Planetary gearbox system and method therefor
AssigneeTextron Innovations Inc.
InventorsCharles J. Ott, Nathaniel Bernklau, Trenton Hamm
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved compound planetary gear system. In embodiments, a compound planetary gear system includes a flexure. A seal is disposed within a portion of the flexure of the ring gear, to create a dam for oil to accumulate behind the ring gear, thermally coupling the ring gear to the casing of the compound planetary gear system, which may increase the thermal conductivity between the ring gear and the casing. In this manner, the heat transfer provided by the flexure ring gear may be improved, which may address problems with limited heat transfer (e.g., during a loss of lubrication event) present in typical systems due to the flexure.
Claims18
A gear system, the gear system comprising:
- a ring gear mounted on a gearbox casing, wherein the ring gear is mounted to the gearbox casing using a flexure mount that includes a flexure;
- a gap between the ring gear and the gearbox casing;
- and
- a seal configured to obstruct a flow of oil to cause the oil to accumulate within the gap between the ring gear and the gearbox casing, wherein the accumulated oil thermally couples the ring gear to the gearbox casing and operates to wick heat away from the ring gear to the gearbox casing.
A method of removing heat from a gear system, the method comprising:
- accumulating oil within a gap between a ring gear and a gearbox casing, wherein the ring gear is mounted on the gearbox casing using a flexure mount that includes a flexure, wherein accumulating the oil within the gap between the ring gear and the gearbox casing includes obstructing a flow of the oil using a seal to cause the oil to accumulate within the gap between the ring gear and the gearbox casing;
- and
- wicking away heat from the ring gear to the gearbox through the accumulated oil, wherein the accumulated oil thermally couples the ring gear to the gearbox casing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.