Epicyclical gear transmission with improved load carrying capability

摘要

A high ratio epicyclic gear train (A) with improved load carrying capability for transmitting power from a driven input shaft, such as may be driven by a turbine engine or engines, to a output shaft, as may be coupled to a rotor of a rotary wing aircraft. The compound epicyclic gear train incorporates a load sharing mechanism consisting of a drive sun gear (10), an idler sun gear (11), a ring gear (12), a set of drive planet gear assemblies (13), a set of idler planet gear assemblies (14), and a planet carrier assembly (15) coupled to provide at least two power pathways through said epicyclic gear train (A) between said driven input shaft and said output shaft to provide an improved overall power density of the transmission.

主权项

1. An epicyclic gear train (A) having a drive sun gear 10 coupled to an input shaft, an idler sun gear 11, and a ring gear 12 one of said sun gear or ring gear being fixed to a housing of the epicyclic gear train, comprising:
a set of drive planet gear assemblies 13 each including a large planet gear 13A in engagement with the drive sun gear 10, and at least one small planet gear 13B axially spaced along a planet shaft 13C and in engagement with both said idler sun gear 11 and said ring gear 12; a set of idler planet gear assemblies 14 each including an idler planet gear 14A and an idler planet shaft 14B, said idler planet gears 14A in engagement with said idler sun gear 11 and said ring gear 12 and not in meshing engagement with said drive sun gear 10; a planet gear carrier assembly 15 coupled to an output shaft, said planet gear carrier assembly including a planet carrier base 15A and a planet carrier plate 15B, said planet carrier plate disposed axially opposite from said drive sun gear 10; wherein the drive sun gear 10 and the idler sun gear 11 are co-axially arranged and spaced apart along a center axis; wherein the ring gear 12 is disposed co-axially around the idler sun gear 11; wherein the drive planet gear assemblies 13 are arranged in an annular region between the ring gear 12 and the idler sun gear 11; wherein the idler planet gear assemblies 14 are arranged in the annular space between the ring gear 12 and the idler sun gear 11; and wherein said drive planet gear assemblies 13, said idler planet gear assembly 14, said idler sun gear 11, and said ring gear 12 are configured to provide at least two power paths between said drive sun gear 10 coupled to said input shaft and said planet gear assembly 15 coupled to said output shaft.