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US 6,626,792 B2Granted
Gear bearings
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
InventorJohn M. Vranish
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gear bearing having a first gear and a second gear, each having a plurality of teeth. Each gear operates on two non-parallel surfaces of the opposing gear teeth to perform both gear and bearing functions simultaneously. The gears are moving at substantially the same speed at their contact points. The gears may be roller gear bearings or phase-shifted gear bearings, and may be arranged in a planet/sun system or used as a transmission.
Claims14
A gear bearing system comprising:
- a first gear bearing having a first roll surface element with a first roll surface element radius, a first gear coaxially positioned with said first roll surface element, said first gear having a plurality of first gear teeth, each of said gear teeth having a first and second surface with corresponding first and second contact points and a first pitch radius such that said first gear tooth pitch radius is substantially equal to said first roll surface element radius;
- and,
- a second gear bearing having a second roll surface element with a second roll surface element radius, a second gear coaxially positioned with said second roll surface element, said second gear operating on said first and said second surface of said first gear teeth.
A gear bearing system comprising:
- a first gear bearing having a first roll surface element with a first roll surface element radius, a first gear coaxially positioned with said first roll surface element, said first gear having a plurality of first gear teeth, each of said first gear teeth having a first gear teeth pitch radius such that said first gear teeth pitch radius is substantially equal to said first roll surface element radius, each of said gear teeth having a first and second surface with corresponding first and second contact points and each of said first gear teeth having a first gear teeth crown with a first gear teeth crown radius, said first gear teeth crown radius said substantially equal to said first gear roll surface element radius;
- and
- a second gear bearing having a second roll surface element with a second roll surface element radius, a second gear coaxially positioned with said second roll surface element, said second gear having a plurality of second gear teeth operating on said first and said second surface of said first gear teeth, each of said second gear teeth having a second gear teeth pitch radius such that said second gear teeth pitch radius is substantially equal to said second roll surface element radius, and each of said second gear teeth having a second gear teeth crown with a second gear teeth crown radius, said second gear teeth crown radius is substantially equal to said second gear roll surface element radius.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.