbine engine comprises a gearbox comprising a sun gear, an annulus gear, a plurality of planet gears and a carrier. The sun gear meshes with the planet gears and the planet gears mesh with the annulus gear. A planet gear comprises a first annular structure, a plurality of teeth extending radially from the first annular structure and a second annular structure abutting and secured to a cylindrical surface of the first annular structure. The first annular structure and the teeth consist of steel, the second annular structure comprises a metal matrix composite, the metal matrix comprising aluminium, aluminium alloy, steel, titanium or titanium alloy, the reinforcing material comprising titanium diboride, titanium carbide or titanium nitride. The second annular structure reduces the mass but maintains, or increases, the stiffness of the planet gear to carry centrifugal loads and to maintain roundness of the planet gears.
A gear comprising a first annular structure and a second annular structure,
A planet gear comprising a first annular structure, a second annular structure and a third annular structure,
A gas turbine engine comprising a gearbox, the gearbox comprising a sun gear, an annulus gear, a plurality of planet gears and a planet gear carrier, the planet gears being rotatably mounted in the planet gear carrier, the sun gear meshing with the planet gears and the planet gears meshing with the annulus gear, wherein one or more of the sun gear, the annulus gear and a planet gear comprising a first annular structure and a second annular structure, a plurality of teeth extending radially from the first annular structure, the first annular structure having a cylindrical surface, the second annular structure abutting and being secured to the cylindrical surface of the first annular structure, wherein the first annular structure, the teeth, and the second annular structure comprising a unitary monolithic structure, the first annular structure and the teeth consisting of steel, the second annular structure comprising a metal matrix composite, the metal matrix composite comprising a metal matrix and reinforcing material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.