Marine vessel propulsion with a thrust bearing
AssigneeRENK Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsHartmut Hultsch, Karl-Heinz Merk
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A marine vessel propulsion assembly has an elastically suspended gearbox with an output drive shaft guided in an axial bearing with a rigidly suspended bearing housing. Free space is provided in the axial bearing for allowing movement of the output drive shaft in the radial direction, wherein the output drive shaft is freely movable radially within the free space. A supporting ring with sliding elements for axial guidance of the output drive shaft is arranged in the axial bearing. The supporting ring is hydraulically supported by a large number of pistons so that the supporting ring can match itself to angular displacements of the output drive shaft and can always completely and uniformly support the sliding elements on the bearing circumference.
Claims4
A marine vessel propulsion assembly, comprising:
- an elastically suspended gearbox having an output drive shaft;
- an axial bearing having a rigidly suspended bearing housing, said output drive shaft guided in said axial bearing, wherein said axial bearing defines a radial free space between said axial bearing and said output shaft in which said output shaft is freely radially movable;
- and
- a supporting ring arranged in said axial bearing and having sliding elements and hydraulic support pistons, said sliding elements axially guiding said output drive shaft and said hydraulic pistons hydraulically supporting said supporting ring such that said supporting ring matches angular displacements of said output drive shaft and provides uniform axial support of said sliding elements on said output drive shaft.
A marine vessel propulsion assembly, comprising:
- an elastically suspended gearbox having an output drive shaft;
- an axial bearing having a rigidly suspended bearing housing, said output drive shaft guided in said axial bearing, wherein said axial bearing defines a radial free space between said axial bearing and said output shaft in which said output shaft is freely radially movable;
- a supporting ring arranged in said axial bearing and having sliding elements and hydraulic support pistons, said sliding elements axially guiding said output drive shaft and said hydraulic pistons hydraulically supporting said supporting ring such that said supporting ring matches angular displacements of said output drive shaft and provides uniform axial support of said sliding elements on said output drive shaft;
- and
- damping elements for supporting said hydraulic support pistons relative to said bearing housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.