# US 12,000,299 B1 · Centrifugally operated oil shield for lubrication flow control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,000,299 B1 - Document ID: US12000299B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 18/238,267 - Filed: 2023-08-25 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2023-08-25 - Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE plc - Applicants: Rolls-Royce Corporation - Inventors: Andrew D. Copeland - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000299B1 ## CPC - F01D 25/183: {Sealing means} - F01D 25/16: Arrangement of bearings; Supporting or mounting bearings in casings (bearings per se F16C) - F05D 2240/50: Bearings - F05D 2260/98: Lubrication - F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract A rotor assembly includes an oil jet assembly, an inner shaft assembly, an outer shaft assembly, and an oil mist shield. The oil jet assembly selectively ejects oil for lubrication. The inner shaft assembly is configured to rotate about a central axis. The outer shaft assembly is configured to rotate selectively about the central axis independent of the inner shaft assembly. The oil mist shield is coupled with the outer shaft and is configured to selectively block and allow the oil from the oil jet assembly from passing into a cavity. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A rotor assembly comprising: an oil jet assembly extending radially inward toward a central axis and configured to selectively eject oil for lubrication, an inner shaft assembly configured to rotate about the central axis, the inner shaft assembly including an inner shaft and an inner bearing coupled with the inner shaft and configured to be lubricated by the oil from the oil jet assembly, an outer shaft assembly configured to rotate selectively about the central axis independent of the inner shaft assembly, the outer shaft assembly having an outer shaft arranged radially outward of and circumferentially around the inner shaft to define a cavity radially therebetween and an outer bearing coupled with the outer shaft and configured to be selectively lubricated by the oil from the oil jet assembly, and an oil mist shield coupled with the outer shaft and configured to selectively block and allow the oil from the oil jet assembly from passing between the inner shaft and the outer shaft and into the cavity, the oil mist shield located axially between the inner bearing and the outer bearing, the oil mist shield including a mount band that extends circumferentially around the central axis and is coupled with the outer shaft and a conical lip that extends radially inward from the mount band to a terminal end, the conical lip is formed to include a plurality of slits arranged circumferentially around the conical lip and that extend radially into the conical lip from the terminal end and toward the mount band, wherein the oil mist shield moves between a first arrangement in which the terminal end of the conical lip confronts the inner shaft in response to the outer shaft not rotating about the central axis to block the oil from the oil jet assembly from passing between the outer shaft and the inner shaft to the cavity and the outer bearing and a second arrangement in which the terminal end of the conical lip moves radially outward away from the inner shaft in response to the outer shaft rotating about the central axis to allow the oil from the oil jet assembly to pass between the outer shaft and the inner shaft to the cavity to lubricate the outer bearing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The rotor assembly of claim 1, wherein the conical lip includes a mount end coupled with the mount band, the terminal end opposite the mount end, and a lip body extending therebetween, the mount end has a first axial thickness, the lip body has a second axial thickness, and the terminal end has a third axial thickness, and wherein the first axial thickness is greater than the second axial thickness, and the third axial thickness is greater than the second axial thickness. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The rotor assembly of claim 1, wherein the conical lip extends radially inward and axially forward from the mount band of the oil mist shield toward the inner shaft. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The rotor assembly of claim 1, wherein a first gap is formed between the terminal end of the conical lip and the inner shaft in response to the oil mist shield being in the first arrangement and the outer shaft not rotating and a second gap is formed between the terminal end of the conical lip and the inner shaft in response to the oil mist shield being in the second arrangement and the outer shaft rotating, and the first gap is less than the second gap. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The rotor assembly of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to rotate the outer shaft about the central axis and direct the oil from the oil jet assembly toward the outer bearing and the inner bearing in response to receiving a first signal and configured to stop rotating the outer shaft and stop directing the oil from the oil jet assembly toward the outer bearing while maintaining direction of the oil toward the inner bearing in response to receiving a second signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The rotor assembly of claim 1, wherein the oil jet assembly includes an inner bearing jet extending radially inward and axially aft to direct the oil toward the inner bearing and an outer bearing jet arranged axially forward of the inner bearing jet and extending radially inward and axially forward to direct the oil toward the outer bearing. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The rotor assembly of claim 6, further comprising a controller configured to rotate the inner shaft about the central axis and direct the oil from the inner bearing jet toward the inner bearing in response to receiving a first signal, and wherein the controller is configured to rotate the outer shaft about the central axis and direct the oil from the outer bearing jet toward the outer bearing in response to receiving a second signal and configured to stop rotating the outer shaft and stop directing the oil from the outer bearing jet toward the outer bearing in response to receiving a third signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The rotor assembly of claim 1, further comprising a seal coupled with the inner shaft and arranged in the cavity axially forward of the outer bearing and the oil mist shield to seal an axially forward end of the cavity, and wherein the oil mist shield blocks the oil from the oil jet assembly from passing between the inner shaft and the outer shaft and into the cavity in response to the outer shaft not rotating to prevent the oil from collecting around the seal. ### Claim 9 A rotor seal assembly comprising: a first shaft extending circumferentially about an axis and configured to rotate about the axis, a second shaft arranged circumferentially around the first shaft to define a cavity radially between the first shaft and the second shaft, the second shaft configured to rotate about the axis independent of the first shaft, and an oil mist shield coupled with the second shaft and configured to move between a first arrangement in which the oil mist shield extends toward the first shaft in response to the second shaft not rotating to block oil from passing between the first shaft and the second shaft and into the cavity and a second arrangement in which the oil mist shield moves away from the first shaft in response to the second shaft rotating to allow the oil to pass between the first shaft and the second shaft and into the cavity. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The rotor seal assembly of claim 9, wherein the oil mist shield includes a mount band that extends circumferentially around the axis and is coupled with the second shaft and a lip that extends radially inward and axially forward away from the mount band to a terminal end of the lip that confronts the first shaft in response to the second shaft not rotating about the axis. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The rotor seal assembly of claim 10, wherein the lip is formed to include a plurality of slits that extend radially into the lip toward the mount band to allow the terminal end of the lip to move radially outward away from the first shaft in response to the second shaft rotating. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The rotor seal assembly of claim 11, wherein the lip is conical shaped. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The rotor seal assembly of claim 10, wherein the terminal end of the lip confronts the first shaft in response to the oil mist shield being in the first arrangement and the terminal end of the lip moves radially outward away from the first shaft and toward the second shaft in response to the oil mist shield being in the second arrangement. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The rotor seal assembly of claim 10, wherein a first gap is formed between the terminal end of the lip and the first shaft in response to the oil mist shield being in the first arrangement and the second shaft not rotating and a second gap is formed between the terminal end of the lip and the first shaft in response to the oil mist shield being in the second arrangement and the second shaft rotating, and wherein the first gap is less than the second gap. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The rotor seal assembly of claim 10, wherein the lip includes a mount end coupled with the mount band, the terminal end opposite the mount end, and a lip body extending therebetween, the mount end has a first axial thickness, the lip body has a second axial thickness, and the terminal end has a third axial thickness, and wherein the first axial thickness is greater than the second axial thickness, and the third axial thickness is greater than the second axial thickness. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The rotor seal assembly of claim 9, wherein the oil mist shield is located radially between the first shaft and the second shaft, and the oil mist shield extends radially inward and axially forward away from the second shaft and toward the first shaft. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) The rotor seal assembly of claim 9, wherein the oil mist shield blocks the oil from passing between the first shaft and the second shaft and into the cavity in response to the second shaft not rotating to prevent the oil from traveling toward and collecting around a seal that is coupled with the first shaft and located axially forward of the oil mist shield. ### Claim 18 (depends on 9) The rotor seal assembly of claim 9, further comprising a controller configured to rotate the first shaft about the central axis and direct the oil toward the first shaft in response to receiving a first signal, and wherein the controller is configured to rotate the second shaft about the central axis and direct the oil toward the second shaft in response to receiving a second signal and to stop rotating the second shaft and stop directing the oil toward the second shaft in response to receiving a third signal. ### Claim 19 A method comprising: rotating a first shaft about an axis, directing oil from a first jet toward a first bearing coupled with the first shaft, blocking the oil from flowing between the first shaft and a second shaft with an oil mist shield in response to the second shaft not rotating about the axis, directing oil from a second jet toward a second bearing coupled with the second shaft in response to a first signal, and rotating the second shaft about the axis in response to the first signal to cause a terminal end of the oil mist shield to move away from the first shaft and allow the oil from the first jet and the second jet to flow between the first shaft and the second shaft to lubricate the second bearing. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising: stopping rotation of the second shaft about the axis in response to a second signal to cause the terminal end of the oil mist shield to move toward the first shaft and block the oil from the first jet from flowing between the first shaft and the second shaft, and stopping the direction of oil from the second jet toward the second bearing in response to the second signal.