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US 2025/0052367 A1Published application
Grease inhibitor
AssigneeElectric Torque Machines, Inc.
InventorThomas F. Janecek
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A grease inhibitor is disposed about a rotating shaft of an electric machine. The grease inhibitor is configured to inhibit flow of grease towards electromagnetic components of the electric machine along the shaft. The grease inhibitor includes an inner member that rotates with the shaft and that interfaces with a static component to form the grease inhibiting interface.
Claims23
A grease inhibitor comprising:
- a vertically orientated shaft configured to rotate on an axis;
- an inner member configured to rotate with the shaft, the inner member having a cylindrical outer surface and at least one groove formed on the cylindrical outer surface;
- and
- an outer ring within which the at least one groove rotates to one or both of pump grease up in a first axial direction along an annular interface between the outer ring and the cylindrical outer surface and prevent the grease from leaking downward in a second axial direction along the annular interface, wherein the outer ring is spaced radially from the cylindrical outer surface.
1 more element
-16. (canceled)
(canceled)
A method of inhibiting grease flow along a vertical axis, the method comprising:
- driving rotation of a vertically oriented shaft on an axis, the shaft extending upward in a first axial direction along the axis into a grease reservoir holding a volume of grease and the shaft rotatably supported by a bearing assembly disposed within the grease reservoir;
- and
- rotating an inner member, with the shaft, relative to an outer ring spaced radially from a cylindrical outer surface of the inner member such that at least one groove formed on the cylindrical outer surface of the inner member one or both of pumps grease up in a first axial direction along an annular interface between the outer ring and the cylindrical outer surface and prevent the grease from leaking downward in a second axial direction along the annular interface.
A grease inhibitor comprising:
- a vertically orientated shaft configured to rotate on an axis;
- an inner member configured to rotate with the shaft;
- an outer ring within which the shaft rotates;
- and
- a dynamic ring seal mounted on the outer ring, the dynamic ring seal extending inward to overlap with the inner member, the inner member rotating relative to the dynamic seal, the dynamic ring seal configured to bend to engage the inner round member in response to increased grease pressure, the increased grease pressure pushing grease against the dynamic seal ring to flex the dynamic ring seal against the inner member to inhibit migration of grease along the vertically oriented shaft.
2 more elements
-33. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.