BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
One embodiment of the invention will now be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an axial piston pump of the swashplate type,
FIG. 2 is a sectional view along line E-E in FIG. 1, and
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the control plate used in the pump of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The axial piston pump 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 is accommodated in a machine housing, not shown, and substantially consists of a driving flange 2, rotatably mounted in the machine housing, a cylinder drum 4 mechanically connected to the driving flange 2 by a tripod joint 3 and a housing 5, not rotatable relative to the machine housing, but pivotable about a fixed machine housing axis A over a pivoting angle range α.
The cylinder drum 4 is rotatably mounted about the axis B via an antifriction bearing 6 on a bearing journal 7 protruding from the housing 5. A plurality of pistons 8, 9 displaceable in cylinder chambers 4a, parallel in axis, of the cylinder drum 4 are held on the driving flange 2 by means of a ball joint 10 and during rotation of the cylinder drum 4 perform a stroke movement dependent as to its size on the set pivoting angle α. In FIG. 1 the piston 8 is situated at its lowest position, wherein the entire usable operating fluid is forced out of the cylinder chamber 4a through a cylinder chamber opening 4b. The piston 9 is correspondingly situated in the diametrically opposite cylinder chamber at its highest position, wherein the cylinder chamber is completely filled with operating fluid. The delivery volume of the axial piston pump therefore depends on the set pivoting angle α of the housing 5.
In order to adjust the delivery volume the housing 5 together with the cylinder drum 4 is swivelled about the axis A running perpendicularly to the plane of FIG. 1 into a desired position within the available pivoting angle range α. In this case, by increasing the pivoting angle the stroke of the pistons 8, 9 is augmented as a result of which the delivery volume rises. When the housing 5 is not pivoted no flow occurs. For the supply or removal of the operating fluid into or out of the cylinder chambers 4a, two control passages 5a, 5b are provided in the housing 5.
A bearing plate 11 and a control plate 12 are arranged between the cylinder drum 4 and the housing 5. The bearing plate 11 is connected, secured against rotation, to the cylinder drum 4. It serves as an axial bearing of the cylinder drum 4 and is provided with openings 11a, which correspond to the cylinder chamber openings 4b in size and position. The control plate 12 is connected, secured against rotation, to the housing 5 and can be easily replaced for maintenance reasons as well as for adaptation to various operating conditions. It is provided with a kidney-shaped control passage 12a consisting of control passage sections 12b, 12c, which are separated from each other by bridges 12d and serve to control the flow of the operating fluid into and out of the cylinder chambers 4a.
During operation of the axial piston pump with the drum moved into the pivot position illustrated in FIG. 1, the operating fluid is pumped from the chamber 4a via the cylinder chamber opening 4b, the openings 11a in the bearing plate 11 and the control passage sections 12b or 12c in the control plate 12 to the control passage 5b of the housing 5, until it reaches the lowest position shown of the piston 8. From there the operating fluid flows to a port, not illustrated, where it can be removed. Another port, likewise not illustrated, serves to feed the operating fluid back to the axial piston pump 1 via the control passage 5a of the housing 5.
Due to the rotation of the cylinder drum 4 about the bearing journal 7 during operation, as is evident from the geometry of FIG. 2, the free cross section available for the flow of the operating fluid varies constantly, as a result of the constantly changing position of the control passage sections 12b, 12c in the control plate 12 relative to the openings 11a in the bearing plate 11. Thus, a corresponding variation of the pressure and flow-rate parameters of the operating fluid also takes place. With conventional axial piston machines the hydrostatic pressure below the bridges 12d falls away steeply and gas and/or water vapour bubbles form due to the high and varying overflow-rates of the operating fluid. These bubbles are carried by the flowing fluid into regions of higher pressure, predominantly to the edges of the control passages 5a, 5b, which lie in the region of the contact area of the control plate 12 with the housing 5, and implode there. These implosions lead to pressure peaks, which cause erosion of the material surface at the edges of the control passages 5a, 5b.
According to the invention, as is evident from FIGS. 2 and 3, in order to improve the pressure and flow behaviour in the bridges 12d, a pressure balance opening 13 is provided between the control passage sections 12b, 12c, through which balancing of the pressures prevailing in the control passages 5a, 5b and in the cylinder chamber 4a or the cylinder chamber opening 4b occurs.
So that the bridge 12d between the adjacent control passage sections 12b, 12c is not weakened too much, the distance C from the pressure balance opening 13 to the control passage section 12b and the distance D to the control passage section 12c should be selected as large as possible. This results in an expedient arrangement of the pressure balance opening 13 in the inside or outside boundary region of the bridge 12d.
In the present exemplary embodiment the size and position of the pressure balance opening 13 was specified for a certain size with defined operating parameters. The pressure balance opening 13 thereby lies on the inner side of the bridge 12d. For other operating parameters (size, pressure level, number of cylinders, speed of revolution of the cylinder drum, piston stroke), the position, size and shaping of the pressure balance opening 13 and the angle of the balance opening 13 to the plane of the control panel 12 can be adapted.
The inventive arrangement of the control plate is suitable not only for the operation of an axial piston pump, but also for an axial piston motor. In this case, the position and design of the pressure balance opening 13 should be adapted, based on the change in the direction of pumping or rotation.
Patent Application
20070289441
