Patent ID: 11879541
Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Field: Mechanical elements (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 14:
15. A gearbox comprising:
an epicyclical gear train comprising:
a sun gear configured to receive a torque and rotate about a rotational axis;
a plurality of planet gears, each planet gear of the plurality of planet gears engaging with the sun gear to be rotated by the sun gear, the plurality of planet gears being collectively rotatable about the rotational axis of the sun gear;
a carrier, the plurality of planet gears being rotatably connected to the carrier, the carrier rotating about the rotational axis of the sun gear as the plurality of planet gears collectively rotate; and
a ring gear engaging with each planet gear of the plurality of planet gears;

an oil system configured to supply oil to the gearbox;
a plurality of local gutters, each local gutter being positioned radially outward of a planet gear of the plurality of planet gears in the radial direction of the planet gear to collect oil expelled by the planet gear when the planet gear rotates, the plurality of local gutters being connected to the carrier to collectively rotate with the carrier; and
a global gutter circumscribing the plurality of planet gears, such that the global gutter is located radially outward of the plurality of planet gears to collect oil expelled by the plurality of local gutters when the plurality of local gutters rotate, the global gutter including:
an axial surface;
a plurality of radial surfaces including a first radial surface and a second radial surface, each of the first radial surface and the second radial surface being oriented in a direction intersecting the axial surface; and
at least one opening to allow the oil collected in the global gutter to flow therethrough, the at least one opening being formed on both the axial surface and one of the first radial surface and the second radial surface.