Duplex bearing lubrication
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsDonald L. Kerr, Eric A. Nager, Giri Prakash Devalapally
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bearing system has first and second bearings each having an inner race. The inner races are mounted to a shaft. The first bearing inner race has a plurality of first ports. The second bearing inner race has a plurality of second ports. The shaft is insertable into the inner races in a plurality of orientations and has a plurality of outer diameter (OD) channels positioned to cooperate with at least the first bearing inner race to communicate with at least some of the first ports and at least some of the second ports. Regardless of said installed orientation, at least one of the second ports are in communication with at least one said inlet port along a flowpath bypassing all the first ports.
Claims27
A bearing system comprising:
- a first bearing having an inner race;
- a second bearing having an inner race;
- and
- a shaft, received by the inner race of the first bearing and the inner race of the second bearing,
- wherein:
- the inner race of the first bearing includes a plurality of first ports;
- the inner race of the second bearing includes a plurality of second ports;
- the shaft is insertable into the inner race of the first bearing and the inner race of the second bearing in a plurality of installed orientations;
- the shaft has a plurality of outer diameter (OD) channels positioned to cooperate with at least the inner race of the first bearing to define passageways;
- the OD channels comprise:
- at least one first channel dimensioned to potentially feed one or more of the first ports;
- and
- at least one second channel dimensioned to potentially feed one or more of the second ports and one or more of the first ports;
- at least some of the passageways extend aft from an associated inlet port to communicate with at least one of the first ports and at least one of the second ports;
- and
- regardless of said installed orientation, at least one of the second ports are in communication with at least one said inlet port along a flowpath bypassing all the first ports.
A method for manufacturing a bearing system, the bearing system comprising:
- an inner race of a first bearing, including a plurality of first ports;
- an inner race of a second bearing, including a plurality of second ports;
- and
- a shaft, received by the inner race of the first bearing and the inner race of the second bearing, the shaft having a plurality of outer diameter (OD) channels positioned to cooperate with at least the inner race of the first bearing to define passageways,
- the method comprising:
- installing the shaft unkeyed into the inner race of the first bearing and inner race of the second bearing in an installed orientation wherein:
- at least one of the passageways extends from an associated inlet port to communicate with at least one of the first ports;
- at least one of the passageways extends from an associated inlet port to communicate with at least one of the second ports;
- in at least a first said installed orientation, some, but not all, of the first ports are blocked;
- and
- regardless of said installed orientation, at least one of the second ports is in communication with at least one said inlet port independently of all the first ports.
A bearing system comprising:
- a first bearing having an inner race;
- a second bearing having an inner race;
- and
- a shaft, received by the inner race of the first bearing and the inner race of the second bearing,
- wherein:
- the inner race of the first bearing includes a plurality of first ports;
- the inner race of the second bearing includes a plurality of second ports;
- the shaft is insertable into the inner race of the first bearing and the inner race of the second bearing in a plurality of installed orientations;
- the shaft has a plurality of outer diameter (OD) channels positioned to cooperate with at least the inner race of the first bearing to define passageways;
- at least some of the passageways extend from an associated inlet port at an inlet plenum at an external shoulder of the shaft to communicate with at least one of the first ports and at least one of the second ports;
- and
- regardless of said installed orientation, at least one of the second ports are in communication with at least one said inlet port along a flowpath bypassing all the first ports.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.