SPLIT RING CARRIER WITH ECCENTRIC PIN WITH SPRING COMPLIANCE AND SPEED DEPENDENCE

摘要

A split ring planetary drive of an electric phaser includes at least one planet gear adjuster and at least one load generator. The load generator biases the planet gear adjuster, such that at a low rotational speed, the planet gear adjuster applies a force on the planet gear to take up the backlash between the planet gear and the ring gears. As the rotational speed increases, the inertia of a mass of the planet gear adjuster generates an increasing force opposing the force of the load generator, causing the planet gear adjuster to move at least one planet gear to a position where the at least one planet gear no longer takes up the backlash. In some embodiments, the planet gear adjuster includes an eccentric pin and an extension arm. In other embodiments, the planet gear adjuster includes a pivot support for a pair of inner and outer planet gears.

主权项

1. A method of removing backlash from a planetary gear reducer of an engine, the planetary gear reducer comprising a sun gear, a ring gear around the sun gear, and a plurality of planetary gears connected to a planet carrier by pins, the planetary gears meshing with the sun gear and the ring gear, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a centrifugally actuated device coupled to a pin of at least one of planetary gears, such that radially inward movement of a first end of the centrifugally actuated device moves the planetary gear in a first direction which minimizes backlash between the planetary gear and the ring gear; biasing the first end of the centrifugally actuated device radially inward toward the planet carrier, such that the planetary gear is moved in the first direction; and rotating the planet carrier at a rotational speed sufficient to overcome the biasing, causing centrifugal force to move the end of the centrifugally actuated device radially outward, moving the planetary gear in a direction opposite the first direction.