Pivot for a sliding bearing

Abstract

The invention relates to a pivot (58) for a sliding bearing of an epicyclic train, comprising an annular wall (50) defining an axial passage (51) and comprising a first (52c) and a second (54c) annular groove opening axially in opposite directions (L1, L2) and each defined by two coaxial inner (52a, 54a) and outer (52b, 54b) annular branches formed at the axial ends of the annular wall (50). According to the invention, the recesses (60) are made in at least one bottom wall (52d, 54d) of one of the annular grooves (52c, 54c).

Claims

1. A pivot for a sliding bearing of an epicyclic train, comprising an annular wall defining an axial passage and comprising a first and a second annular groove opening axially in opposite directions and each defined by two coaxial inner and outer annular branches formed at the axial ends of the annular wall, characterized in that recesses are formed in at least one bottom wall of one of the annular grooves.

2. A pivot according to claim 1, wherein the recesses are distributed around the axial passage.

3. A pivot according to claim 2, wherein the recesses are regularly distributed around the axial passage.

4. A pivot according to claim 3, wherein the recesses are holes opening at a first end into the first annular groove and at a second opposite end into the second annular groove.

5. A pivot according to claim 2, wherein the recesses are holes opening at a first end into the first annular groove and at a second opposite end into the second annular groove.

6. A pivot according to claim 2, wherein the recesses are substantially straight.

7. A pivot according to claim 6, wherein the recesses are inclined relative to an axis of the axial passage.

8. The pivot according to claim 7, wherein the recesses are inclined relative to the axis of the axial passage by an angle between 0° and 30°.

9. A pivot according to claim 1, wherein the recesses are holes opening at a first end into the first annular groove and at a second opposite end into the second annular groove.

10. An epicyclic gear train of an aircraft gas turbine engine, comprising an outer ring gear and planetary pinions meshing with a central pinion and with the outer ring gear and each mounted for free rotation on a planetary carrier, the planetary pinions being able to rotate about a planet axis via one said pivot pin according to claim 1.

11. An epicyclic gear train of an aircraft gas turbine engine, comprising an outer ring gear and planetary pinions meshing with a central pinion and with the outer ring gear and each mounted for free rotation on a planetary carrier, the planetary pinions being able to rotate about a planet axis via one said pivot according to claim 2.

12. An epicyclic gear train of an aircraft gas turbine engine, comprising an outer ring gear and planetary pinions meshing with a central pinion and with the outer ring gear and each mounted for free rotation on a planetary carrier, the planetary pinions being able to rotate about a planet axis via one said pivot according to claim 3.

13. An epicyclic gear train of an aircraft gas turbine engine, comprising an outer ring gear and planetary pinions meshing with a central pinion and with the outer ring gear and each mounted for free rotation on a planetary carrier, the planetary pinions being able to rotate about a planet axis via one said pivot according to claim 9.

14. An epicyclic gear train of an aircraft gas turbine engine, comprising an outer ring gear and planetary pinions meshing with a central pinion and with the outer ring gear and each mounted for free rotation on a planetary carrier, the planetary pinions being able to rotate about a planet axis via one said pivot according to claim 5.

15. An epicyclic gear train of an aircraft gas turbine engine, comprising an outer ring gear and planetary pinions meshing with a central pinion and with the outer ring gear and each mounted for free rotation on a planetary carrier, the planetary pinions being able to rotate about a planet axis via one said pivot according to claim 4.

16. A gas turbine engine for aircraft comprising an epicyclic gear train according to claim 10, the central pinion of which surrounds and is rotationally integral with a shaft of a compressor of the turbine engine.

17. A gas turbine engine according to claim 16, wherein the outer ring gear is integral with a casing or static annular shroud of a low-pressure compressor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic view, in perspective, of a turbine engine according to the known technique;

(2) FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional schematic view of an epicyclic gear train intended to be used in a turbine engine of FIG. 1;

(3) FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional schematic view of a satellite pinion and of the planetary carrier of FIG. 2;

(4) FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional schematic view of a pivot around which a satellite pinion rotates;

(5) FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C, 5C and 5D are schematic views of a first embodiment of the invention;

(6) FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a pivot according to a second embodiment of the invention,

(7) FIG. 7 is a schematic lateral view of the pivot of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) Reference is made first of all to FIG. 1, which shows a schematic view of a turbine engine 10, as known, comprising in an uppath-downpath direction, a fan wheel 12 whose rotation induces acceleration of air in an annular secondary air path 14 (air flow B) surrounding successively an annular primary air path 16 (air flow A) flowing into a low-pressure compressor 18, a high-pressure compressor 20, an annular combustion chamber 22, a high-pressure turbine 24 and a low-pressure turbine 26. Classically, the low-pressure turbine 26 rotates the rotor 30 of the low-pressure compressor, which is connected to the fan wheel 12. However, in order to limit the rotational speed of the fan wheel 12 in relation to the rotational speed of the rotor 30 of the low-pressure compressor 18, it is known to mount an epicyclic gear train 32 radially inside the low-pressure compressor 18, this epicyclic gear train 32 being referred to as a reduction gear due to its speed rotating reducing function.

(9) Such a gear train 32 comprises planetary pinions 34 meshing with an inner sun gear 36 or central pinion and with an outer sun gear 38 or outer ring gear, the inner sun gear 36 and outer ring gear 38 being coaxial to the X axis of the turbine engine. Each satellite pinion 34 is mounted freely rotatable around a pivot 40 and the pivots 40 are integral with a planetary carrier 42. In an epicyclic gearbox, the central pinion 36 is rotationally rigidly connected to the shaft 30 of the low-pressure compressor 18 which forms an input of the gear train, the planetary carrier 42 rigidly connected to the fan wheel 12 forms an output for reducing the speed of the epicyclic gear train and the outer ring gear 38 is rigidly connected to a casing 44 of the turbine engine internally delimiting an annular zone in which the gear train is mounted.

(10) The invention to be further described thus applies not only to a gear train 32 of the reduction gear type but also to a gear train in which the outer ring gear 38 is rotatably connected to a second fan wheel, the outer ring gear 38 and the planetary carrier being configured/sized to rotate in opposite directions.

(11) FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of a pivot 40 around which a planetary pinion 34 is engaged to form a sliding bearing, the peripheral teeth 46 of the planetary pinion 34 being shown meshing with the peripheral teeth 48 of the central pinion 36 but not with the outer ring gear, which is not shown in this figure.

(12) As is clearly visible in this figure and more specifically in FIG. 4, the pivot 40 comprises an annular wall 50 which delimits radially inwards an axial passage 51 extending along the axis X1 of the pivot. This annular wall 50 comprises a first annular part 52 and a second annular part 54 opposite to the first part 52. The first annular part 52 and the second annular part 54 are separated by an intermediate annular part 56 or spacer. The first annular part 52 comprises two coaxial radially inner annular branches 52a and outer annular branches 52b delimiting a first groove 52c or annular groove opening in a first direction L1 of the axial direction X1. In addition, the second annular part 54 comprises two coaxial radially inner annular branches 54a and outer annular branches 54b delimiting a second groove 54c or annular groove opening in a second direction L2 of the axial direction X1. In FIG. 4, the radially inner branch 52a of the first annular part 52 and the radially inner branch 54a of the second annular part 54 extend axially over a greater distance, respectively, than the radially outer branch 52b of the first annular part 52 and the radially outer branch 54b of the second annular part 54. The radially inner branches 52a, 54a and outer branches 52b, 54b of each of the first annular part 52 and second annular part 54 provide flexibility to the pivot during operation. However, it was noted that the weight of the pivot 40 was still too great and attempts were made to reduce it.

(13) To this end, it is proposed, in a first embodiment of a pivot 58, to make recesses 60 in the material in the intermediate annular part 56 which corresponds to the most massive part of the pivot 58. These recesses 60 are, in the various embodiments, holes made, for example by drilling, through the bottom wall 52d of the first and second grooves 52, 54. Each hole 60 is thus opening at a first end in the first groove 52c and at a second end in the second groove 54c. In this embodiment, the holes 60 are substantially straight and substantially parallel to the axis X1 of the axial passage. As can be seen in FIGS. 5B to 5D, the holes 60 are advantageously regularly distributed over an angular sector of less than 360° to prevent the holes 60 from passing through oil circulation lines 62 used, for example, to lubricate the sliding bearing described above.

(14) In another embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 6 and better visible in FIG. 7, the pivot 64 and the holes 66 are inclined with respect to the axis X1 of the axial passage by an angle between 0° and 30°

(15) In other embodiments not shown, the pivot could include material recesses in the form of holes such as blind holes, which are, however, more difficult and expensive to make. First holes could be formed for example in the bottom wall of the first groove and extend axially or be inclined as in the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Second holes could be formed in the bottom wall of the second groove and extend axially or be inclined as in the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The first and second holes can also be arranged alternately circumferentially around the pivot axis.