Patent Application
20220127012
This disclosure relates generally to aircraft gearboxes, and more particularly, though not exclusively, to systems, and methods for lubricating aircraft gearbox components.
An aircraft generally includes one or more gearboxes housing a plurality of gears. A gearbox transmits power from a power source to an object to be moved, such as from an engine to a propeller. Gears, bearings, and other mechanical components of a gearbox are subject to wear and heat generation due to contact with other components. A gearbox typically includes lubrication systems that lubricate the mechanical components to reduce friction and transfer heat away from the components. If a lubricant is not supplied to a gearbox component effectively and in sufficient quantity, the gearbox component may degrade or fail. Some contemporary gearbox lubrication systems include mounting lubrication lines and nozzles on the gearbox housing to dispense lubricant on the gears, bearings, and other mechanical components of the gearbox. Other contemporary gearbox lubrication systems include a gear shroud disposed within a gearbox in physical contact with a lubricant such that the lubricant is distributed through the gearbox by operation of the gear turning. These contemporary solutions may fail to supply a lubricant effectively and sufficiently, for example, due to the dispensing mechanism being mounted on the gearbox and positioned too far from the gear or due to the dispensing mechanism relying on indirect distribution of lubricant on the gear. Systems and methods for providing improved lubrication to gearbox components are desired.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an aircraft gearbox that includes a gear shrouding with integral features for lubricating a gear. The gear shrouding includes a channel, an input orifice connected to the channel at a first position, and an output orifice connected to the channel at a second position different from the first position. During operation, a lubricant flows through the input orifice, the channel, and the output orifice, and is dispensed on the gear and other gearbox components. The gear shrouding may include a plurality of channels and a plurality of output orifices positioned on the gear shrouding adjacent to gearbox components needing lubrication so that the lubricant may be efficiently, sufficiently, and directly dispensed to those components. An output orifice may be through an inner surface of the gear shrouding facing the gear or through an outer surface of the gear shrouding facing away from the gear depending on where lubricant needs to be dispensed.
A gear shrouding having integral features for lubricating a gear in an aircraft gearbox includes a channel, an input orifice extending to and at a first position on the channel, and an output orifice extending to and at a second position on the channel different from the first position. During operation, a lubricant source is connected to the input orifice on the gear shrouding such that lubricant flows through the input orifice, the channel, and the output orifice, and is dispensed on the gear. The gear shrouding may further include a second output orifice extending to and at a third position on the channel different from the first position and the second position. In various embodiments, the first and second output orifices are through an inner surface of the gear shrouding facing the gear. In various embodiments, the first and second output orifices are through an outer surface of the gear shrouding facing away from the gear. The gear shrouding may further include a second channel, where the input orifice extends to the second channel, and a second output orifice extending to and at a third position on the second channel different from the first position.
The following disclosure describes various illustrative embodiments and examples for implementing the features and functionality of the present disclosure. While particular components, arrangements, and/or features are described below in connection with various example embodiments, these are merely examples used to simplify the present disclosure and are not intended to be limiting. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer's specific goals, including compliance with system, business, and/or legal constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that, while such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, it would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.
In the specification, reference may be made to the spatial relationships between various components and to the spatial orientation of various aspects of components as depicted in the attached drawings. However, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art after a complete reading of the present disclosure, the devices, components, members, apparatuses, etc. described herein may be positioned in any desired orientation. Thus, the use of terms such as “above,” “below,” “upper,” “lower,” “top,” “bottom,” or other similar terms to describe a spatial relationship between various components or to describe the spatial orientation of aspects of such components, should be understood to describe a relative relationship between the components or a spatial orientation of aspects of such components, respectively, as the components described herein may be oriented in any desired direction.
As used herein, the terms shroud and shrouding may be used interchangeably. As used herein, the terms channel, core, and tunnel may be used interchangeably and refer to a fluid pathway within the gear shrouding. As used herein, the terms orifice, opening, jet, and jet shot may be used interchangeably and refer to an outlet connected to the fluid pathway for dispensing lubricant on a component covered by the gear shrouding. Further, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples where like numerals designate like parts throughout, and in which is shown, by way of illustration, embodiments that may be practiced. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For convenience, numerals that designate multiples of a same element may be used to refer to the collection of the same element. For example, the phrase “channel 306” may be used to refer to “channels 306A, 306B, 306C, 306D.” When used to describe a range of dimensions, the phrase “between X and Y” represents a range that includes X and Y. For the purposes of the present disclosure, the phrase “A and/or B” means (A), (B), or (A and B). For the purposes of the present disclosure, the phrase “A, B, and/or C” means (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C), or (A, B, and C). The drawings are not necessarily to scale.
Example embodiments that may be used to implement the features and functionality of this disclosure will now be described with more particular reference to the attached FIGURES.
Referring to
The propulsion system 113 is substantially symmetric to the propulsion system 111; therefore, for sake of efficiency certain features will be disclosed only with regard to propulsion system 111. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would fully appreciate an understanding of propulsion system 113 based upon the disclosure herein of propulsion system 111. Further, propulsion systems 111 and 113 are illustrated in the context of tiltrotor aircraft 101; however, propulsion systems 111 and 113 can be implemented on other tiltrotor aircraft. For example, an alternative embodiment may include a quad tiltrotor that has an additional wing member aft of wing 109, the additional wing member can have additional propulsion systems similar to propulsion systems 111 and 113. In another embodiment, propulsion systems 111 and 113 can be used with an unmanned version of tiltrotor aircraft 101. Further, propulsion systems 111 and 113 can be integrated into a variety of tiltrotor aircraft configurations.
As shown in
It should be appreciated that tiltrotor aircraft 101 of
As described above, a gearbox may transmit power from a power source to an object to be moved. A gearbox may convert speed and torque between the power source and the object to be moved. A gearbox may include various gears, bearings, and other mechanical components of the gearbox. A gearbox may further include a gear shrouding that closely covers a gear to prevent efficiency and power losses. A gear is a rotating machine having teeth that mesh with another toothed part in order to transmit torque. Gears in a gearbox may be used to provide speed and torque conversions. A bearing may include any of various machine elements that constrain the relative motion between two or more parts to only the desired motion. Bearings in a gearbox may perform tasks such as supporting a gear shaft. Gears, bearings, gear meshes, and other mechanical components of a gearbox are subject to wear and heat generation due to contact with other components. A gearbox may further include lubrication systems that lubricate the mechanical components to reduce friction and transfer heat away from the components. Lubrication is the process or technique employed to reduce wear of one or both surfaces in close proximity, and moving relative to each other, by interposing a substance (lubricant) between the surfaces to help carry the load (pressure generated) between the opposing surfaces. A lubricant is a substance introduced to reduce friction between moving surfaces. Examples of lubricants include oil, biolubricants derived from plants and animals, synthetic oils, solid lubricants, and aqueous lubricants.
A gearbox including a gear shrouding with integral lubricating features is disclosed herein. The gear shrouding, having an inner surface and an opposing outer surface, including a channel formed along at least a portion of the gear shrouding between the inner and outer surfaces, an input orifice connected to the channel at a first position, and an output orifice connected to the channel at a second position, where the second position is different from the first position. When the gear shrouding having integral lubricating features is operational, a lubricant enters through the input orifice, flows through the channel, and exits through the output orifice to be dispensed on a gear, a bearing, and/or other gearbox component that is covered by or positioned adjacent to the gear shrouding. The gear shrouding may have any suitable number and arrangement of input orifices, channels, and output orifices. For example, the gear shrouding may include one or more channels, one or more input orifices, and one or more output orifices. In some embodiments, a gear shrouding having a plurality of channels may include a single input orifice connected to the plurality of channels. In some embodiments, a gear shrouding having a plurality of channels may include an individual input orifice connected to an individual channel for each of the plurality of channels. In some embodiments, a gear shrouding one or more input orifices connected to one or more channels of the plurality of channels. In some embodiments, the input orifice is positioned below or lower than the output orifice within the gear shrouding. For example, when operational, the input orifice of the gear shrouding positioned below the output orifice may be connected to a pump such that the lubricant is pressurized and pumped into the input orifice, thorough the channel, and dispensed out the output orifice. In some embodiments, the input orifice may be positioned above or higher than the output orifice within the gear shrouding (e.g., as depicted in
The embodiments described throughout this disclosure provide numerous technical advantages, including reducing part count, assembly complexity, and cost associated with lubricating gearbox components within or adjacent to a gear shrouding. Further, the gear shrouding with integral lubricating features enables for directly, and at close proximity, dispensing lubricant on multiple gearbox components.
Example embodiments that may be used to implement the gear shrouding with integral lubricating features for lubricating gearbox components, are described below with more particular reference to the remaining FIGURES.
The input orifice 308 may have any suitable size and shape for providing lubricant to the channels 306 and the output orifices 310 for dispensing on the gear 302. The channels 306 may have any suitable size and shape. For example, the channel 306 may have a partial circular or arc shape, as shown in
The gear shrouding 304 may be constructed using any suitable process and design. For example, the gear shroud 304 having an input orifice 308, a channel 306, and an output orifice 310 may be additively manufactured or machined from a stock material using subtractive manufacturing techniques. The gear shrouding 304 may be constructed of any suitable material (e.g., to withstand operating temperatures and to provide mechanical support), such as thermoplastics, mold material, and steel or other metal.
Although several embodiments have been illustrated and described in detail, numerous other changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, and/or modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims. The particular embodiments described herein are illustrative only, and may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners, as would be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. Those of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that the present disclosure may be readily used as a basis for designing or modifying other embodiments for carrying out the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. For example, certain embodiments may be implemented using more, less, and/or other components than those described herein. Moreover, in certain embodiments, some components may be implemented separately, consolidated into one or more integrated components, and/or omitted. Similarly, methods associated with certain embodiments may be implemented using more, less, and/or other steps than those described herein, and their steps may be performed in any suitable order.
Numerous other changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications may be ascertained to one of ordinary skill in the art and it is intended that the present disclosure encompass all such changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications as falling within the scope of the appended claims.
In order to assist the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and any readers of any patent issued on this application, in interpreting the claims appended hereto, it is noted that: (a) Applicant does not intend any of the appended claims to invoke paragraph (f) of 35 U.S.C. § 112, as it exists on the date of the filing hereof, unless the words “means for” or “steps for” are explicitly used in the particular claims; and (b) Applicant does not intend, by any statement in the specification, to limit this disclosure in any way that is not otherwise expressly reflected in the appended claims.
