# US 10,767,755 B2 · Planetary gearing and planet pin for a planetary gearing

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- Number: US 10,767,755 B2
- Document ID: US10767755B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/198,327
- Filed: 2018-11-21
- Published: 2019-05-30
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-11-24
- Assignees: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG; ROLLS-ROYCE plc
- Applicants: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG; Rolls-Royce plc
- Inventors: Michael Nique; Paul Gorenz; Christopher Campbell; Frank Wagner; Mark Spruce; Daren Ashmore
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10767755B2

## CPC

- F16H 57/08: of gearings with members having orbital motion
- F01D 25/18: Lubricating arrangements (of machines or engines in general F01M)
- 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)
- F16C 17/02: for radial load only
- F16C 23/045: {for radial load mainly, e.g. radial spherical plain bearings}
- F16C 33/1025: {with liquid, e.g. oil, as lubricant}
- F16H 1/28: with gears having orbital motion
- F16H 1/2836: {by allowing limited movement of the planet gears relative to the planet carrier or by using free floating planet gears}
- F16H 57/0479: {Gears or bearings on planet carriers}
- F05D 2260/40311: of the epicyclical, planetary or differential type
- F05D 2260/98: Lubrication
- F16C 2360/24: Turbochargers
- F16C 2361/61: Toothed gear systems, e.g. support of pinion shafts
- F16H 2057/085: {Bearings for orbital gears}
- Y02T 50/60: Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
- F16H: GEARING
- F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D)
- F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00)
- F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A planetary gearing includes a sun gear rotating about a rotation axis and driven by a sun shaft; planet gears driven by the sun gear; a ring gear engaging the planet gears; and a plurality of planet pins that respectively include an outer-side abutment surface having an axially forward end and an axially rearward end. Respectively, one planet pin is arranged inside a planet gear, and the planet pin and the planet gear form a lubricated journal bearing. At an axially forward face side and/or axially rearward face side, each planet gear forms a recess that extends inside the planet gear starting from the face side. The planet pins respectively form a crowning at their abutment surface such that their outer diameter decreases from a maximum outer diameter towards at least one axial end of the abutment surface, and has a minimum at the axial end.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A planetary gearing, comprising:
a sun gear rotatable about a rotation axis of the planetary gearing and driven by a sun shaft, wherein the rotation axis defines an axial direction of the planetary gearing,
a plurality of planet gears that are driven by the sun gear,
a ring gear with which the plurality of planet gears is in engagement,
a plurality of planet pins which respectively have an outer-side abutment surface comprising an axially forward end and an axially rearward end, wherein
respectively one planet pin of the plurality of planet pins is arranged inside a planet gear, and the planet pin and the planet gear form a lubricated journal bearing,
the abutment surface being crowned with an outer diameter decreasing from a maximum outer diameter towards at least one chosen from the axially forward end and the axially rearward end and having at least one minimum outer diameter at the at least one chosen from the axially forward end and the axially rearward end,
the at least one minimum outer diameter including axially forward and axially rearward minimum outer diameters positioned respectively at the axially forward end and the axially rearward end, the maximum outer diameter being positioned between the axially forward end and the axially rearward end, the axially forward and the axially rearward minimum outer diameters being different.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The planetary gearing according to claim 1, wherein the planet pin has minimum outer diameters at the axially forward end and the axially rearward end and the maximum outer diameter between the axially forward end and the axially rearward end, wherein the minimum outer diameters are identical on both the axially forward end and the axially rearward end.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The planetary gearing according to claim 1, wherein a difference between the maximum outer diameter and the outer diameter at an axial position of the planet pin continuously increases towards at least one chosen from the axially forward end and the axially rearward end.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The planetary gearing according to claim 1, wherein, in a longitudinal section, the abutment surface forms a first convex curve extending between the maximum outer diameter and the axially forward end, and forms a second convex curve extending between the maximum outer diameter and the axially rearward end.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The planetary gearing according to claim 4, wherein at least one chosen from the first convex curve and the second convex curve is formed in at least one chosen from a circular manner and a parabolic manner.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The planetary gearing according to claim 4, wherein the at least one chosen from the first convex curve and the second convex curve includes multiple curve portions, wherein at least one of the multiple curve portions is formed in a rectilinear manner.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The planetary gearing according to claim 4, wherein the maximum outer diameter is formed by a single circumferential line.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The planetary gearing according to claim 7, wherein the first convex curve and the second convex curve transition steadily into each other.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The planetary gearing according to claim 1, wherein the maximum outer diameter is formed by a cylindrical area with a constant outer diameter extending over a defined axial length.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The planetary gearing according to claim 9, wherein a ratio of the defined axial length of the cylindrical area to an axial total length of the abutment surface is between 0 and 0.75.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The planetary gearing according to claim 1, wherein the maximum outer diameter is positioned at an axial center of the planet pin.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The planetary gearing according to claim 1, wherein the maximum outer diameter is positioned outside of an axial center of the planet pin.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The planetary gearing according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of half a difference between the maximum outer diameter and the minimum outer diameter to the maximum outer diameter is between 0.00005 and 0.005.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The planetary gearing according to claim 1, wherein the abutment surface with the crowned configuration extends only across a circumferential angle (φ) of the planet pin that is smaller than 360°.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The planetary gearing according to claim 14, wherein the circumferential angle (φ) across which the abutment surface with the crowned configuration extends varies in the axial direction.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The planetary gearing according to claim 14, wherein the abutment surface with the crowned configuration extends at the maximum outer diameter across a minimal circumferential angle (φ1), and the circumferential angle (φ) continuously increases from the maximum outer diameter towards the axially forward end and the axially rearward end to a maximum circumferential angle (φ2), so that the abutment surface with the crowned configuration extends at the axially forward end and the axially rearward end across a greater circumferential angle (φ2) than in an area of the maximum outer diameter.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The planetary gearing according to claim 1, wherein the one planet pin is formed as a monolithic single piece.

### Claim 18

A pin for a planetary gearing, comprising:
an outer-side abutment surface for a slide bearing, wherein the abutment surface includes an axially forward end and an axially rearward end,
the abutment surface being crowned with an outer diameter decreasing from a maximum outer diameter towards at least one chosen from the axially forward end and the axially rearward end and having at least one minimum outer diameter at the at least one chosen from the axially forward end and the axially rearward end,
the at least one minimum outer diameter including axially forward and axially rearward minimum outer diameters positioned respectively at the axially forward end and the axially rearward end, the maximum cuter diameter being positioned between the axially forward end and the axially rearward end, the axially forward and the axially rearward minimum outer diameters being different.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

A gear fan engine, comprising:
a fan stage,
a fan shaft via which the fan stage is driven,
a turbine shaft,
wherein the turbine shaft and the fan shaft are coupled via the planetary gearing according to claim 1, wherein the turbine shaft forms the sun shaft, the planet pins are coupled to a torque carrier, and the torque carrier is coupled to the fan shaft.

### Claim 20

A planetary gearing, comprising:
a sun gear rotatable about a rotation axis of the planetary gearing and driven by a sun shaft, wherein the rotation axis defines an axial direction of the planetary gearing,
a plurality of planet gears that are driven by the sun gear,
a ring gear with which the plurality of planet gears is in engagement,
a plurality of planet pins which respectively have an outer-side abutment surface comprising an axially forward end and an axially rearward end, wherein
respectively one planet pin of the plurality of planet pins is arranged inside a planet gear, and the planet pin and the planet gear form a lubricated journal bearing,
the abutment surface being crowned with an outer diameter decreasing from a maximum outer diameter towards at least one chosen from the axially forward end and the axially rearward end and having at least one minimum outer diameter at the at least one chosen from the axially forward end and the axially rearward end,
wherein the abutment surface with the crowned configuration extends only across a circumferential angle (φ) of the planet pin that is smaller than 360°.