This application claims priority to German Application DE 102010025910.1, filed Jul. 2, 2010, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hydrostatic axial piston machine, in particular, to an axial piston motor with a rotating cylinder block which comprises a cylinder block body and a cylinder block neck, and a drive shaft. A plurality of piston bores are located in the cylinder block body. Longitudinally moveable pistons are located in the piston bores and are supported on a swashplate. A synchronization gearing is located between the cylinder block neck (which projects from the cylinder block body and extends in the direction of the swashplate) and the drive shaft. A braking device acts on the cylinder block.
2. Description of Related Art
In axial piston machines of the general type that employ a swashplate construction, the pistons, which can move longitudinally in the piston bores of the cylinder block, are supported on a swashplate. As a rule, the pistons are supported on the swashplate by a sliding shoe connected with the corresponding piston by a sliding shoe joint, such as a ball-and-socket joint. Torque is transmitted between the cylinder block and the drive shaft by a synchronization gearing, which makes possible both an axial mobility of the cylinder block and a limited angular adjustment capability of the cylinder block. As a result, the position of the cylinder block on a control plate can be adjusted. The cylinder block is supported on the drive shaft at the intersection between the plane of the midpoints of the sliding shoe joints and the axis of rotation of the drive shaft. In axial piston machines of the known art, this intersection lies axially outside the cylinder block, i.e., axially between the cylinder block and the swashplate. For this reason, on axial piston machines of the known art, the cylinder block body is elongated toward the swashplate by a projecting cylinder block neck. The synchronization gearing is located on or in the vicinity of the cylinder block neck. As a result, the transverse force that is generated by the resolution of forces on the sliding shoe joints can be transmitted and supported without causing undesirable tipping forces on the cylinder block. If, when viewed in the axial direction, the center of the overlap area between the synchronization gearing on the cylinder block neck essentially coincides with the intersection of the plane that is formed by the sliding shoe midpoints and the axis of rotation of the drive shaft or of the cylinder block, an undesirable tipping moment on the cylinder block that would lead to a tipping of the cylinder block away from the control surface can be prevented by the transverse forces that occur.
The design of an axial piston machine of the known art requires a low wall thickness of the cylinder block neck, which is drawn out from the cylinder block body in the axial direction and is provided with the hub profile of the synchronization gearing. As a result of the simultaneous transmission of the torque and the transverse force, high loads are exerted on the cylinder block neck and on the transition between the cylinder block neck and the cylinder block body, as a result of which a material with appropriately high strength must be used.
If a generic axial piston machine also has a braking device which acts on the cylinder block, preferably on the cylinder block body, when the braking device is actuated into the braking position, the braking torque is also applied to the synchronization gearing in the vicinity of the cylinder block neck. Additional loading and stressing of the synchronization gearing are caused by the braking torque, especially if hydrostatic forces and torques are transmitted simultaneously and the braking device is used as an operating brake to decelerate the rotating drive shaft.
The high stresses on the cylinder block neck are accompanied by the risk that the cylinder block neck may break away from the cylinder block body and become detached from the cylinder block body. The synchronization gearing between the cylinder block neck and the drive shaft can also fail. In the event of such failures that involve a failure of the synchronization gearing, the braking torque of the braking device can no longer be transmitted to the drive shaft on account of the lack of synchronization gearing between the drive shaft and the cylinder block neck, which results in a loss of the braking action.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide an axial piston machine of the general type described above but in which the full functional capability of the braking device is preserved in the event of a failure of the synchronization gearing.
The invention teaches that, in addition to the first synchronization gearing (first driving gearing) on or in the vicinity of the cylinder block neck within the axial dimension of the cylinder block body, there is a second or additional synchronization gearing (second driving gearing). The additional synchronization gearing in the vicinity of the cylinder block body has a larger gear tooth clearance than the synchronization gearing in the vicinity of the cylinder block neck. A teaching of the invention is therefore, that in addition to the synchronization gearing in the vicinity of the cylinder block neck, there is an additional, redundant synchronization gearing within the axial length of the cylinder block body, which engages in the event of a failure of the synchronization gearing, for example, as a result of a failure of the synchronization gearing or a rupture of the cylinder block neck, and makes it possible for the braking torque of the braking device to be transmitted from the cylinder block body to the drive shaft. The invention teaches that the additional synchronization gearing has a larger lateral gear tooth clearance than the first synchronization gearing. As a result, the additional synchronization gearing is not engaged during regular operation of the axial piston machine with a fully functioning primary synchronization gearing. Consequently, in normal operation in the absence of failures or malfunctions, the transverse force can be transmitted to the cylinder block and supported via the engaged synchronization gearing in the vicinity of the cylinder block neck without the occurrence of a tipping moment, so that, on account of the presence of the additional synchronization gearing, no undesirable effects occur during regular and normal operation of the axial piston machine. The larger gear tooth clearance in the vicinity of the additional synchronization gearing has the particular advantage that the additional synchronization gearing is not exposed to any loads during normal operation of the axial piston machine because the torques and forces are transmitted and supported by the synchronization gearing in the vicinity of the cylinder block neck. In the event of damage to the equipment or a malfunctioning of the synchronization gearing, such as a failure of the synchronization gearing or a rupture of the cylinder block neck, for example, a braking moment can therefore be securely transmitted by the braking device from the cylinder block body to the driveshaft by means of the previously unused additional synchronization gearing in the vicinity of the axial dimension of the cylinder block body. Because the hub on the cylinder block side also has a greater wall thickness in the vicinity of the cylinder block body than the cylinder block neck, the reliability and safety of operation in the event of a failure or malfunction are further increased, so that the braking torque of the braking device can be transmitted safely and reliably.
In one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the additional synchronization gearing in the vicinity of the cylinder block body is located at some distance in the axial direction from the synchronization gearing in the vicinity of the cylinder block neck. The additional synchronization gearing can be located in an additional gearing area within the axial extension of the cylinder block body and at some distance in the axial direction from the gearing area on the cylinder block neck.
To minimize the cost and effort of construction, and to achieve low manufacturing costs, it is particularly advantageous if, as in one preferred embodiment of the invention, the additional synchronization gearing in the vicinity of the cylinder block body is located in the axial direction adjacent to the synchronization gearing on or in the vicinity of the cylinder block neck. The additional synchronization gearing can be easily created by an axial elongation of the existing synchronization gearing on the cylinder block neck in the area of the extension of the cylinder block body, whereby all that is necessary in the vicinity of the cylinder block body is the greater gear tooth clearance of the additional synchronization gearing.
The synchronization gearing in the vicinity of the cylinder block neck and the additional synchronization gearing in the vicinity of the cylinder block body can be formed by different gearing profiles. In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the cost and effort of design and manufacture for the additional synchronization gearing can be kept low if the synchronization gearing and the additional synchronization gearing are formed by a common gear toothing of the driveshaft and a common hub profile of the cylinder block. The additional synchronization gearing can therefore be manufactured by an easily manufactured axial elongation of the gearing on the gear shaft and of the hub profile on the cylinder block and, thus, an elongation of the synchronization gearing on the cylinder block neck.
The greater tooth clearance of the additional synchronization gearing can be achieved by a corresponding widening of the recesses of the hub profile in the cylinder block side hub. With the objective of reducing the manufacturing costs, it is further advantageous if, as in one preferred embodiment of the invention, gearing is provided on the driveshaft in the vicinity of the additional synchronization gearing with a tooth thickness that is less than the thickness of the gearing in the vicinity of the synchronization gearing. As a result of the location of the common toothing on the driveshaft with a decreasing tooth thickness which is variable in the axial direction, the increased tooth clearance in the vicinity of the additional synchronization gearing can be achieved by a simple external machining of the driveshaft. The axial recesses of the hub profile in the cylinder block can therefore be formed by easily manufactured standard recesses which extend from the cylinder block neck in the area of axial extension of the cylinder block body.
In one preferred configuration of the invention, the synchronization gearing and the additional synchronization gearing are in the form of spline shaft gears. Because of the variable tooth thickness of the gearing on the driveshaft in the axial direction, the synchronization gearing and the additional synchronization gearing can be easily manufactured with a common spline shaft gear. Alternatively, however, it is also possible to design the synchronization gearing and the additional synchronization gearing in the form of a suitable form-fitting shaft-hub connection, for example, in the form of a splined shaft profile.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the braking device is located radially between the cylinder block, in particular the cylinder block body, and a housing. With a braking device of this type, a braking torque can be easily exerted on the cylinder block body to decelerate the drive shaft. The braking device can thereby have the function of a parking brake and/or an operating brake. The braking device is preferably in the form of a multiple disc brake.
It is particularly advantageous if the axial piston machine is in the form of a traction motor of a traction drive on a mobile machine or a slewing gear motor of a slewing gear on a mobile machine. On account of the additional synchronization gearing of the invention, which is located in the area of the axial extension of the cylinder block body, the braking moment generated by the braking device that acts on the cylinder block body can be safely and reliably transmitted to the driveshaft in the event of an equipment failure or malfunction, for example, a failure of the synchronization gearing in the vicinity of the cylinder block neck or a rupture of the cylinder block neck. The drive shaft can thereby be reliably and safely decelerated or stopped by the braking device. With the additional synchronization gearing of the invention in a slewing gear drive or a traction drive, for example, the braking function can also be reliably preserved even in the event of damage to or failure of the synchronization gearing, as a result of which a high level of operational safety is guaranteed. An axial piston machine of the invention in the form of a traction motor can drive a drive axle. Alternatively, the traction motor can be in the form of a wheel drive, in which the axial piston motor is associated with a driven wheel of the mobile machine.
Additional advantages and details of the invention are explained in greater detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the accompanying schematic figures, in which:
The work pistons 5 are each supported in the area projecting from the cylinder block 3 on a swashplate 7 by means of a sliding shoe 6. The swashplate 7 can be molded or fastened onto a housing 8, whereby the axial piston machine 1 has a fixed displacement volume. It is also possible to make the swashplate 7 adjustable, as a result of which the axial piston machine 1 has a variable displacement volume.
The cylinder block 3 is supported in the axial direction on a control surface 10, which is stationary with respect to the housing 8 and is located on a disk-shaped control plate 11, which is non-rotationally fastened to the housing 8 or a corresponding housing cover. The control plate 11 is provided with kidney-shaped control slots which form a suction connection passage 12 and a compression connection passage 13.
The work pistons 5 are connected by a sliding shoe joint 9 in the form of a ball-and-socket joint with the respective sliding shoe 6. The center points of the sliding shoe joints 9 are located in a common plane E, which is illustrated by a broken line in
The intersection S is located between an end surface A of the cylinder block 3, in which the piston bores 4 emerge on the swashplate 7 side (i.e., the end surface A contains the piston outlet openings), and the swashplate 7 and is therefore outside the axial dimension of the cylinder block 3.
The cylinder block 3 is traversed by a central boring through which a driveshaft 14, which is oriented concentrically with respect to the axis of rotation 2, is guided through the cylinder block 3. The drive shaft 14 is rotationally mounted in the housing 8 by bearings 15, 16. In an area at some axial distance from the control surface 10, the cylinder block 3 is supported in the radial direction by a support bearing 19 on the drive shaft 14.
The cylinder block 3 includes of a cylinder block body 3a, in which the piston bores 4 of the pistons 5 are located, and a cylinder block neck 3b, which extends in the axial direction from the end surface A of the cylinder block body 3a toward the swashplate 7. The cylinder block neck 3b is in this case in the form of an axially projecting section on the cylinder block body 3a. A first or primary synchronization gearing 20 is located on or in the vicinity of the cylinder block neck 3b, which is preferably formed by a spline shaft gearing. The synchronization gearing 20 formed by the spline shaft gearing simultaneously forms the support bearing 19. By means of the synchronization gearing 20, the cylinder block 3 is located torque-proof and can be displaced longitudinally on the drive shaft 14.
As illustrated in
As shown in
The invention also teaches that, in addition to the first or primary synchronization gearing 20 that forms the support bearing 19 and is arranged in the vicinity of the cylinder block neck 3b, there is an additional second or secondary synchronization gearing 21 inside the axial dimension of the cylinder block body 3a. The additional synchronization gearing 21 has a larger lateral gear tooth clearance in the vicinity of the cylinder block body 3a than the synchronization gearing 20 in the vicinity of the cylinder block neck 3b.
The synchronization gearing 20, in the form of spline shaft gearing, has a spline shaft profile with corresponding spline profiles 30 in the form of axial gearing on the outside circumference of the drive shaft 14 and longitudinal grooves 31 on the inside of the hub-side cylinder block 3 that mesh with the spline profiles 30, in the form of axial recesses in the hub profile.
As illustrated in
The longitudinal grooves 31 in the cylinder block 3, which extend from the cylinder block neck 3b into the axial dimensional area of the cylinder block body 3a, have an unvarying cross-section with the uniform width b. The gearing located on the drive shaft 14, which gearing is formed by the corresponding spline profiles 30, has a variable tooth thickness in the axial direction. In the vicinity of the cylinder block neck 3b and, thus, of the synchronization gearing 20, the spline profiles 30 have a width b1 and in the vicinity of the cylinder block body 3a and, thus, of the additional synchronization gearing 21 a width b2, which is smaller than the width b1.
In
In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
As shown in
During normal, regular operation of the axial piston machine 1, the torque is transmitted to and the transverse force FQ is supported on the synchronization gearing 20. During such normal operation, the gearing (spline profiles 30), in the vicinity of the additional synchronization gearing 21, is not engaged with the hub profile (grooves 31) in the cylinder block body 3a on account of the larger gear tooth clearance SF.
A failure of the synchronization gearing 20 can be caused by damage to the hub of the cylinder block 3 or the drive shaft 14 in the vicinity of the cylinder block neck 3b. For example, the gearing on the drive shaft 14 or on the cylinder block neck 3b can fracture as a result of the effects of a permanent load. In addition, a failure of the synchronization gearing 20 can be caused by an overload or a shearing of the cylinder block neck 3b away from the cylinder block body 3a.
If damage of this type does occur with a failure of the synchronization gearing 20, the additional synchronization gearing 21 is engaged, so that the forces and torque are transmitted in the axial area “c” and, thus, in the area of engagement of the additional synchronization gearing 21 inside the axial dimension of the cylinder block body 3a and no longer, as before, in the overlap area “u” of the synchronization gearing 20 on the cylinder block neck 3b. The additional synchronization gearing 21 located in the area “c” thereby has better strength characteristics. On one hand, the wall thickness in the area of the cylinder block body 3 is greater than the wall thickness of the cylinder block neck 3b, and on the other hand, the additional synchronization gearing 21, on account of the larger gear tooth clearance SF, has not yet been in engagement during normal operation of the axial piston machine 1 and, thus, has not been exposed to any permanent loads. In the event of a failure of the synchronization gearing 20, as a result of the engagement of the additional synchronization gearing 21, the braking torque exerted by the braking device 25 on the cylinder block body 3a can be safely and reliably transmitted to the drive shaft 14. In particular on a slewing gear drive or in a traction drive, in the event of a failure of the synchronization gearing 20, the additional synchronization gearing 21 of the invention makes it possible to safely and reliably brake the drive shaft 14 and hold it in a stationary position.
In the event of a failure of the synchronization gearing 20, the supporting force FS* is applied in the central segment of the area “c” of the additional synchronization gearing 21. Consequently, a lever arm “h” (see
The additional synchronization gearing 21 can be easily created by the common spline shaft gearing because only the gearing in the form of the spline profiles 30 on the driveshaft 14 and the hub profile in the form of the longitudinal grooves 31 must be extended from the cylinder block neck 3b within the axial dimension of the cylinder block body 3a, whereby the greater gear tooth clearance SF of the additional synchronization gearing 21 can be created by an appropriate profiling of the drive shaft 14 and corresponding reduction of the tooth thickness of the tooth profiles formed by the spline profiles 30. The additional synchronization gearing 21 can, therefore, be manufactured easily and economically without a requirement for additional components.
It will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the concepts disclosed in the foregoing description. Accordingly, the particular embodiments described in detail herein are illustrative only and are not limiting to the scope of the invention, which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2010 025 910 | Jul 2010 | DE | national |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20120000354 A1 | Jan 2012 | US |