A high-speed releasable synchronous automatic clutch

Abstract

The application relates to a high-rotating-speed releasable synchronous automatic clutch, and relates to a synchronous automatic clutch. The application is used to solve the problems that the synchronous automatic clutch in the prior art cannot meet the new functional requirements in a combined driving system and has a large axial size. The application has a small volume and a compact structure, a set of ratchet and pawl mechanisms are used to realize the functions of clutch engagement and release in the whole rotating speed range, the axial size of the clutch is shorter, when the fork moves to the second position, the ratchet and the pawl are axially dislocated and cannot be engaged, the setting can cut off the power transmission of the shaft system, meanwhile, the long-time contact between the ratchet and the pawl is avoided, fatigue damage of the pawl spring is avoided, the reliability of the lifting device is improved, and the working life of the high-speed clutch is improved. The application belongs to the technical field of clutches.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a synchronous automatic clutch, specifically a high-speed, lockable synchronous automatic clutch, belonging to the field of clutch technology. Background Technology

[0002] Synchronous automatic clutches have been widely used in combined drive systems in various fields such as combined drive units in ships, energy recovery units in the steel industry, and dual-drive units in the chemical industry. This clutch is a one-way overrunning clutch that includes a ratchet and pawl mechanism, which automatically engages and disengages based on the speed difference between the two ends of the driving and driven shafts.

[0003] With the continuous development of relevant technologies in various fields, the following new functional requirements are put forward for synchronous automatic clutches:

[0004] (1) In a combined drive system, a host can drive the load in reverse, as shown in the typical operating condition. Figure 1 As shown: When the ship needs to move forward at full speed, the clutch engages and the main engine 1 and main engine 2 work simultaneously; when the ship needs to move forward at low speed, main engine 2 works alone, and there are forward and reverse working conditions at low speed (i.e., main engine 2 has forward and reverse working conditions). This requires that the clutch cannot be engaged when main engine 2 is moving forward or in reverse.

[0005] According to the working principle of a traditional synchronous automatic clutch, the clutch engages when the main unit 2 reverses, causing the main unit 1 connected to the clutch to rotate. Therefore, it is required that the overrunning function of the clutch be controllable at this time, that is, when the main unit 2 drives the load in reverse, it should be able to engage with other main units (e.g., Figure 1 The overrunning function of the clutch connected to the host 1) is malfunctioning.

[0006] (2) In the combined drive system, both sides of the main unit are operating at high speed, but the speed at the clutch input end is consistently lower than the speed at the output end. The clutch can operate at high speed and with a large speed difference for extended periods without damage. Typical operating conditions include... Figure 2 As shown:

[0007] When the main unit 2 drives the load (such as a generator) alone, the main unit 1 needs to be connected in parallel to drive the load together with the main unit 2. When the main unit 1 is a type of main unit that requires warm-up, such as a steam turbine, the main unit 1 cannot directly and quickly accelerate to the working speed. It needs to warm up and run stably for a period of time at multiple speed points. When the main unit 2 drives the load, the main unit 1 is in the warm-up running condition. At this time, the clutch is in a high-speed and large-speed-difference operating state.

[0008] (3) The existing high-speed synchronous automatic clutch uses two sets of ratchet and pawl that work at high speed and low speed respectively. The axial dimension is large. Some units are limited by installation space and require the clutch to have a shorter axial dimension.

[0009] In summary, traditional synchronous automatic clutches cannot meet the new requirements of combined drive systems. Therefore, how to propose a new type of synchronous automatic clutch to address the above-mentioned technical problems has become an urgent issue for those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0010] To address the shortcomings of the prior art, this invention provides a high-speed, lockable, synchronous automatic clutch.

[0011] The technical solution of the present invention is: a high-speed, lockable, synchronous automatic clutch, comprising an input unit, a sliding unit, an output unit, and two hydraulic cylinders.

[0012] The sliding unit is coaxially sleeved on the input unit;

[0013] The input unit is a stepped shaft structure, and the input unit is provided with a second shoulder, an external helical tooth and a first shoulder in sequence along the axial direction;

[0014] The inner circumferential surface of the sliding unit is machined with an inner helical tooth that mates with the outer helical tooth. The outer circumferential surface of the sliding unit is sequentially provided with a collar, an outer tooth of the drive tooth, and a pawl mounting groove along the axial direction. Several pawls are installed in the pawl mounting groove in a circumferential array.

[0015] Two hydraulic cylinders are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the axis of the sliding unit. Each hydraulic cylinder is equipped with a shift fork for moving the shaft collar. The shift fork can push the sliding unit to move axially. When the shift fork is close to the input unit, it is the first position of the shift fork. When the shift fork moves to the output unit, it is the second position of the shift fork.

[0016] Several elastic support units are installed on one end face of the input unit in a circular array. Each elastic support unit includes a plug, a spring, and a telescopic rod arranged in sequence. The plug is screwed onto the end face of the input unit. When the shift fork is in the first position, one end face of the telescopic rod passes through the second shoulder and abuts against the sliding unit.

[0017] The output unit is coaxially mounted on the sliding unit. The inner circumferential surface of the output unit is provided with a ratchet and an inner tooth of the drive tooth for meshing with the outer tooth of the drive tooth in sequence along the axial direction. The number of teeth of the inner tooth of the drive tooth is the same as that of the outer tooth of the drive tooth.

[0018] When the shift fork is in the first position, the sliding unit is either in an engaged position where the ratchet and pawl are engaged or in an engaged position where the outer teeth of the drive tooth and the inner teeth of the drive tooth are engaged. When the sliding unit is in the engaged position and the speed of the input unit is greater than the speed of the output unit, the sliding unit moves to the engaged position under the action of the inner and outer helical teeth.

[0019] When the shift fork moves to the second position, the sliding unit is pushed from the engaged position to the disengaged position by the shift fork.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0021] 1. The present invention is simple to control and can manually control the working position of the clutch according to the different steering conditions of the combined drive system. That is, when the shift fork 310 moves to the second position, the sliding unit 200 is pushed to the disengaged position by the shift fork 310, cutting off the power transmission of the shaft system and meeting the power switching function requirements of the combined drive system. At the same time, after the shaft system power is cut off, the main unit that has been cut off can be inspected or debugged separately.

[0022] 2. The sliding unit 200 of the present invention has three working positions: an engaged position, an engaged position, and a disengaged position, and the three working positions can be switched according to the rotational speed of the input unit 100 and the output unit 500, that is:

[0023] When the shift fork 310 is in the first position, and the sliding unit 200 is in the engaged position and the rotational speed of the input unit 100 is greater than the rotational speed of the output unit 500, the sliding unit 200 moves to the engaged position under the action of the inner helical teeth 201 and the outer helical teeth 101. Similarly, when the sliding unit 200 is in the engaged position and the rotational speed of the input unit 100 is less than the rotational speed of the output unit 500, the sliding unit 200 moves to the engaged position under the action of the inner helical teeth 201 and the outer helical teeth 101. This configuration satisfies the requirement that the clutch can operate stably under high speed and large speed difference conditions.

[0024] Specifically, when the sliding unit 200 is in the engaged position and the rotational speed of the input unit 100 is less than the rotational speed of the output unit 500, the shift fork 310 can be controlled to move from the first position to the second position. When the shift fork 310 moves to the second position, the sliding unit 200 is pushed from the engaged position to the disengaged position by the shift fork 310. This configuration ensures that the clutch can cut off the power transmission of the shaft system, allowing the input unit 100 and the output unit 500 to operate independently without affecting each other.

[0025] 3. The present invention is small in size and compact in structure. It uses a ratchet and pawl mechanism to realize the engagement and disengagement functions of the clutch across the entire speed range, making the axial dimension of the clutch shorter. When the shift fork 310 moves to the second position, the ratchet 501 and the pawl 220 are axially misaligned and cannot engage. This setting cuts off the power transmission of the shaft system and avoids prolonged contact between the ratchet 501 and the pawl 220, which could lead to fatigue damage of the pawl spring 240. This helps to improve the reliability of the device and increase the service life of the high-speed clutch. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the clutch in a combined drive system operating under reverse drive load conditions.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the clutch in a combined drive system operating under high speed and large speed difference conditions;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the present invention with the shift fork 310 in the first position and the sliding component 200 in the engagement position;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the present invention with the shift fork 310 in the first position and the sliding component 200 in the engagement position;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the present invention with the shift fork 310 in the second position and the sliding component 200 in the disengaged position;

[0031] Figure 6 yes Figure 3 A sectional view along direction A.

[0032] In the diagram: 100, Input unit; 101, External helical tooth; 110, Plug; 120, Spring; 130, Telescopic rod; 140, First shoulder; 150, Second shoulder; 200, Sliding unit; 201, Internal helical tooth; 202, External tooth of drive gear; 203, Pawl mounting groove; 210, Collar; 220, Pawl; 221, Center of mass; 230, Pawl pin; 240, Pawl spring; 300, Hydraulic cylinder; 310, Shift fork; 500, Output unit; 501, Ratchet; 502, Internal tooth of drive gear. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To make the objectives, features, and advantages of this invention more apparent and understandable, the technical solutions of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments.

[0034] Specific implementation method one: Combining Figures 3 to 6 This embodiment describes a high-speed disengageable locking synchronous automatic clutch, which includes an input unit 100, a sliding unit 200, an output unit 500, and two hydraulic cylinders 300.

[0035] The sliding unit 200 is coaxially sleeved on the input unit 100;

[0036] The input unit 100 has a stepped shaft structure. The input unit 100 is provided with a second shoulder 150, an external helical tooth 101 and a first shoulder 140 in sequence along the axial direction. The first shoulder 140 and the second shoulder 150 are respectively provided on the two end faces of the input unit 100. This arrangement helps to limit the axial movement range of the sliding unit 200 on the input unit 100.

[0037] The inner circumferential surface of the sliding unit 200 is machined with an inner helical tooth 201 that mates with the outer helical tooth 101. While the sliding unit 200 moves axially on the input unit 100, it also generates a helical motion relative to the rotation axis of the input unit 100.

[0038] The outer circumferential surface of the sliding unit 200 is sequentially provided with a collar 210, a drive tooth 202, and a pawl mounting groove 203 along the axial direction. Several pawls 220 are installed in the pawl mounting groove 203 in a circumferential array.

[0039] Two hydraulic cylinders 300 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the axis of the sliding unit 200. Each hydraulic cylinder 300 is equipped with a shift fork 310 for moving the collar 210. The shift fork 310 can push the sliding unit 200 to move axially. When the shift fork 310 is close to the input unit 100, it is the first position of the shift fork 310. When the shift fork 310 moves to the position close to the output unit 500, it is the second position of the shift fork 310.

[0040] A plurality of elastic support units are mounted on one end face of the input unit 100 in a circular array. The elastic support unit includes a plug 110, a spring 120 and a telescopic rod 130 arranged in sequence. The plug 110 is screwed onto the end face of the input unit 100. When the shift fork 310 is in the first position, one end face of the telescopic rod 130 passes through the second shoulder 150 and abuts against the sliding unit 200.

[0041] The output unit 500 is coaxially sleeved on the sliding unit 200. The inner circumferential surface of the output unit 500 is provided with a ratchet 501 and an inner drive tooth 502 for meshing with the outer drive tooth 202 along the axial direction. The inner drive tooth 502 and the outer drive tooth 202 have the same number of teeth.

[0042] When the shift fork 310 is in the first position, the sliding unit 200 has an engaged position where the ratchet 501 and the pawl 220 engage (e.g., Figure 3 (as shown) and the engagement position of the external drive tooth 202 and the internal drive tooth 502 (as shown) Figure 4 (As shown).

[0043] When the sliding unit 200 is in the engaged position and the rotational speed of the input unit 100 is greater than the rotational speed of the output unit 500, according to Figure 6The ratchet and pawl mechanism shown has an overrunning function in this state, that is, the sliding unit 200 moves to the engagement position under the action of the inner helical tooth 201 and the outer helical tooth 101. At this time, the sliding unit 200 abuts against the second shoulder 150, and the telescopic rod 130 is completely retracted into the second shoulder 150.

[0044] Similarly, when the sliding unit 200 is in the engaged position and the rotational speed of the input unit 100 is less than the rotational speed of the output unit 500, the sliding unit 200 moves to the interlocked position under the action of the inner helical teeth 201 and the outer helical teeth 101.

[0045] Specifically, when the sliding unit 200 is in the engaged position and the rotational speed of the input unit 100 is less than the rotational speed of the output unit 500, the shift fork 310 can be controlled to move from the first position to the second position, such as... Figure 5 As shown, when the shift fork 310 moves to the second position, the sliding unit 200 is pushed from the engaged position to the disengaged position by the shift fork 310. At this time, the sliding unit 200 abuts against the first shoulder 140, and at the same time, the ratchet 501 and the pawl 220 are axially misaligned and cannot engage. The external drive tooth 202 and the internal drive tooth 502 are also axially misaligned and cannot mesh, cutting off the power transmission of the shaft system. The clutch overrunning function fails, and the clutch input unit 100 and output unit 500 can operate independently without affecting each other.

[0046] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the displacement of the sliding unit 200 from the engagement position to the joint position is equal to... M ;like Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the displacement of the sliding unit 200 from the engaged position to the disengaged position is... S .

[0047] In this embodiment, when the shift fork 310 moves to the second position, the ratchet 501 and the pawl 220 are axially misaligned and cannot engage. This setting cuts off the power transmission of the shaft system and avoids prolonged contact between the ratchet 501 and the pawl 220, which could lead to fatigue damage of the pawl spring 240. This helps to improve the reliability of the device.

[0048] In this embodiment, the stroke of the shift fork 310 when it moves from the first position to the second position is: N ,and

[0049] N = L + S ;

[0050] In the formula:

[0051] L The distance between the two fork legs of the shift fork 310;

[0052] S The displacement of the sliding unit 200 from the engaged position to the disengaged position.

[0053] This configuration ensures that the shift fork 310 can push the sliding component 200 to the designated position.

[0054] Specific Implementation Method Two: Combining Figures 3 to 6 This embodiment describes the method where the distance between the two fork legs of the shift fork 310 is [specified]. L ,and

[0055] L > B + M ;

[0056] In the formula:

[0057] B The thickness of the collar 210 in the axial direction of the sliding unit 200;

[0058] M The displacement of the sliding unit 200 from the engagement position to the joint position.

[0059] This design avoids the small gap between the two fork feet of the shift fork 310, which could affect the meshing of the external drive tooth 202 and the internal drive tooth 502, thus ensuring more stable operation when the clutch is engaged.

[0060] The other components and connections are the same as in Specific Implementation Method 1.

[0061] Specific implementation method three: Combining Figures 3 to 6 In this embodiment, the pawl 220 is mounted in the pawl mounting groove 203 via the pawl pin 230 and the pawl spring 240.

[0062] Furthermore, the pawl spring 240 is a torsion spring. One torsion arm is supported on the head of the pawl, and the other torsion arm is supported on the bottom of the pawl mounting slot 203. With this configuration, the torsion force generated by the spring is used to lift the head of the pawl 220, ensuring that the pawl 220 can be reliably lifted even at low speeds.

[0063] Furthermore, the center of mass 221 of the pawl 220 is located at the pawl head. With this configuration, when the rotational speed of the input unit 100 rises to a certain value, the pawl head lifts under centrifugal force, ensuring that the overrunning function of the clutch is effective at high speeds.

[0064] The other components and connections are the same as in specific implementation method one or two.

[0065] Working principle

[0066] Combination Figures 3 to 6 Explanation of the working principle of this invention:

[0067] The sliding unit 200 is coaxially sleeved on the input unit 100. Two hydraulic cylinders 300 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the axis of the sliding unit 200. Each hydraulic cylinder 300 is equipped with a shift fork 310 for moving the collar 210. The shift fork 310 can push the sliding unit 200 to move axially. When the shift fork 310 is close to the input unit 100, it is the first position of the shift fork 310. At this time, the sliding unit 200 is in an engaged position or an engaged position. When the shift fork 310 moves to the output unit 500, it is the second position of the shift fork 310. At this time, the sliding unit 200 is pushed from the engaged position to the disengaged position by the shift fork 310.

[0068] like Figure 3 As shown, when the shift fork 310 is in the first position and the rotational speed of the input unit 100 is less than the rotational speed of the output unit 500, the telescopic rod 130 abuts against the sliding unit 200 after passing through the second shoulder 150. The telescopic rod 130 applies a certain axial thrust to the sliding unit 200, so the sliding unit 200 can be stably in the engaged position.

[0069] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, when the shift fork 310 is in the first position and the sliding unit 200 is in the engaged position, and the rotational speed of the input unit 100 is greater than the rotational speed of the output unit 500, according to Figure 6 The ratchet and pawl mechanism shown has an overrunning function in this state, that is, the sliding unit 200 moves to the engagement position under the action of the inner helical teeth 201 and the outer helical teeth 101; similarly, when the sliding unit 200 is in the engagement position and the rotational speed of the input unit 100 is less than the rotational speed of the output unit 500, the sliding unit 200 moves to the ratchet position under the action of the inner helical teeth 201 and the outer helical teeth 101.

[0070] like Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, when the shift fork 310 moves to the second position, the sliding unit 200 is pushed from the engaged position to the disengaged position by the shift fork 310, cutting off the power transmission of the shaft system, the clutch overrunning function fails, and the clutch input unit 100 and output unit 500 can operate independently without affecting each other.

[0071] The present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, but it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made by those skilled in the art to the above embodiments without departing from the technical solution of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A high-speed, disengageable, locking synchronous automatic clutch, characterized in that: It includes an input unit (100), a sliding unit (200), an output unit (500), and two hydraulic cylinders (300); The sliding unit (200) is coaxially sleeved on the input unit (100); The input unit (100) has a stepped shaft structure, and the input unit (100) is provided with a second shoulder (150), an external helical tooth (101) and a first shoulder (140) in sequence along the axial direction. The inner circumferential surface of the sliding unit (200) is machined with an inner helical tooth (201) that mates with the outer helical tooth (101). The outer circumferential surface of the sliding unit (200) is sequentially provided with a collar (210), an outer drive tooth (202), and a pawl mounting groove (203) along the axial direction. Several pawls (220) are installed in the pawl mounting groove (203) in a circumferential array. Two hydraulic cylinders (300) are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the axis of the sliding unit (200). Each hydraulic cylinder (300) is equipped with a fork (310) for moving the collar (210). The fork (310) can push the sliding unit (200) to move axially. When the fork (310) is close to the input unit (100), it is the first position of the fork (310). When the fork (310) moves to the position close to the output unit (500), it is the second position of the fork (310). The input unit (100) has several elastic support units installed in a circular array on one end face. The elastic support unit includes a plug (110), a spring (120) and a telescopic rod (130) arranged in sequence. The plug (110) is screwed onto the end face of the input unit (100). When the shift fork (310) is in the first position, one end face of the telescopic rod (130) passes through the second shoulder (150) and abuts against the sliding unit (200). The output unit (500) is coaxially sleeved on the sliding unit (200). The inner circumferential surface of the output unit (500) is provided with a ratchet (501) for cooperating with the pawl (220) and an inner drive tooth (502) for meshing with the outer drive tooth (202) along the axial direction. The inner drive tooth (502) and the outer drive tooth (202) have the same number of teeth. When the shift fork (310) is in the first position, the sliding unit (200) has a ratchet position where the ratchet (501) and the pawl (220) engage, or a engagement position where the outer tooth (202) of the drive tooth meshes with the inner tooth (502) of the drive tooth. The distance between the two fork legs of the shift fork (310) is L ,and L > B + M ; In the formula: B The thickness of the collar (210); M The displacement of the sliding element (200) from the engagement position to the joint position; When the sliding unit (200) is in the engagement position and the rotational speed of the input unit (100) is greater than the rotational speed of the output unit (500), the sliding unit (200) moves to the engagement position under the action of the inner helical teeth (201) and the outer helical teeth (101); When the fork (310) moves to the second position, the sliding unit (200) is pushed from the engaged position to the disengaged position by the fork (310).

2. The high-speed disengageable locking synchronous automatic clutch according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pawl (220) is mounted in the pawl mounting groove (203) by a pawl pin (230) and a pawl spring (240).

3. A high-speed disengageable locking synchronous automatic clutch according to claim 2, characterized in that: The pawl spring (240) is a torsion spring.

4. A high-speed disengageable locking synchronous automatic clutch according to claim 3, characterized in that: The centroid (221) of the pawl (220) is located at the head of the pawl.

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