Patent Grant
11022105
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to patent application no. DE 10 2017 203 281.2, filed on Mar. 1, 2017 in Germany; the disclosure of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The disclosure relates to a connector plate, to a hydraulic machine, and to a hydrostatic unit.
In the case of what is known as a compact axle which can also be called a hydrostatic unit in the following text, a drive machine which is usually electric, a hydraulic machine, a hydraulic attachment part, for example a control valve or control valve block, and a hydraulic consumer, for example a hydraulic cylinder, are combined to form a compact structural unit. Here, in particular, space-saving arrangements and therefore configurations of the individual component and of the overall structural unit are desired and advantageous. One possibility is to arrange at least some of the abovementioned components “in line” or in an aligned manner, with the result that a comparatively long, but advantageously narrow installation space can be utilized.
Document DE 10 2010 013 008 has disclosed, for example, an axial piston machine of swash plate design for a hydrostatic unit, which has a connector plate with connector bores toward the control block as a connector adapter. Here, said connector bores have internal threads which are provided for screwing connector hoses or connector pipelines. Therefore, comparatively flexible hoses or lines which are intensive in terms of installation space are to be provided between the module of the axial piston machine having the connector plate and the control block which is to be connected to it.
It is a disadvantage of said solution that the resulting hydrostatic unit requires a long installation space if assessed in the direction of the driveshaft of the hydraulic machine. In addition, the use of the hoses or pipes for connecting the control block is susceptible to leaks.
In contrast, the disclosure is based on the object of providing a connector plate for a hydraulic machine, via which connector plate a hydrostatic unit with a relatively low installation space requirement is made possible. It is a second object of the disclosure to provide a hydraulic machine which makes a hydrostatic unit which saves installation space possible. A third object consists in providing a hydrostatic unit which saves as much installation space as possible.
The first object is achieved by way of a connector plate according to this disclosure, the second object is achieved by way of a hydraulic machine according to this disclosure, and the third object is achieved by way of a hydrostatic unit according to this disclosure.
Advantageous developments of the inventions are described in the description, drawings, and claims.
A connector plate for the mechanical and hydraulic connection of a hydraulic machine, in particular of a hydrostatic axial piston machine, in particular of swash plate design, having a hydraulic attachment part, in particular a hydraulic control valve, is penetrated by hydrostatic connector recesses. The latter have orifices on sides of the connector plate which point away from one another. Here, orifices for the pressure medium connection with the attachment part are provided on one side, and the orifices for the pressure medium connection with the hydraulic machine are provided on the other side. In order to ensure a linear or aligned arrangement of the attachment part with the hydraulic machine in a manner which is simple in terms of apparatus technology, the orifices are oriented in a substantially axially parallel manner with respect to a drive axle of the connectable hydraulic machine. According to the disclosure, first fastening means are provided on the connector plate, via which first fastening means the connection with the attachment part can be carried out in a block-like manner. Block-like means, in particular, that the hydraulic connection can be configured without hoses or pipes, in particular by way of direct and fixed connection of the connector plate to the attachment part.
Fundamentally, the type of the connection of the components, both a mechanical and a hydraulic type, are given great importance for the skillful utilization of the installation space. An amount of installation space which can be taken up of a module which consists of the connector plate and an attachment part is reduced in the direction of the driveshaft by way of the block-like, in particular direct and fixed connection which is made possible in accordance with the disclosure. This is true, in particular, with respect to those cases in which the connection of the connector plate to the attachment part has had to take place by means of hoses or pipes. With respect to said case, the block-like connection makes it possible, in addition, that it has less fragile sealing points. The mechanical and fluidic connection can therefore be configured with high strength, reliability and tightness.
As a result of the block-like construction of the connection, additional parts which have been necessary up to now for the mechanical/hydraulic connection are omitted or become superfluous. As a result, the overall complexity, in particular a number of parts and a weight, are reduced. The costs for producing the connector plate, the hydraulic machine and the unit are also reduced as a result.
Those sides of the connector plate which have the orifices are preferably parallel to one another. In particular, the direction of the driveshaft represents a perpendicular of the sides. The sides are preferably of predominantly planar configuration. An exception to this can be, for example, regions of the sides, in which regions recesses or bulges are provided for functional elements, for example seal or bearing elements.
In one preferred development, the connector plate has second fastening means for the block-like (in particular, hose-free or pipe-free) connection to the hydraulic machine.
The fastening means are preferably arranged away from the orifices. In relation to the direction of the driveshaft, for example, this can be radially outside the region, in which the orifices are arranged. As an alternative or in addition, individual fastening means or all the fastening means can be provided within said region.
In one development, the fastening means have, for example, bores, in particular through bores.
Here, the bores can be configured at least in sections with an internal thread or without a thread.
In one development, the fastening means have screws in a manner which is appropriate with respect to the bores.
It is of course possible in principle that, for example, the first fastening means are provided both for the connection of the connector plate to the attachment part and for the connection of the connector plate to the hydraulic machine.
In one preferred development, in each case one of two of the connector recesses of the connector plate can be assigned, in particular is assigned, to a working connector of the hydraulic machine. In particular, a connector which passes into the pressure medium connection with one or more hydrostatic working spaces of the hydraulic machine during operation of the hydraulic machine is considered to be a working connector here.
In one development, a third one of the connector recesses can be assigned, in particular is assigned, to a leakage connector of the hydraulic machine.
In one development, a fourth one of the connector recesses can be assigned, in particular is assigned, to a load signaling connector of the hydraulic machine.
Further connector recesses with associated connectors on the hydraulic machine are possible and increase the degree of integration of the mechanical and fluidic connection via the connector plate.
In one development, the attachment part-side orifices represent a hole pattern which is the same as a hole pattern of the attachment part.
In one development, the hydraulic machine-side orifices represent a hole pattern which is approximately the same as a hole pattern of the hydraulic machine.
The hole patterns which are assigned to one another in this way being the same means that the hole patterns are adapted to one another, at least as far as a number of orifices, their position and/or shape and their function are concerned.
In one development, an additional function for the hydraulic machine is configured by the connector plate, by the latter having a bearing seat for the driveshaft of the hydraulic machine. The bearing seat is preferably arranged centrally, in particular concentrically, in relation to the hydraulic machine-side orifices.
A hydraulic machine, in particular a hydrostatic axial piston machine, which is configured, in particular, in a swash plate design has a housing and, in addition, a connector plate which is configured in accordance with at least one aspect of the preceding description. Here, the connector plate is connected according to the disclosure via second fastening means to the housing in a block-like manner; in other words, without the necessity of hoses or pipes, in particular in a hose-free or pipe-free manner.
It is possible by means of the connector plate which is attached in this way to connect the hydraulic machine to the attachment part in a block-like manner, in particular in a direct and fixed manner, as a result of which installation space which can be taken up in the direction of the driveshaft is reduced, as has been mentioned. Otherwise, the same advantages apply as have already been mentioned in the case of the connector plate alone.
The applicant reserves the right to direct a patent request to a module comprising a hydraulic attachment part, in particular a control valve, and the connector plate in accordance with the preceding description. Here, the connector plate is placed onto the attachment part, in particular a valve block or a valve housing of the control valve, and is connected to said attachment part via the first fastening means in a block-like manner, in other words without the necessity of lines or pipes. The attachment part preferably has an associated pressure medium duct for each of the hydrostatic connector recesses or at least for some of them.
In one development, the hydraulic machine is configured as an axial piston machine, in particular of swash plate design.
In one development, the axial piston machine has a driveshaft and a cylinder barrel which is connected fixedly to said drive shaft so as to rotate with it, in which cylinder barrel cylinder bores are made in a manner which is distributed about the driveshaft. Working pistons are guided displaceably in said cylinder bores, with the result that hydrostatic working spaces are delimited via said working pistons in the cylinder bores. The orifices of said working spaces pass into alternating pressure medium connection with the two connector recesses of the connector plate which are mentioned in the description, upon rotation of the driveshaft.
In order for it to be possible to fasten a drive unit to the hydraulic machine, said hydraulic machine has, in one development, an attachment flange for a drive unit, in particular an electric machine, on a side of its housing which is arranged opposite the connector plate.
In one development, the hydraulic machine has a control plate which is arranged between the cylinder barrel and the connector plate. The control plate has through recesses, the hole pattern of which is approximately the same as the hole pattern of the hydraulic machine-side orifices of the connector plate.
In one development, the likeness of the hole patterns relates at least to the through recesses of the control plate and to the connector recesses of the connector plate which are provided for the alternating pressure medium connection with the working spaces.
In one development, the orifices of the working spaces are arranged at least in sections on an identical pitch circle with those of the through recesses of the control plate.
If the through recesses penetrate the control plate parallel to the driveshaft, the hydraulic machine-side orifices of the connector recesses of the connector plate are also arranged at least in sections on the pitch circle in one development.
A hydrostatic unit, in particular a hydrostatic module, has a hydraulic machine which is configured in accordance with the preceding description, and a hydraulic attachment part, in particular a control valve, which is placed onto the connector plate and is connected mechanically and hydraulically to said connector plate via the first fastening means in a block-like manner, in other words without lines or pipes.
A unit/module which is very compact at least in the direction of the driveshaft of the hydraulic machine is formed by way of the block-like connection of the connector plate both to the attachment part and to the hydraulic machine. Here, the hydraulic connections are tight and rigid, as a result of which a reliability and efficiency of the unit is increased.
A particularly slim installation space is taken up if the hydraulic machine is arranged in alignment in the direction of the driveshaft via its connector plate with the attachment part.
In one development, the first fastening means have connecting bores which extend directly (that is to say, without deflection) from the attachment part, in particular from a block, into the control plate of the hydraulic machine. As a result, the hydraulic machine, in particular the hydraulic pump, can be operated at a higher rotational speed. In the case of the hydraulic pump, the reason for this is that an intake pressure at the associated working connector does not drop as a result of the direct connection to such a pronounced effect as in the case of a more indirect connection, for example by means of a hose.
In one development, the unit has a drive unit which is arranged, in particular flange-connected, on the hydraulic machine in alignment in the direction of the driveshaft. A sequence in said direction then results as follows: drive unit, hydraulic machine with connector plate, attachment part. Here, all the connections are preferably of block-like and therefore particularly rigid and tight configuration.
In one development, the unit also has a hydraulic consumer, for example a hydraulic cylinder, which can be supplied with pressure medium by the hydraulic machine and can thus be driven. A particularly slim installation space is also taken up here if all the abovementioned components are in alignment with one another. As an alternative to this, the consumer can of course be arranged parallel to or outside the alignment.
In each case one exemplary embodiment of a connector plate according to the disclosure, a hydraulic machine according to the disclosure and a hydrostatic unit according to the disclosure is shown in the drawings. The disclosure will now be described using the figures of said drawings, in which:
The hydrostatic unit 1 can also be called an “autonomous axle”, since, in addition to the linearly acting hydraulic cylinder 12, it also has the necessary components for driving it and supplying it with pressure medium, namely the drive unit 2, the hydraulic machine 4 and the control valve block 8.
It can be seen clearly here that the connector plate 6 is arranged in a sandwich-like manner between the hydraulic machine 4 and the control valve block 8 (attachment part). Here, the mechanical and fluidic connection of the connector plate 6 both to the hydraulic machine 4 and to the control valve block 8 is in each case of block-like configuration, that is to say without the necessity of hoses or pipes. In this way, the hydraulic machine 4, the connector plate 6 and the control valve block 8 as one module form a compact, comparatively rigid construction which is simple in terms of apparatus technology. Here, the respective connection of the hydraulic machine 4 to the connector plate 6 and of the control valve block 8 to the connector plate 6 can be called “of block-like configuration”.
In the exemplary embodiment which is shown, the arrangement of the drive unit 2, the hydraulic machine 4, the connector plate 6 and the control valve block 8 is “in line”, in principle parallel to the drive axis (not shown) of the hydraulic machine 4.
In order to seal the connector plate against the attachment part, in each case one groove, in particular a rectangular groove, is provided in each case radially outside the connectors A, B, L of the attachment part, in each case around the full circumference of the latter. A seal ring with a round cross section (O-ring) or a rectangular cross section (R-ring) can be arranged, in particular is arranged, in said groove.
As an alternative, the grooves which were mentioned above are arranged on that side or face of the connector plate which points toward the attachment part.
As an alternative, hybrid forms are possible, in which at least one groove, in particular with a seal ring, is arranged on the side of the attachment part and at least one groove, in particular with a seal ring, is arranged on the side of the connector plate.
Furthermore, the connector face 14 has a fastening hole pattern 18 with four blind bores 20 which are provided in a rectangular arrangement and, in relation to a center point between the working connectors A, B, are situated away from them, radially outside them. A rectangle which can be defined by the blind bores 20 has axes of symmetry 22 and 24, the two working connectors A, B being arranged on the axis of symmetry 24, and the leakage connector L being arranged on the axis of symmetry 22. Here, a center point of the leakage connector L lies approximately on an imaginary connecting line of two blind bores 20 of one longitudinal side of the rectangle.
Furthermore, thread run-outs of fastening screws 30 which penetrate through bores 32 of the connector plate 6 can be seen in
The second fastening means 34 therefore make the block-like connection in a mechanical and hydraulic way of the hydraulic machine 4 to the connector plate 6 possible, which connection likewise proves to be rigid and compact.
Furthermore,
Furthermore,
Approximately in the region of dead centers between the orifices 38, 40 of the connector recesses A, B′, in each case one substantially droplet-shaped leakage duct 44, 46 is configured on both sides of the bearing seat 42, which leakage duct 44, 46 is in pressure medium connection with the bearing seat 42. Here, the leakage ducts 44, 46 are configured as recessed pressure pockets in the material. Here, a leakage bore 48 leads as a through bore out of the leakage duct 46, which leakage bore 48 is in pressure medium connection with the leakage connector L in accordance with
Furthermore, an edge-side, secondary leakage connector L′ can be seen on a longitudinal side 52 which is adjacent with respect to the leakage duct 46. Said secondary leakage connector L′ branches off from the leakage through bore 48 approximately at a right angle laterally toward the outside to the longitudinal side 52, out of which it opens. A cross section which is defined by the plane of symmetry A-A in accordance with
In addition, a seal groove 56 which encompasses the orifices 38, 40 and the leakage ducts 44, 46 in a circular manner and radially on the outside can be seen clearly in
In the section A-A, the leakage ducts 44, 46 and the circumferential leakage duct 50 which opens laterally into them can be seen clearly. In accordance with the right-hand side of
Furthermore,
The secondary leakage connector L′ is connected to the leakage through bore 48 via a throttle point 66 of tapered cross section. One side 68 of the connector plate 6, which side is directed toward the attachment part 8, is of planar configuration.
It can be seen as additional information in
In the mounted state of the connector plate 6, a screw head of the second fastening screws 30 (cf.
The screw head (not shown here) terminates flush with the side 68 of the connector plate 6, or the step 70 is configured so as to be so deep that the screw head is even recessed below the side 68, that is to say does not protrude beyond said side 68.
As a result, the connector plate 6 can be mounted or is mounted with its side 68 in a planar manner on the connector face 14 in accordance with
Therefore, both the second fastening screws 30, the second through bores 32 and the steps 70 belong to the second fastening means 34.
The hydraulic machine 4 has a drive shaft 82 with a splined shaft stub 84 which can be coupled to the electric drive unit 2. The drive shaft 82 is mounted rotatably via anti-friction bearings 86, 88 firstly on the housing bottom 74 and secondly on the bearing seat 42 of the connector plate 6. Here, the connector plate 6 is connected in a block-like manner to the housing 72. Here, the connection takes place via the second fastening means 34 of the connector plate 6, that is to say via the second through bores 32 in accordance with
The hydraulic machine 4 has a cylinder barrel 92 which is connected fixedly to the drive shaft 82 so as to rotate with it and in which cylinder bores 96 are made in a circumferentially distributed manner parallel to a longitudinal axis 94 of the drive shaft 82. Working pistons 98 are guided axially displaceably in said cylinder bores 96, feet of the working pistons 98 being supported in a sliding manner on a swash plate 100 via pads. A working stroke of the working pistons 98 is thus produced in a known way upon rotation of the drive shaft 82.
The cylinder bores 96 have end-side orifices 102 toward the connector plate 6. A control plate 104 with kidney-shaped through recesses A″, B″ is arranged between an end side of the cylinder barrel and the connector plate 6. Here, the orifices of the latter which point toward the connector plate 6 have the same kidney-shaped form as the orifices 38, 40 of the connector plate 6 (cf., for example,
A closure plate is disclosed having two parallel connector sides, in each case for a hydraulic machine and an attachment part. Here, the connector plate has fastening means for the mechanical and fluidic connection to at least the attachment part, which fastening means are configured in such a way that the attachment part can be connected in a block-like manner. Furthermore, a hydraulic machine having the connector plate is disclosed, said connector plate being connected in a block-like manner to a housing of the hydraulic machine. A hydrostatic unit at least comprising a hydraulic machine and an attachment part is also disclosed, the two components being connected in a block-like manner via the connector plate, in line or in alignment with the driveshaft of the hydraulic machine.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2017 203 281.2 | Mar 2017 | DE | national |
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| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 10 2010 013 008 | Oct 2010 | DE |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20180252209 A1 | Sep 2018 | US |
