Oil Feedthrough Ring Layout for Vertical Gearbox Lubricant Drainage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing oil feedthrough designs for rotatably mounted planet carriers with vertical axes of rotation suffer from lubricant accumulation in cavities, as the lubricant cannot drain off effectively, leading to inefficiencies in lubrication and potential damage.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates an oil feedthrough ring that forms a lubricant-conducting connection between the housing structure and the planet carrier, with the planet carrier featuring at least one lubricant line that opens into the cavity to facilitate drainage, and a recess that divides into two parts to enhance lubricant flow, allowing lubricant to drain via gravity, even when the axis of rotation is vertical.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If an oil feedthrough ring is used to transfer oil to a vertically mounted planet carrier, then lubrication connection is established, but lubricant accumulates in the cavity and cannot drain off

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelubrication connectionVSAvoidlubricant accumulation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cavity is segmented into an upper lubrication zone and a lower drainage zone by the inclined lubricant line, allowing separate functions of oil supply and oil drainage to occur simultaneously in different spatial regions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of having the lubricant line horizontal or vertical, it is inclined at an angle between 10° and 45°, inverting the conventional orientation to enable gravity-driven drainage while maintaining lubrication pressure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Volume of moving object

If the planet carrier is mounted with vertical axis of rotation, then space utilization is improved, but lubricant drainage becomes problematic

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespace utilizationVSAvoidlubricant drainage

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The lubricant line is oriented in a three-dimensional inclined path rather than purely horizontal or vertical, utilizing the angular dimension to achieve both compact vertical mounting and effective gravity-driven drainage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution ensures effective lubrication and prevents lubricant accumulation, maintaining efficient operation and extending the lifespan of components by ensuring lubricant drainage, even in vertically aligned planet carrier configurations.

Implementation Method 1

allowing lubricant to drain via gravity, even when the axis of rotation is vertical

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentUS11168781B2Lubricant feed in a vertically mounted gearbox

Publication Date: 2021.11.09 ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG

AI summary

An arrangement includes a structure fixed to a housing, a bearing, and a planet carrier rotatably supported in the structure fixed to the housing via the bearing and an oil feedthrough ring. The oil feedthrough ring forms a lubricant-conducting connection between the structure fixed to the housing and the planet carrier. The structure fixed to the housing, the oil feedthrough ring, the bearing and the planet carrier together form a first cavity. The planet carrier forms at least one lubricant line which opens into the first cavity.