US 12,409,916 B2
Gyrostabiliser assembly
Paul Douglas Steinmann, Canning Vale (AU); Michael John Andrewartha, Canning Vale (AU); and John Bradley Miocevich, Canning Vale (AU)
Assigned to VEEM Ltd., (AU)
Appl. No. 17/909,526
Filed by VEEM Ltd, Canning Vale (AU)
PCT Filed Mar. 5, 2021, PCT No. PCT/AU2021/050197
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 6, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/174315, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 10, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2020900700 (AU), filed on Mar. 6, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0134259 A1, May 4, 2023
Int. Cl. B63B 39/04 (2006.01); F16N 7/40 (2006.01); F16N 17/06 (2006.01)
CPC B63B 39/04 (2013.01) [F16N 7/40 (2013.01); F16N 17/06 (2013.01); F16N 2210/14 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gyrostabiliser assembly comprising:
a housing defining a chamber for supporting an operating pressure of less than 0.5 bar;
a flywheel mounted within the chamber for rotation about a spin axis at the operating pressure;
a flywheel shaft upon which the flywheel is supported and mounted in the housing by first and second spin bearings located at opposite end regions of the shaft for rotation of the flywheel about the spin axis, each of the first and second spin bearings including rolling elements; and
a lubrication system for the first and second spin bearings configured to supply lubricant to the first and second spin bearings from a reservoir,
wherein the reservoir is arranged in or on the housing to be at the operating pressure in use and to collect the lubricant from the first and second spin bearings under gravity, and wherein the first and second spin bearings are arranged in the housing to be at the operating pressure, with the first and second spin bearings being open to the chamber so that lubricant from the first and second spin bearing contacts the flywheel, and
wherein the lubrication system includes a jetting outlet directed at each of the first and second spin bearings for delivery of the lubricant targeted directly at the rolling elements in each of the first and second spin bearings.