US 6,439,208 B1 · Centrifugal supercharger having lubricating slinger

Abstract

A centrifugal supercharger includes a case presenting a compressor chamber and a transmission chamber. An impeller in the compressor chamber is mounted to a shaft that extends into the transmission chamber. The impeller shaft is drivingly connected to a power input shaft by intermeshing gears provided on the shafts. A portion of the transmission chamber defines a fluid reservoir in which lubrication fluid is held. The intermeshing gears, as well as the bearing assemblies supporting the shafts, are located outside the fluid reservoir portion of the transmission chamber. A rotatable fluid-propelling element partly submerged in the lubrication fluid contained within the reservoir portion ensures that sufficient but not excessive lubrication fluid is supplied to the intermeshing gears and the bearing assemblies. It is particularly believed that rotation of the partly submerged fluid propelling element causes lubrication fluid to be propelled to the intermeshing gears and lubrication fluid displaced from the gears is directed to the bearing assemblies. The supercharger may alternatively include an intermediate shaft and gears drivingly connecting the impeller shaft to the input shaft, wherein the low speed gear fixed to the input shaft is partly submerged in the lubricant reservoir and serves as the lubricant slinging element.

Claims61

Dependent claims

A centrifugal supercharger comprising:

a case presenting a compressor chamber and a transmission chamber,
said transmission chamber having a fluid reservoir portion;
lubrication fluid contained entirely within the transmission chamber and filling only the fluid reservoir portion thereof;
a rotatable impeller in the compressor chamber;
a transmission operable to drivingly connect the impeller to a power source, with at least part of the transmission being located in the transmission chamber but outside the fluid reservoir portion thereof;
and
a fluid-propelling element operable to propel lubrication fluid in the fluid reservoir portion of the transmission chamber to said at least part of the transmission.

4 more elements

In a powered vehicle including an engine, an improved supercharger comprising:

a case presenting a compressor chamber defined between an outlet opening connected to the engine and an inlet opening,
said case further presenting a transmission chamber having a fluid reservoir portion in which a quantity of lubrication fluid may be held;
a rotatable impeller in the compressor chamber, with the impeller being operable to force air through the outlet opening when rotated;
and
a transmission operable to drivingly connect the impeller to a power source, with at least part of the transmission being located in the transmission chamber but outside the fluid reservoir portion thereof,
said transmission including a rotatable element located at least partly in the fluid reservoir portion of the transmission chamber, such that rotation of the element causes lubrication fluid in the fluid reservoir portion to be slung to said at least part of the transmission,
said transmission including an impeller shaft that extends from the transmission chamber into the compression chamber to support the impeller,
said transmission further including an input shaft that projects from the transmission chamber outside the case for connection to the engine,
said transmission further including an intermediate shaft drivingly connected between the impeller and input shafts.

6 more elements

In a powered vehicle including an engine, an improved supercharger comprising:

a case presenting a compressor chamber defined between an outlet opening connected to the engine and inlet opening,
said case further presenting a transmission chamber having a fluid reservoir portion configured to hold a quantity of lubrication without filling the transmission chamber;
a rotatable impeller in the compressor chamber, with the impeller being operable to force air through the outlet opening when rotated;
a transmission operable to drivingly connect the impeller to the engine such that the transmission serves to transfer driving power to the impeller,
said transmission being located generally within in the transmission chamber but at least substantially outside the fluid reservoir portion thereof;
and
a rotatable fluid-propelling element located at least partly in the fluid reservoir portion of the transmission chamber, with rotation of the fluid-propelling element causing lubrication fluid in the fluid reservoir portion to be transferred to the transmission,
said fluid-propelling element being outside the driving connection between the impeller and the engine so that at least substantially no driving power is transferred to the impeller by the fluid-propelling element.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Centrifugal supercharger having lubricating slinger

Life of this patent

Centrifugal supercharger having lubricating slinger

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims61