Lubricant replenishment system
AssigneeIthaco, Inc.
InventorWilliam E. Bialke
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is a system for replenishing an article of equipment with a supply of lubricant. A housing is provided which defines a reservoir. The housing includes an open end connected to the equipment article such that the reservoir and the equipment article are in fluid communication. Lubricant is disposed in the reservoir and a check valve is secured at the open end of the housing to allow one-way flow of lubricant from the reservoir to the housing. Heating the lubricant to a predetermined temperature results in a precisely ascertainable mass of lubricant being forced from the reservoir to the equipment article.
Claims20
A system for providing an equipment article with a supply of lubricant, said article adapted for operating in an operating range of temperatures, said system comprising:
- a housing defining a reservoir, said reservoir having a reservoir volume, said housing having an open end;
- a lubricant disposed in said reservoir, said lubricant having an operating volume no larger than said reservoir volume when said lubricant is in said operating range of temperatures;
- valve means disposed at said open end of said housing and in fluid communication with said equipment article, said valve means allowing one-way movement of lubricant out of said housing;
- heating means in thermal contact with said housing for heating said lubricant, said heating means expanding the volume of said lubricant to a volume larger than said reservoir volume so that a percentage of said lubricant is forced out of said reservoir and into said equipment article upon activation of said heating means;
- and
- selective activation means in communication with said heating means for selectively activating said heating means.
A system for providing a spin bearing assembly with a supply of lubricant, said bearing assembly being adapted for operating in an operating range of temperatures, said system comprising:
- a spin bearing assembly having a bearing orifice;
- an annular housing disposed about said spin bearing assembly, said housing defining a reservoir, said reservoir having a reservoir volume, said housing having an opening;
- a lubricant disposed in said reservoir, said lubricant having an operating volume no larger than said reservoir volume when said lubricant is in said operating range of temperatures;
- a valve means disposed in said housing to provide fluid communication between said reservoir and said opening, said valve means allowing one-way movement of lubricant out of said housing;
- means providing fluid communication between said opening and said bearing orifice;
- and
- heating means in thermal contact with said housing for heating said lubricant, said heating means expanding the volume of said lubricant to a volume larger than said reservoir volume so that a percentage of said lubricant is forced out of said reservoir and into said bearing assembly upon activation of said heating means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.