Patent ID: 7686727

Claim:
A planetary gear train assembly comprising: a plurality of thrust bearings each configured to receive a lubricant and to purge the lubricant radially outward; a sun gear coupled to an input shaft and contained axially by the plurality of thrust bearings; a plurality of planet gears each configured to mesh with the sun gear and to rotate about a central pin via a plurality of planet bearings; and a carrier supporting the plurality of planet gears between a first side and a second side of the carrier, each of the first and second sides of the carrier having a monolithic inner surface facing the plurality of planet gears, wherein each of the first and second sides of the carrier comprises a plurality of oil dispersion cavities in the monolithic inner surface facing toward the plurality of planet gears, each of the oil dispersion cavities extending in the monolithic inner surface outwardly from at least one of the plurality of thrust bearings to at least one of the planet bearings to thereby channel lubricant from the thrust bearings to the planet bearings and wherein at least one of the first and second sides comprises a plurality of oil outlet cavities extending in the monolithic inner surface from at least one of the planet bearings to an outboard side of the carrier, wherein the oil outlet cavities are configured to channel lubricant from the planet bearings to the outboard side of the carrier.