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US 12,196,293 B2Granted
Counter rotating gear drive and associated systems, components, and methods
AssigneeGIG Energy LLC
InventorJon Woodward
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gear box includes a first planetary gear and a second planetary gear. The gear box further includes a first carrier of the first planetary gear coupled to a second ring gear of the second planetary gear. The gear box also includes a first ring gear of the first planetary gear coupled to a second carrier of the second planetary gear. The gear box further includes a first sun gear of the first planetary gear coupled to a first output shaft. The gear box also includes a second sun gear of the second planetary gear coupled to a second output shaft.
Claims16
A gear box comprising:
- a first planetary gear and a second planetary gear;
- a first carrier of the first planetary gear coupled to a second ring gear of the second planetary gear;
- a first ring gear of the first planetary gear coupled to a second carrier of the second planetary gear;
- a first sun gear of the first planetary gear coupled to a first output shaft;
- a second sun gear of the second planetary gear coupled to a second output shaft, the second output shaft surrounding the first output shaft and being concentric with the first output shaft;
- and
- a housing surrounding the first planetary gear and the second planetary gear, wherein the housing is configured to rotate relative to the first planetary gear and the second planetary gear.
4 more elements
A method of transferring motion comprising:
- receiving a rotational input in a first direction at a first carrier of a first planetary gear;
- rotating a second ring gear of a second planetary gear through a first coupling between the first carrier and the second ring gear;
- coupling a second carrier of the second planetary gear to a first ring gear of the first planetary gear through a second coupling between the first ring gear and the second carrier;
- causing a first output shaft to rotate in the first direction through a first drive interface between a first set of planet gears coupled to the first carrier and a first sun gear, the first output shaft coupled to the first sun gear;
- causing a second output shaft to rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction through a second drive interface between a second set of planet gears coupled to the second carrier and a second sun gear, the second output shaft coupled to the second sun gear, the second output shaft surrounding the first output shaft;
- and
- receiving a second rotational input in the second direction at the first ring gear.
4 more elements
A gear drive comprising:
- a first rotational input;
- a second rotational input concentric with and surrounding the first rotational input;
- a first planetary gear;
- a first carrier of the first planetary gear coupled to the first rotational input;
- a first ring gear of the first planetary gear coupled to the second rotational input;
- a first sun gear of the first planetary gear coupled to a first output shaft;
- and
- a second planetary gear comprising:
- a second ring gear coupled to the first carrier of the first planetary gear;
- and
- a second carrier coupled to the first ring gear of the first planetary gear,
- wherein the first rotational input is configured to rotate in a first direction and the second rotational input is configured to rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction.
9 more elements
A method of transferring motion comprising:
- receiving a rotational input in a first direction at a first carrier of a first planetary gear;
- rotating a second ring gear of a second planetary gear through a first coupling between the first carrier and the second ring gear;
- coupling a second carrier of the second planetary gear to a first ring gear of the first planetary gear through a second coupling between the first ring gear and the second carrier;
- causing a first output shaft to rotate in the first direction through a first drive interface between a first set of planet gears coupled to the first carrier and a first sun gear, the first output shaft coupled to the first sun gear;
- causing a second output shaft to rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction through a second drive interface between a second set of planet gears coupled to the second carrier and a second sun gear, the second output shaft coupled to the second sun gear, the second output shaft surrounding the first output shaft;
- and
- receiving a second rotational input in the second direction at the first ring gear,
- wherein coupling the second carrier of the second planetary gear to the first ring gear of the first planetary gear through the second coupling between the first ring gear and the second carrier comprises coupling the second carrier of the second planetary gear to the first ring gear of the first planetary gear through a housing surrounding the first planetary gear and the second planetary gear.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.