Device for stabilizing the pressure inside a gears housing or between a wheels hub and the axle its mounted to and related systems and methods

A trailer for towing a boat, the trailer comprising:

• a wheel having a hub that is mounted to an axle wherein a bearing lies between the axle and the wheel's hub to allow the wheel to rotate about the axle and a volume defined by the space between the axle and the wheel's hub contains a lubricant for the bearing;
• and
• a device for stabilizing pressure inside the volume containing lubricant, the device comprising:
• a bladder including a chamber having a volume, the bladder configured such that the chamber's volume increases as a fluid enters the chamber and decreases as fluid leaves the chamber;
• a conduit having a first end, a second end, and a passage between the first and second ends, the conduit configured to hold fluid disposed in the passage and direct the fluid between the first and second ends, wherein:
• the first end has an opening that allows fluid in the passage to leave the passage, the first end positioned adjacent the volume containing lubricant, such that the opening exposes the conduit's passage to the volume containing lubricant to allow fluid in the passage to enter the volume, and allow fluid in the volume to enter the passage, and
• the second end has an opening that allows fluid in the passage to leave the passage, the second end coupled with the bladder such that the second end's opening exposes the conduit's passage to the chamber's volume to allow fluid in the passage to enter the chamber's volume, and allow fluid in the chamber's volume to enter the passage;
• wherein the volume of the bladder's chamber, the passage of the conduit and the volume containing lubricant are isolated from the ambient environment.

A motor for propelling a boat in water, the motor comprising:

• a gear for transmitting power from an engine of the motor to a propeller;
• a housing having a volume inside which the gear and a lubricant for the gear are disposed;
• and
• a device for stabilizing pressure inside the volume containing lubricant, the device comprising:
• a bladder including a chamber having a volume, the bladder configured such that the chamber's volume increases as a fluid enters the chamber and decreases as fluid leaves the chamber;
• a conduit having a first end, a second end, and a passage between the first and second ends, the conduit configured to hold fluid disposed in the passage and direct the fluid between the first and second ends, wherein:
• the first end has an opening that allows fluid in the passage to leave the passage, the first end positioned adjacent the volume containing lubricant, such that the opening exposes the conduit's passage to the volume containing lubricant to allow fluid in the passage to enter the volume, and allow fluid in the volume to enter the passage, and
• the second end has an opening that allows fluid in the passage to leave the passage, the second end coupled with the bladder such that the second end's opening exposes the conduit's passage to the chamber's volume to allow fluid in the passage to enter the chamber's volume, and allow fluid in the chamber's volume to enter the passage;
• wherein the volume of the bladder's chamber, the passage of the conduit and the volume containing lubricant are isolated from the ambient environment.

A method for stabilizing pressure inside a gear's housing or a wheel's hub, the method comprising:

• disposing a fluid in both a lubricant containing volume and a device that is coupled with the lubricant containing volume such that the fluid may move from either to the other, wherein the device includes a bladder and a conduit, the bladder having a chamber that has a volume in which the fluid is disposed, and the conduit having a passage in which the fluid is disposed;
• isolating the fluid in the lubricant containing volume and device from the ambient environment;
• allowing fluid disposed in the lubricant containing volume and device to leave the lubricant containing volume and enter the volume of the device's chamber, when the fluid pressure in the lubricant containing volume exceeds a first predetermined fluid pressure that is greater than or equal to ambient air pressure;
• and
• exerting external pressure on the device's bladder to encourage fluid disposed in the device's passage to enter the lubricant containing volume when the fluid pressure in the lubricant containing volume drops below a second predetermined fluid pressure that is less than or equal to ambient air pressure.