HYDRAULIC ACCUMULATOR

Abstract

A hydraulic accumulator comprises a first housing shell (2) and a second housing shell (3), the opening edges (5, 6) of which overlap in relation to the longitudinal axis (4) of the hydraulic accumulator (1) in such a way that they define a partial volume of the hydraulic accumulator (1). The accumulator further comprises a separating element (7) which separates inner working chambers (9, 10) from each other within the accumulator housing (8) of the hydraulic accumulator (1) in a medium-tight manner, said housing being formed by the housing shells (2, 3), and wherein the opening edge (5) of the radially outer-lying housing shell (2) is positively coupled to the circumference of the radially inner-lying housing shell (3) by means of reshaping.

Description

The invention relates to a hydraulic accumulator comprising a first housing shell and a second housing shell, both of which exhibit opening edges that overlap in relation to the longitudinal axis of the hydraulic accumulator in such a way that said first and second housing shells define a partial volume of the hydraulic accumulator.

Hydraulic accumulators in hydraulic systems serve, among other purposes, to receive a defined volume of pressurized fluid and to deliver it back again, as needed, to the system. Especially popular are hydraulic systems with hydropneumatic accumulators exhibiting a separating element configured as a diaphragm. The diaphragm separates, in particular, a fluid chamber acting as the working chamber from a gas chamber acting as the additional working chamber. The working gas that is used is preferably nitrogen, with the diaphragm taking over the task of decoupling from the gas and fluid chambers. Furthermore, the fluid chamber is connected to a hydraulic circuit of the system, so that as the pressure increases, the hydraulic accumulator absorbs the pressure medium, as a result of which the gas is compressed. As the pressure decreases, the previously compressed gas expands in turn and at the same time forces the pressure medium (hydraulic fluid) back into the hydraulic circuit.

In general, a hydraulic accumulator is formed from two housing shells, which abut each other with their free opening edges and, in doing so, define in each case a partial volume or a working chamber of the hydraulic accumulator with the interpositioning of the diaphragm. The housing shells abutting each other at their face sides are usually welded together at the pertinent butt joint by means of a variety of welding methods. Depending on the welding method, it cannot be ruled out, in principle, that the hot metal beads or metal particles in the interior of the hydraulic accumulator will result in the diaphragm being damaged during the welding process. Such damage can have a negative impact on the strength of the diaphragm.

On the basis of this prior art, the object of the invention is to provide a hydraulic accumulator of the above-described type with a diaphragm that is not negatively affected during its production.

The invention achieves this object with a hydraulic accumulator having the features specified in claim 1 in its entirety.

Accordingly, an essential particularity of the invention consists of the fact that an opening edge of the housing shell, which is disposed radially outward at the overlapping point, is brought into contact by reshaping with the periphery of the radially inwardly disposed housing shell, thus forming positive locking. The positive locking connection is preferably configured in a sealing manner and seals the interior of the accumulator from the exterior. Furthermore, the positive locking makes it possible to transmit the tensile stress from the first to the second housing shell of the hydraulic accumulator. This approach prevents the diaphragm in the interior of the hydraulic accumulator from being negatively affected in any way during assembly.

Preferred embodiments will become apparent from the dependent claims.

In a preferred embodiment that facilitates the assembly of the hydraulic accumulator, at least one housing shell is brought into contact with an axial limit stop in the interior of the accumulator housing, so that after the opening edge of the radially outwardly disposed housing shell has been reshaped, this at least one housing shell is held in its end position. The wall thickness of the longitudinal opening edge to be reshaped is reduced, with the result that a transition point from the longitudinal edge to the wall forming the working chamber for the pressure medium forms a radially inwardly directed shoulder that serves as a limit stop.

In an additional advantageous embodiment of the hydraulic accumulator, the opening edge of the housing shell, which is disposed radially outward at the overlapping point, is connected to a connecting body for the working gas so as to form a smooth transition of the outer surface. Preferably, the opening edge is connected to the connecting body in a sealing manner, preferably by material bonding.

Furthermore, a preferred embodiment provides that the separating element is formed by a diaphragm, its peripheral edge at the overlapping of the two housing shells being held with an anchoring member at the radially inner and/or at the radially outer housing shell. The anchoring member is formed preferably from a thickened peripheral bead along the periphery of the diaphragm and from a clamping ring enclosing radially inward this peripheral bead, so that the clamping ring presses the peripheral bead into a groove-like depression of the housing shell and axially and radially secures it in a defined fashion in the accumulator housing.

Another preferred embodiment can also provide that, instead of the clamping ring, an opening edge of the radially inwardly disposed housing shell is configured with an approximately C-shaped hollow profile, which forms a radially inwardly extending leg and, at a distance therefrom, a radially outwardly extending leg between which the peripheral bead of the diaphragm is received. This cross-sectional arrangement of the radially inner housing shell allows the diaphragm to be held along its free face-sided enclosing circumferential edge in a sealing manner against the inside of the radially outer housing shell.

In order to minimize the weight of the hydraulic accumulator, the housing shells may be made of a lightweight metal alloy, preferably in the form of an aluminum alloy.

The fluid connections at the housing shells are formed preferably by connecting bodies which are provided in one piece with these housing shells and which are positioned coaxially to the longitudinal axis of the hydraulic accumulator on the opposite ends of the same. They undergo transition into a wall thickness of the housing shells that is reduced in comparison to the wall thickness at the connecting bodies.

The invention is explained in detail below by means of the exemplary embodiments depicted in the schematic drawings, which are not drawn to scale, but rather according to the underlying principle.

FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal sectional view of a first exemplary embodiment of a hydraulic accumulator according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 shows an additional longitudinal sectional view of a second exemplary embodiment of a hydraulic accumulator according to the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal sectional view of a hydraulic accumulator 1 in the form of a so-called diaphragm accumulator. Such hydraulic accumulators 1 can be used, for example, inside a hydraulic system to compensate for pressure fluctuations, to store energy, to cushion the pulsations of a pump, etc. The hydraulic accumulator 1 comprises a first housing shell 2 and a second housing shell 3, both of which are arranged in a rotationally symmetrical manner around a longitudinal axis 4 of the hydraulic accumulator 1. The housing shells 2, 3 form an accumulator housing 8 and are made preferably of an aluminum alloy in a lightweight construction and are obtained in one working step by means of a compression molding process or the like.

A connecting body 22 with a fluid inlet is formed in one piece with the first housing shell 2. Similarly, the connecting body 14 for the working gas, such as nitrogen, is integrally connected to the second housing shell 3. A free opening edge 6 of the second housing shell 3 overlaps with its radial interior the first housing shell 2 along its outer periphery in the area of the upper half, in particular the upper third when viewed along the axial length of the accumulator housing 8.

Abutting the overlapping area 16, a separating element 7, made of an elastomer material as the diaphragm 15, is brought into contact with a circumferential groove 23 on the inside of the radially outer first housing shell 2 and is held with an anchoring member 17, which consists of a clamping ring 19 that has in essence a U shape when viewed in the cross section. The clamping ring 19 is supported axially at the opening edge 6 of the second housing shell 3. When seen in the viewing direction of FIG. 1, the upper enclosing rim of the clamping ring 19 extends parallel and in horizontal abutment with the bottom base section of the housing shell 3, the cavity that is located above and exhibits the shape of an annular groove serving to receive a pressure medium (not illustrated), for example, as an O-ring or a guide sealing strip. Then the clamping force, generated over the longitudinal edge 12 of the lower housing shell 2, is transmitted to the upper housing shell 3 and, thus, to the upper part of the clamping ring 19, which presses the peripheral bead 18 of the diaphragm against a shoulder-like widening of the wall thickness of the lower housing shell 2, said widening being provided in the downward direction, and, thus, secures in a defined fashion the diaphragm arrangement.

In the area of the fluid connection of the connecting body 22, the diaphragm material is provided with a thickening that forms a valve body, with which the fluid connecting point can be closed as soon as the separating diaphragm device is moved into its bottommost closing position (not illustrated) subject to the influence of a working gas. In order to ensure that the peripheral bead 18 is also supported in the downward direction, the diameter of the clamping ring 19 is expanded in turn in the lower region of the peripheral bead and, as a result, also forms in the direction of the interior of the accumulator housing 8 a support for the diaphragm-like separating element 7.

In contrast, the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIG. 2 shows the peripheral bead 18 being held between a hollow profile, which is pulled radially inward and exhibits a C-shaped cross section, this hollow profile being an integral component of the upper housing shell 3. The hollow profile, defining the cross section of the opening edge 6 of the second housing shell 3, is constructed from a radially inwardly extending leg 20 and a radially outwardly extending leg 21. Insofar as the same reference numerals are used in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2 as in FIG. 1, the related descriptions also apply to the additional exemplary embodiment. Hence, the peripheral bead 18 also produces positive locking in the axial direction between the two housing shells 2, 3.

The first housing shell 2 exhibits a longitudinal edge 12 having a reduced wall thickness. This longitudinal edge extends axially as an enclosing strip on the periphery along the associated stop face of the first housing shell 3. At a transition point 13, at which the wall thickness of the first housing shell 2 tapers off toward the longitudinal edge 12, an axial limit stop 11 for the second housing shell 3 in turn is formed for abutment against the first housing shell 2.

The diaphragm 15 separates the working chamber 9 for the working gas from a working chamber 10 for the pressure medium; and, when seen in the longitudinal direction, the longitudinal edge 12 is brought into contact, preferably by reshaping, with the upper circumferential part of the second housing shell 3 so as to form an interference fit assembly. In order to form a durable abutment, the wall thickness of the second housing shell 3 is constructed approximately twice as thick as the wall thickness of the first housing shell 2 in this area. For this purpose, one advantageous embodiment provides that the opening edge 5 of the first housing shell 2 is connected together in a sealing manner by material bonding to the second housing shell 3.

It is clear from both exemplary embodiments that the positioning of the diaphragm 15 by way of its peripheral bead is carried out in an especially advantageous manner approximately in the middle when seen in the longitudinal direction of the accumulator housing 8, so that the deflecting movements of the diaphragm are more or less identical in both directions. This affords an especially good working capacity for the diaphragm 15 when the hydraulic accumulator is in operation. The bead reinforcement, arranged at the diaphragm 15 at the base, protects the diaphragm 15 even in the event that said diaphragm strikes the connecting body 14 of the upper housing shell 3 in the area of the working gas connection that can be shut off. In any case, in the event that the diaphragm 15 moves upward, suitable round sections of the first housing shell 3 in the area of the leg 21 or the offset round seam on the clamping ring 19 ensure that the diaphragm 15 will gently roll away in both working directions. The hydraulic accumulator that is depicted can be produced, as shown, very cost-effectively in a lightweight construction and lends itself well to prolonged operation even under high load.

Claims

1. A hydraulic accumulator comprising a first housing shell (2) and a second housing shell (3), both of which exhibit opening edges (5, 6) that overlap in relation to the longitudinal axis (4) of the hydraulic accumulator (1) in such a way that said first and second housing shells define a partial volume of the hydraulic accumulator (1), and comprising a separating element (7), which separates the inner working chambers (9, 10) from each other in a medium tight manner inside the accumulator housing (8) of the hydraulic accumulator (1) that is formed by means of the housing shells (2, 3), and wherein the opening edge (5) of the radially outwardly disposed housing shell (2) is brought into contact, by reshaping, with the periphery of the radially inwardly disposed housing shell (3) so as to form a positive locking connection.

2. The hydraulic accumulator according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one housing shell (3) is inserted into the accumulator housing against a limit stop (11) in the interior of the accumulator housing (8).

3. The hydraulic accumulator according to claim 1, characterized by a reduction of the wall thickness of the longitudinal edge (12) of the opening edge (5) of the housing shell (2) that is to be reshaped.

4. The hydraulic accumulator according to claim 3, characterized in that a transition point (13) between the different wall thicknesses forms the limit stop (11) for the radially inwardly disposed housing shell (3).

5. The hydraulic accumulator according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening edge (5) of the radially outwardly disposed housing shell (2) borders on a connecting body (14) for a working gas and is connected to said connecting body (14) in a sealing manner by material bonding.

6. The hydraulic accumulator according to claim 1, characterized in that the movable separating element (7) is formed by a diaphragm (15), its peripheral edge at the overlapping area (16) of the two housing shells (2, 3) being held with an anchoring member (17) at the radially inner and/or radially outer housing shell (3, 2).

7. The hydraulic accumulator according to claim 6, characterized in that the anchoring member (17) is formed from a thickened peripheral bead (18) of the diaphragm (15) and/or a clamping ring (19) for the peripheral rim of the diaphragm (15).

8. The hydraulic accumulator according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening edge (6) of the radially inwardly disposed housing shell (3) forms an approximately C-shaped, radially inwardly drawn hollow profile, which forms a radially inwardly extending leg (20) and at a distance therefrom a radially outwardly extending leg (21), between which the peripheral bead (18) of the diaphragm (15) can be received.

9. The hydraulic accumulator according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing shells (2, 3) are made of a lightweight metal alloy.

10. The hydraulic accumulator according to one of the claim 1, characterized in that the connections at the housing shells (2, 3) are formed by connecting bodies (14, 22) that are coaxial in relation to the longitudinal axis (4) of the hydraulic accumulator (1) and to which the wall of the respective housing shell (2, 3) is connected with a wall thickness that is reduced compared to the thickness of the connecting bodies (14, 22).