IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,553,414
Granted Patent B2
US 12,553,414 · App. 18/865,347 · Granted Feb 17, 2026

Spring-mounted gearbox housing

Inventor: Alf Trede (Immenstedt, DE)
Assignees: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG; ZF WIND POWER ANTWERPEN N.V.
F03D15/10F03D80/881F16H57/021F16H57/025F05B2260/4031F16H2057/02078
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,553,414
App. No.
18/865,347
Granted
Feb 17, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An arrangement for fixing a housing of a wind turbine gearbox in a nacelle, including a housing-fixing means, a nacelle-fixing means, and at least two spring devices. The spring devices support the housing-fixing means against the nacelle-fixing means in opposite directions along a support axis. The spring devices are arranged on different sides of a plane extending parallel to an axis of rotation of an input shaft of the wind turbine gearbox.

Claims (45)

1 . An arrangement for fixing a housing of a wind turbine gearbox in a nacelle, comprising:

a housing-fixing means;

a nacelle-fixing means; and

at least two spring devices,

wherein the spring devices support the housing-fixing means against the nacelle-fixing means in opposite directions along a support axis,

wherein the spring devices are arranged on different sides of a plane extending parallel to an axis of rotation of an input shaft of the wind turbine gearbox,

wherein a portion of the nacelle-fixing means is arranged between the spring devices and between a first part and a second part of the housing-fixing means,

wherein a first spring device of the spring devices is arranged between the first part of the housing-fixing means and the portion of the nacelle-fixing means arranged between the spring devices,

wherein a second spring device of the spring devices is arranged between the second part of the housing-fixing means and the portion of the nacelle-fixing means, and

wherein the housing-fixing means has a connector which connects the first part and the second part of the housing-fixing means to each other and which extends through a recess of the nacelle-fixing means.

2 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least two spring devices is rotationally symmetrical with respect to the support axis.

3 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the spring devices are mirror-symmetrical to one another with respect to the plane.

4 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the plane intersects the housing-fixing means and/or the nacelle-fixing means.

5 . The arrangement according to claim 1 ; comprising a third spring device arranged at least partially in the recess, wherein the connector extends through a recess of the third spring device.

6 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the first spring device and/or the second spring device have a shape of a hollow truncated cone.

7 . The arrangement according to claim 6 , wherein the first spring device has the shape of a hollow truncated cone which tapers in a direction of the second spring device, and wherein the second spring device has the shape of a hollow truncated cone which tapers in a direction of the first spring device.

8 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the first part and the second part of the housing-fixing means are configured as physically separate pieces and joined together, and

wherein the first spring device supports the first part and the second spring device supports the second part against the nacelle-fixing means.

9 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the nacelle-fixing means comprises a first nacelle-fixing part and a second nacelle-fixing part,

wherein the first nacelle-fixing part and the second nacelle-fixing part form physically separate parts and are joined together, and

wherein the first spring device supports the housing-fixing means against the first nacelle-fixing part and the second spring device supports the housing-fixing means against the second nacelle-fixing part.

10 . A wind turbine with a gearbox and a nacelle, comprising a total of three or four of the arrangements according to claim 1 , wherein a housing of the wind turbine gearbox with the arrangements is fixed in the nacelle.

11 . The wind turbine according to claim 10 , wherein a first spring device of the spring devices and a second spring device of the spring devices of the three or four arrangements are each arranged on different sides of the same plane extending parallel to the axis of rotation of the input shaft of the wind turbine gearbox.

12 . An arrangement for fixing a housing of a wind turbine gearbox in a nacelle, comprising:

a housing-fixing means;

a nacelle-fixing means; and

at least two spring devices,

wherein the spring devices support the housing-fixing means against the nacelle-fixing means in opposite directions along a support axis,

wherein the spring devices are arranged on different sides of a plane extending parallel to an axis of rotation of an input shaft of the wind turbine gearbox,

wherein a portion of the nacelle-fixing means is arranged between the spring devices and between a first part and a second part of the housing-fixing means,

wherein a first spring device of the spring devices is arranged between the first part of the housing-fixing means and the portion of the nacelle-fixing means arranged between the spring devices,

wherein a second spring device of the spring devices is arranged between the second part of the housing-fixing means and the portion of the nacelle-fixing means, and

wherein the first spring device and/or the second spring device have a shape of a hollow truncated cone.

13 . An arrangement for fixing a housing of a wind turbine gearbox in a nacelle, comprising:

a housing-fixing means;

a nacelle-fixing means; and

at least two spring devices,

wherein the spring devices support the housing-fixing means against the nacelle-fixing means in opposite directions along a support axis,

wherein the spring devices are arranged on different sides of a plane extending parallel to an axis of rotation of an input shaft of the wind turbine gearbox,

wherein a portion of the nacelle-fixing means is arranged between the spring devices and between a first part and a second part of the housing-fixing means,

wherein a first spring device of the spring devices is arranged between the first part of the housing-fixing means and the portion of the nacelle-fixing means arranged between the spring devices,

wherein a second spring device of the spring devices is arranged between the second part of the housing-fixing means and the portion of the nacelle-fixing means,

wherein the nacelle-fixing means comprises a first nacelle-fixing part and a second nacelle-fixing part,

wherein the first nacelle-fixing part and the second nacelle-fixing part form physically separate parts and are joined together, and

wherein the first spring device supports the housing-fixing means against the first nacelle-fixing part and the second spring device supports the housing-fixing means against the second nacelle-fixing part.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 13, 2024
From: TREDE, ALF
To: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG; ZF WIND POWER ANTWERPEN N.V.
Reel/Frame 069241/0658 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2022 204 900.4 · May 17, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250198388A1 · Jun 19, 2025
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Cited By (1)
US 12,680,532