Patent Application
20120240708
The present invention relates to a power transfer box lubrication device, and, more particularly, to a gearbox spline lubrication device.
Power transfer devices, such as a transmission or a pump drive gearbox typically lubricate the gears by at least one of the gears being partially submerged in a reservoir of lubricating oil, causing the oil to be splashed about the interior portions of the box. There can even be protrusions from portions of the gear to cause more oil to splash about the interior of the gearbox. This is a random type of lubrication that has been utilized in many power transmission type devices with the assumption that the lubrication will eventually get to the needed places by it being randomly splashed about the interior of the gearbox and onto the moving parts therein.
Broadly, a gearbox can be thought of as a device that converts rotational speed and torque into another speed and torque and is often utilized in vehicles powered by an engine that provides a rotational torque source of power where the gearbox alters the speed and torque output to a desired level. Gearboxes are also used in a wide variety of stationary applications such as wind turbines. Gearboxes are also used in agricultural, industrial, forestry, construction, mining, as well as automotive equipment. Gearboxes can be thought of as a simple type of transmission often used to reduce speed or provide a change in direction of the rotating power. Usually, the distinction is that a gearbox has a gear ratio that does not change during use and is fixed at the time the gearbox is constructed. In contrast to the construct of a gearbox, a transmission has the capability to select different gear ratios.
Gearboxes often will have at least one splined fitting where a splined shaft interacts with a gear that has an internal spline that corresponds to the splined shaft. The lubrication of the spline is needed to prevent fretting of the spline. This is difficult when the splines are spinning at a high speed.
What is needed in the art is a system to more efficiently lubricate the splines in a gearbox to allow for the more efficient running of the gearbox at a lower temperature.
The present invention provides a power transfer device with a lubrication system directing lubricant into the splines of interacting, rotating parts.
The invention, in one form thereof, is directed to a vehicle including a power generating device and a power transfer device. The power transfer device is coupled to the power-generating device. The power transfer device includes at least one rotating component having an opening through which an axis runs. The rotating component is rotatable about the axis. The rotating component has an engaging feature facing the axis. A plug is positioned in the opening with a hole through the plug.
The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to
Now, additionally referring to
Interior splined opening 26 is an engaging feature that engages splined shaft 28 having a corresponding splined pattern thereon. Please note that splines are utilized for illustration and, although normally used, the present application is directed to engaging features that allow linear or quasi-linear motion along an axis about which the parts are rotating.
An axis 30 defines the rotational axis of rotating component 24, which corresponds to the rotational axis of splined shaft 28. Axis 30 also generally corresponds to the orientation of lubricant coming from spray nozzle 22 and lubrication cavity 20 as it is directed toward the interaction of splined shaft 28 with interior splined opening 26. At one end of interior splined opening 26, there is a counterbore 32, which is sized so that plug 34 may frictionally engage counterbore 32 to be retained therein. Plug 34 is symmetrical, having a cup-like shape with a hole 36 centrally located therein. Hole 36 located in plug 34 is positioned in the end of interior splined opening 26 such that lubricant emanating from spay nozzle 22 and lubrication cavity 20 are directed generally through hole 36 so that lubricant is supplied to the interaction of splined shaft 28 and interior splined opening 26.
Splined shaft 28 can slide in the direction of axis 30 while rotating component 24 and splined shaft 28 are rotating and the lubricant contained therein helps prevent any fretting of the splines. There is a distance between hole 36 and lubrication cavity 20 so that, if lubricant were to substantially fill the open cavity defined by plug 34, interior splined opening 26 and splined shaft 28, that oil can exit back through hole 36. Additionally, in the event that splined shaft 28 slides towards plug 34, oil may be forced back through hole 36. The positioning of plug 34 in counterbore 32 thereby provides a lubricant dam in which lubricant entering through hole 36 will, by centrifugal force, be thrown against the wall of interior splined opening 26 with the lubricant moving generally between splined shaft 28 and interior splined opening 26 to keep the interaction well-lubricated.
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While this invention has been described with respect to at least one embodiment, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.
