Compliant journal bearing shaft assembly
AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
InventorJulien Simard-Bergeron
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A carrier assembly has a pair of axially spaced-apart plates defining an axial gap therebetween. The plates have a plurality of planetary bores on a plurality of planetary axes. A plurality of planetary gear mount assemblies are disposed on the planetary axes and mounted within the planetary bores of the gear carrier. Each assembly comprises a journal bearing shaft having a pair of compliance grooves extending axially from opposed axial ends of the shaft. An inner cylindrical surface of each compliance groove defines a shaft mounting surface. A pair of collars is provided to assemble each journal bearing shaft to the carrier. Each collar has a mounting socket mating the shaft mounting surface and an external collar surface matching the planetary bore diameter.
Claims18
A carrier assembly comprising:
- a gear carrier having a central axis and a pair of axially spaced-apart plates, the pair of axially spaced-apart plates having inward surfaces that are axially spaced apart to define an axial gap, the pair of axially spaced-part plates having a plurality of planetary bores on a plurality of planetary axes parallel to and radially outward from the central axis, each of the planetary bores having a planetary bore diameter;
- a plurality of shaft assemblies disposed on the planetary axes and mounted within the planetary bores of the gear carrier;
- wherein each shaft assembly includes:
- a journal bearing shaft mounted in the axial gap and having a pair of compliance grooves extending axially from opposed axial ends of the shaft, an inner cylindrical surface of each compliance groove defining a shaft mounting surface;
- and
- a pair of collars, each collar having a mounting socket mating the respective shaft mounting surface and an external collar surface matching the planetary bore diameter.
A shaft assembly comprising:
- a journal bearing shaft extending axially along a planetary axis of a planetary gear, the journal bearing shaft having:
- an axial length configured to be inserted into an axial gap between a pair of axially spaced-part plates of a gear carrier;
- an external cylindrical surface having a shaft diameter greater than a planetary bore diameter of a planetary bore defined in the pair of axially spaced-part plates of the gear carrier, the external cylindrical surface being configured to rotatably mount the planetary gear;
- and a pair of compliance grooves extending axially from opposed axial end of the journal bearing shaft, an inner cylindrical surface of each compliance groove defining a shaft mounting surface;
- and
- a pair of collars, each collar having a mounting socket mating the respective shaft mounting surface and an external collar surface configured to mate with the planetary bore diameter of the planetary bore.
A method of assembling a journal bearing shaft to a planetary gear carrier having a pair of axially spaced-apart plates defining an axial gap therebetween, the pair of axially spaced-apart plates having a plurality of planetary bores on a plurality of planetary axes;
- the method comprising:
- disposing the journal bearing shaft into the axial gap between the axially spaced-apart plates of the planetary gear carrier, the journal bearing shaft having compliance grooves extending axially from opposed ends thereof, an inner surface of each compliance groove defining a shaft mounting surface;
- aligning a shaft axis of the journal bearing shaft with an associated one of the planetary axes;
- inserting a pair of collars into the planetary bores at the opposed ends of the journal bearing shaft;
- and
- mounting a mounting socket of each collar on the respective shaft mounting surface of the journal bearing shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.