Bearing architecture for high-speed motor drive systems

Abstract

A drive system includes a motor and a gearbox. A three-bearing architecture is used to constrain a rotor shaft of the motor and a gear shaft of the gearbox. A first bearing interfacing with the gear shaft, a second bearing interfacing to the rotor shaft, and a central bearing are arranged between the first and second bearings. The central bearing includes a first race section configured to interface with the gear shaft and a second race section for interfacing to the rotor shaft. The first race section and the second race section are separate from each other and may be axially proximate to each other. The gear shaft includes a first section configured to interface with an inner race of the central bearing, and a second section configured to interface with the rotor shaft. The first and second sections are separate and may include the same pitch circle diameter.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.