Patent Application
20150354694
The present disclosure relates to a system and method for assembling a planet carrier, and more specifically to a system and method for installing a gear and shaft assembly of the planet carrier.
A planet carrier typically includes one or more pins or shafts to support one or more planet gears of the planet carrier. During assembly, the pins need to be angularly oriented within holes of the planet carrier in order to correctly align one or more lubrication holes, and so on. The pins are oriented within the respective holes manually and individually. This may make the assembly process laborious and time consuming Further, the individual pins are retained within the respective holes using one or more spring retention pins or other similar retention methods. This may lead to overall increase in the number of components used in the planet carrier assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,695,399, hereinafter referred to as '399 patent, discloses a planet carrier assembly. The planet carrier assembly includes a housing member. The planet carrier assembly includes a plurality of pinion pins disposed in the housing member and rotatably supporting pinion gear members. The housing member has formed thereon a housing slot and a cavity. The planet carrier assembly includes a locator ring mounted on the housing member in a position to engage pinion slots formed in each of the pinion pins. The locator ring includes an inner rim having tab members formed thereon for engaging the housing slot. The locator ring includes protuberances formed thereon for engaging the cavity.
However, the '399 patent does not disclose a system or a method to angularly orient the pins or the shaft within the respective holes of the planet carrier. Hence, there is a need for an improved system and method for assembling the planet carrier.
In one aspect of the present disclosure, a planet carrier assembly is provided. The planet carrier assembly includes a housing having a plurality of holes provided therein. The planet carrier assembly also includes a pin positioned within each of the plurality of holes. Each pin is configured to rotatably support a gear. The pin includes a retention groove provided at an end of the pin and at least partially on a circumference thereof. The pin also includes an orientation surface adjacent to and cooperating with the retention groove. The planet carrier assembly further includes a plate having a plurality of slots provided thereon. Each of the plurality of slots is configured to engage with the respective pin. The plate is configured to angularly orient the pin within each of the plurality of holes in the housing during an assembly. The plate is also configured to lock the pin within each of the plurality of holes in the housing after the assembly.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for installing and orienting a pin within each of a plurality of holes in a housing of a planet carrier assembly is provided. The method includes positioning a plate on the housing. The method includes positioning the pin through a slot in the plate and into the housing. The method further includes rotating the plate with respect to the housing. The method includes engaging an orientation surface of the pin with the slot in the plate. The method includes angularly orienting the pin within the slot based on the engagement. The method also includes engaging a retention groove of the pin with the slot in the plate. The method further includes locking the pin within the plate.
Other features and aspects of this disclosure will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.
Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or the like parts. Referring to
The planet carrier 100 includes a housing 102. The housing 102 is circular in shape. In other embodiments, the housing 102 may have any other shape, such as polygonal. The housing 102 is configured to support various components of the planet carrier 100 which will be explained hereinafter in more detail. The housing 102 includes a first deck 104. The first deck 104 includes a plurality of holes 106 provided therein. Each of the plurality of holes 106 is equidistant from one another and equispaced about an axis X-X′. Each of the plurality of holes 106 is configured to support the components of the planet carrier 100.
The housing 102 includes a second deck 108 provided axially spaced apart from the first deck 104 with respect to the axis X-X′. The second deck 108 has a circular shape corresponding to the shape of the first deck 104. The second deck 108 includes a plurality of holes 110 provided thereon. Each of the plurality of holes 110 is provided spaced apart from one another. Additionally, each of the plurality of holes 110 is provided axially aligned with the respective hole 106 provided on the first deck 104 of the housing 102. Each of the plurality of holes 110 is configured to support the components of the planet carrier 100.
The housing 102 includes a plurality of posts 112 extending between the first deck 104 and the second deck 108. Each of the plurality of posts 112 may be configured to provide support and rigidity to the first deck 104 and the second deck 108. The planet carrier 100 includes a pin 114 positioned within each of the plurality of aligned holes 106, 110. Each pin 114 has an elongated, cylindrical shape having a diameter “DP” (shown in
Referring to
The pin 114 includes a retention groove 206 provided on the second end 204. The retention groove 206 is provided at least partially on a circumference of the pin 114 having a thickness “TR”. In one embodiment, the retention groove 206 may extend halfway along the circumference of the pin 114. In another embodiment, the retention groove 206 may extend along a quarter of the circumference of the pin 114, and so on. The retention groove 206 is configured to lock the pin 114 in the respective pair of the holes 106, 110 and will be explained later in detail.
Additionally, the pin 114 includes an orientation surface 208 provided on the second end 204. The orientation surface 208 is provided adjacent to and in cooperation with the retention groove 206. The orientation surface 208 has a stepped configuration 210. More specifically, the stepped configuration 210 includes a first surface 212 and a second surface 214. The first surface 212 is parallel to a longitudinal axis A-A′ of the pin 114. The first surface 212 and the retention groove 206 define a distance “T1” therebetween. Further, the second surface 214 is perpendicular to the first surface 212. The orientation surface 208 is configured to angularly orient the pin 114 within the respective pair of the holes 106, 110 and will be explained later in detail.
Referring to
The slot 302 includes a first portion 304, a second portion 306 and a third portion 308. The first portion 304 is sized larger than the second and third portions 306, 308. Further, the second portion 306 is sized approximately equal to the third portion 308. The first portion 304 has a shape approximately equal to a circular sector of approximately 270 degrees defining a diameter “D1”. The first portion 304 is configured to receive the pin 114 therethrough during the assembly of the planet carrier 100. Accordingly, the first portion 304 is sized based on the diameter “DP” of the pin 114. More specifically, the diameter “D1” of the first portion 304 may be approximately equal to or greater than the diameter “DP” of the pin 114.
The slot 302 includes the second portion 306. The second portion 306 is provided adjacent to and in cooperation with the first portion 304. The second portion 306 has a curved configuration defining a width “W”. The width “W” is smaller than the diameter “D1” of the first portion 304. The width “W” is approximately equal to the distance “T1” between the retention groove 206 and the first surface 212 of the orientation surface 208. More specifically, the second portion 306 is sized based on a surface area of contact of the first surface 212 of the orientation surface 208 and the retention groove 206. Accordingly, the second portion 306 may be profiled in a manner to allow sliding of the orientation surface 208 against the second portion 306 during rotation of the plate 122 about the axis X-X′. The second portion 306 is configured to contact the orientation surface 208 on rotation of the plate 122 about the axis X-X′ during the assembly of the planet carrier 100. Accordingly, the second portion 306 is configured to angularly orient the pin 114 within the respective pair of the holes 106, 110.
The slot 302 includes the third portion 308. The third portion 308 is provided adjacent to and in cooperation with the second portion 306. The third portion 308 has an elongated curved configuration. The third portion 308 has a width “W1” equal to that of the second portion 306. Accordingly, the third portion 308 is sized based on the surface area of contact of the first surface 212 of the orientation surface 208 and the retention groove 206. Further, the third portion 308 includes an end portion 310. The end portion 310 has a shape corresponding at least partially to a shape of the retention groove 206. The third portion 308 is configured to at least partially engage with the retention groove 206 and the orientation surface 208 on rotation of the plate 122 about the axis X-X′ during the assembly of the planet carrier 100. The third portion 308 is configured to lock the pin 114 within the respective pair of the holes 106, 110 after the assembly of the planet carrier 100.
The plate 122 includes at least one hole 312 provided therein. The hole 312 is configured to receive a mechanical fastener 124 (shown in
The method of assembling the planet carrier 100 will now be explained with reference to
Referring to
As shown in
The present disclosure discloses the plate 122 for the planet carrier 100 which may be used for both aligning of the pins 114 as well as locking the pins 114 within the housing 102. The disclosed system and method may reduce assembly time by aligning all the pins 114 of the planet carrier 100 simultaneously. Further, the plate 122 locks all the pins 114 together, thereby avoiding usage of additional spring retention pins or other similar retention methods. As a result, a number of components of the planet carrier 100 may be reduced.
While aspects of the present disclosure have been particularly shown and described with reference to the embodiments above, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various additional embodiments may be contemplated by the modification of the disclosed machines, systems and methods without departing from the spirit and scope of what is disclosed. Such embodiments should be understood to fall within the scope of the present disclosure as determined based upon the claims and any equivalents thereof.
