Positive lubrication of a meshing gear

A gear assembly, comprising:

• a shaft configured to rotate;
• a toothed wheel mounted on the shaft and configured to rotate therewith, the toothed wheel having a plurality of teeth formed on, and extending radially from, a periphery thereof, each of the plurality of teeth defined by a root portion, an involute profile portion, and a minimal stress portion located between the root portion and the involute profile portion;
• an annular well formed in the gear assembly between the shaft and the plurality of teeth and adapted to receive a lubricant;
• a plurality of fluidic passages, each fluidic passage in fluidic communication with the annular well and one of the minimal stress portion of one of the plurality of teeth or the involute profile of one of the plurality of teeth, whereby, during gear assembly operation, lubricant flows, under the influence of centrifugal force, to the plurality of teeth via the plurality of fluidic passages.

A method of lubricating a plurality of teeth in a meshing gear comprising the steps of:

• providing a shaft configured to rotate;
• mounting a tooth wheel on the shaft, the toothed wheel configured to rotate therewith, the toothed wheel having a plurality of teeth formed on, and extending radially from, a periphery thereof, each of the plurality of teeth defined by a root portion, an involute profile portion, and a minimal stress portion located between the root portion and the involute profile portion;
• providing a source of lubricant adapted to supply a lubricant to the gear assembly;
• and
• forming a plurality of fluidic passages, each fluidic passage in fluidic communication with the source of lubricant and the minimal stress portion of one of the plurality of teeth, whereby during gear assembly operation, lubricant flows, under the influence of centrifugal force, to the minimal stress portion of each of the plurality of teeth via the plurality of fluidic passages.