Compliant carrier wall for improved gearbox load sharing
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsFulton Jose Lopez, Daniel Jason Erno, Darren Lee Hallman, Bugra Han Ertas, Robert Michael Zirin, Michael John Wittbrodt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A planetary gear system and a method of fabricating same. The planetary gear system includes at least one planet gear, at least one planet pin receiving the at least one planet gear, and a carrier. The carrier itself includes at least one carrier opening for accommodating the at least planet gear, at least one planet pin opening for receiving the at least one planet pin, and at least one flex portion within a wall of the carrier for providing enhanced compliance to the carrier in response to force directed on the at least one planet gear.
Claims18
A planetary gear system, comprising:
- at least one planet gear;
- at least one planet pin receiving the at least one planet gear;
- and
- a carrier, comprising:
- at least one carrier opening for accommodating the at least one planet gear;
- at least one planet pin opening for receiving the at least one planet pin;
- and
- at least one flex portion within a wall of the carrier for providing enhanced compliance to the carrier in response to force directed on the at least one planet gear.
A method of fabricating a planetary gear system, comprising:
- providing a carrier having at least one planet pin opening;
- providing a planet pin for accommodation within the at least one planet pin opening;
- forming at least one flex portion within the carrier;
- and
- installing at least one planet gear adjacent to the at least one flex portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.