Gearbox including wireless sensors
AssigneeTextron Innovations Inc.
InventorsScott David Poster, Brian Edward Tucker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In an embodiment, an apparatus includes: a gearbox including: a housing having an opening; an input pinion disposed in the housing; a moving feature mechanically coupled to the input pinion, the moving feature and the input pinion being operable to convert between power and torque; and first sensors disposed on the moving feature, the first sensors having batteries, where the moving feature is operable to rotate about a common axis, each of the first sensors being exposed by the opening as the moving feature rotates about the common axis.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a gearbox comprising:
- a housing having an opening;
- an input pinion disposed in the housing;
- a moving feature mechanically coupled to the input pinion, the moving feature and the input pinion being operable to convert between power and torque;
- and
- first sensors disposed on the moving feature, the first sensors having batteries,
- wherein the moving feature is operable to rotate about a common axis, each of the first sensors intersecting a longitudinal axis as the moving feature rotates about the common axis, the longitudinal axis extending through a center of the opening, the longitudinal axis being perpendicular to a surface of the housing.
A rotorcraft comprising:
- a rotorcraft computer;
- and
- a gearbox comprising:
- a housing having an opening;
- a planetary gear set disposed in the housing, the planetary gear set comprising planet gears rotatably mounted to a carrier, the planet gears operable to convert between power and torque;
- first sensors disposed on the carrier of the planetary gear set, the first sensors in wireless communication with the rotorcraft computer, each of the first sensors being aligned along a longitudinal axis as the carrier is rotated, the longitudinal axis extending through a center of the opening;
- and
- second sensors disposed on the housing, the second sensors in wired communication with the rotorcraft computer.
A rotorcraft comprising:
- rotor blades;
- an engine;
- a gearbox comprising:
- a housing having an opening;
- an input pinion disposed in the housing, the input pinion mechanically coupled to the engine;
- a planetary gear set mechanically coupled to the input pinion and the rotor blades, the planetary gear set and the input pinion being operable to reduce power output by the engine and to increase torque applied to the rotor blades;
- and
- first sensors disposed on the planetary gear set,
- wherein the planetary gear set is operable to rotate about a common axis, each of the first sensors intersecting a longitudinal axis extending through a center of the opening as the planetary gear set rotates about the common axis, the longitudinal axis being perpendicular to a surface of the housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.