IP Library › Granted Patent US 12669173
Granted Patent B2
US 12669173 · App. 19/091,532 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Epicyclic gear assembly planetary gear carrier

Inventors: Łukasz Turek (Wrocław, PL); Jonathan Darby (Newcastle, GB); Paweł Aleksander Chmielewski (Jelenia Góra, PL); Stephen Harlow Davies (Shrewsbury, GB)
Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
F16H57/082F16H1/2836F16H57/028
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12669173
App. No.
19/091,532
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A planetary gear carrier assembly includes a plurality of planetary gears each rotatable about a respective planet axis defined by a respective pin through the gear, and a planetary gear carrier defining an annular housing having a front face and a back face defining a housing therebetween and an annulus axis. The planetary gears are located within and spaced circumferentially around the housing. A position balancing arrangement is provided for at least one of the plurality of planetary gears, including a slot formed in the front face and back face, extending circumferentially, to receive the pin of the respective at least one of the planetary gears for circumferential movement within the slot, and a resilient element in biased engagement with the pin to adjust the position of the pin in the slot towards a desired position responsive to movement of the pin away from the desired position in the slot.

Claims (48)

1 . A planetary gear carrier assembly comprising:

a plurality of planetary gears each rotatable about a respective planet axis defined by a respective pin through the gear;

a planetary gear carrier having:

a front face and a back face defining a housing therebetween, wherein at least a portion of the housing is an annular housing; and

an annulus axis, wherein the plurality of planetary gears are located within and spaced circumferentially around the housing, the respective pin of each planetary gear passing from the front face to the back face at a location such that the planetary gear partially extends radially outwards of a periphery of the planetary gear carrier; and

a position balancing arrangement for at least one of the plurality of planetary gears, the position balancing arrangement comprising:

a slot formed in the front face and back face, extending circumferentially to receive the respective pin of the at least one of the planetary gears for circumferential movement within the slot;

a first resilient element in biased engagement with the respective pin to adjust a position of the respective pin in the slot towards a desired position responsive to movement of the respective pin away from the desired position in the slot;

a second resilient element in biased engagement with the respective pin to adjust the position of the respective pin in the slot towards the desired position responsive to movement of the respective pin away from the desired position in the slot;

a first holding block in the slot and between the first resilient element and the respective pin; and

a second holding block in the slot and between the second resilient element and the respective pin.

2 . The planetary gear carrier assembly of claim 1 , wherein the position balancing arrangement is for two or more of the plurality of planetary gears.

3 . The planetary gear carrier assembly of claim 2 , wherein the position balancing arrangement is for each of the plurality of planetary gears.

4 . The planetary gear carrier assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second resilient elements comprises a respective spring element configured to bias the pin to a central location within the slot.

5 . The planetary gear carrier assembly of claim 4 , wherein each of the respective spring elements comprises a respective C-shaped spring located in the slot on opposite sides of the pin.

6 . The planetary gear carrier assembly of claim 5 , further comprising securing means for locating each of the respective C-shaped springs in the slot.

7 . The planetary gear carrier assembly of claim 6 , further comprising a curved block at each end of the slot within which each of the respective spring elements is secured.

8 . The planetary gear carrier assembly of claim 4 , wherein the holding block has a groove on its radially inner surface to receive each of the respective spring elements.

9 . The planetary gear carrier assembly of claim 8 , further comprising a curved block at each end of the slot within which each of the respective spring elements is secured.

10 . The planetary gear carrier assembly of claim 4 , further comprising a curved block at each end of the slot within which each of the respective spring elements is secured.

11 . The planetary gear carrier assembly of claim 4 , wherein each of the respective spring elements comprises a respective compression spring arranged to bias the pin to the central location within the slot.

12 . The planetary gear carrier assembly of claim 11 , wherein each of the respective compression springs have a first end attached to the pin and a second end attached to the carrier at a respective end of the slot.

13 . An epicyclic gear assembly comprising:

a sun gear; and

a planetary gear carrier assembly as claimed in claim 1 , the sun gear located coaxially with the carrier and radially inwards of the planetary gears for meshing engagement with the planetary gears.

14 . A planetary gear carrier assembly comprising:

a plurality of planetary gears each rotatable about a respective planet axis defined by a respective pin through the gear;

a planetary gear carrier having:

a front face and a back face defining a housing therebetween, wherein at least a portion of the housing is an annular housing; and

an annulus axis, wherein the plurality of planetary gears are located within and spaced circumferentially around the housing, the respective pin of each planetary gear passing from the front face to the back face at a location such that the planetary gear partially extends radially outwards of a periphery of the planetary gear carrier and

a position balancing arrangement for at least one of the plurality of planetary gears, the position balancing arrangement comprising:

a slot formed in the front face and back face, extending circumferentially to receive the respective pin of the at least one of the planetary gears for circumferential movement within the slot;

a first resilient element in biased engagement with the respective pin to adjust a position of the respective pin in the slot towards a desired position responsive to movement of the respective pin away from the desired position in the slot, wherein the resilient element comprises a spring element configured to bias the pin to a central location within the slot; and

a curved block at each end of the slot within which a respective spring element is secured.

15 . The planetary gear carrier assembly of claim 14 , wherein the curved block has a groove formed therein to receive the spring element.

16 . A planetary gear carrier assembly comprising:

a plurality of planetary gears each rotatable about a respective planet axis defined by a respective pin through the gear;

a planetary gear carrier having:

a front face and a back face defining a housing therebetween, wherein at least a portion of the housing is an annular housing; and

an annulus axis, wherein the plurality of planetary gears are located within and spaced circumferentially around the housing, the respective pin of each planetary gear passing from the front face to the back face at a location such that the planetary gear partially extends radially outwards of a periphery of the planetary gear carrier and

a position balancing arrangement for at least one of the plurality of planetary gears, the position balancing arrangement comprising:

a slot formed in the front face and back face, extending circumferentially to receive the respective pin of the at least one of the planetary gears for circumferential movement within the slot;

a resilient element in biased engagement with the respective pin to adjust a position of the respective pin in the slot towards a desired position responsive to movement of the respective pin away from the desired position in the slot; and

a holding block in the slot and between the first resilient element and the respective pin, wherein the holding block comprises a flat surface that abuts the resilient element, and wherein the holding block abuts the respective pin.

17 . The planetary gear carrier assembly of claim 16 , wherein the resilient element abuts the slot.

18 . The planetary gear carrier assembly of claim 17 , wherein the resilient element comprises a spring element configured to bias the pin to a central location within the slot.

19 . The planetary gear carrier assembly of claim 18 , wherein the spring element comprises a pair of respective C-shaped springs located in the slot on opposite sides of the pin.

20 . The planetary gear carrier assembly of claim 18 , and further comprising a curved block at each end of the slot within which the spring element is secured.