Wheel end active lubricating device

Abstract

The invention discloses a wheel end active lubricating device. In the wheel end active lubricating device, an axle housing comprises a driving cavity and a connecting cavity which are communicated with each other; the wheel end part is located at the end part of the axle housing, the wheel end part comprises an oil storage cavity communicated with the connecting cavity and a speed reducing mechanism at least partially located in the oil storage cavity, and the speed reducing mechanism is connected with the half shaft extending to the driving cavity; the oil disc is arranged in the connecting cavity in a sealed mode, an inner hole is formed in the oil disc, the half shaft penetrates through the inner hole, and an oil passing gap is reserved between the half shaft and the inner hole. The oil supply part comprises an oil supply channel and a driving part which are in driving connection, an inlet of the oil supply channel is communicated with lubricating oil in the driving cavity, an outlet of the oil supply channel is communicated with the through hole in the oil disc, or the outlet of the oil supply channel is formed in the inner wall, located on the oil disc and facing the wheel end, of the connecting cavity so that oil can be supplied to the wheel end under driving of the driving part. Lubricating oil is actively provided for the wheel end, the lubricating effect of parts in the wheel end is kept, and meanwhile the problem that the temperature of the lubricating oil at the wheel end is too high is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of vehicle drive technology, and in particular to a wheel end active lubrication device. Background Art

[0002] The electric drive axle includes a driving part and wheel ends located on both sides of the driving part. The driving part is connected to the wheel ends on both sides through a bridge housing and transmits power through half shafts.

[0003] In the prior art, the driving part is provided with a motor and a reduction mechanism, the wheel end is provided with a brake structure and a wheel hub, and in certain cases, a wheel end reducer is also provided. The wheel end reduction mechanism requires lubrication with lubricating oil, and the cavity where the wheel end reducer is located is generally designed as an oil storage chamber. The driving part and the wheel end are connected by a bridge housing, and there is no sealing structure inside, so the lubricating oil cavity at the wheel end is connected to the lubricating oil cavity of the driving part. In the actual working process, since the lubricating oil level at the wheel end is much higher than the lubricating oil level at the driving part, and the two are connected, after a long period of operation, part of the lubricating oil at the wheel end will enter the driving part under the effect of the height difference, resulting in a decrease in the lubricating oil level at the wheel end and a deterioration in the lubrication effect of the wheel end reducer; in addition, the lubricating oil that has been at the wheel end for a long time also has the problem of excessive oil temperature under harsh working conditions. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to provide a wheel end active lubrication device, which actively provides lubricating oil to the wheel end, maintains the lubrication effect of the internal components of the wheel end, and improves the problem of excessively high lubricating oil temperature at the wheel end.

[0005] The technical solution of the present application provides an active wheel-end lubrication device, comprising: a bridge housing, comprising a connected driving chamber and a connecting chamber; a wheel end portion, located at the end of the bridge housing, the wheel end portion comprising an oil storage chamber connected to the connecting chamber and a reduction mechanism at least partially located in the oil storage chamber, the reduction mechanism being connected to a half-shaft extending to the driving chamber; an oil pan, sealed in the connecting chamber, an inner hole being provided on the oil pan, the half-shaft passing through the inner hole and leaving an oil gap between the inner hole; an oil supply portion, comprising a drive-connected oil supply channel and a driving portion, the inlet of the oil supply channel being connected to the lubricating oil in the driving chamber, the outlet of the oil supply channel being connected to the through hole on the oil pan, or the outlet of the oil supply channel being arranged on the inner wall of the connecting chamber on the oil pan facing the wheel end, so as to supply oil to the wheel end under the drive of the driving portion.

[0006] Optionally, the oil supply passage comprises an oil supply pipe located inside the bridge housing, an inlet of the oil supply pipe is located in the lubricating oil of the driving chamber, and an outlet of the oil supply pipe is sealed and connected to the through hole.

[0007] Optionally, a slot is provided on the inner wall of the connecting cavity, and the oil supply pipe is at least partially engaged in the slot.

[0008] Optionally, the oil supply passage comprises an oil supply hole opened in the side wall of the bridge housing, and the outlet of the oil supply hole is arranged on the inner wall of the connecting cavity located on the side of the oil pan facing the wheel end.

[0009] Optionally, a limiting step is provided in the connecting cavity, and the oil pan seal abuts against the limiting step.

[0010] Optionally, the bridge housing includes a middle housing and an axle housing arranged along the axial direction of the half-shaft, one end of the axle housing extends into the middle housing and abuts against the oil pan, and the other end of the axle housing is connected to the wheel end.

[0011] Optionally, an axial hole for the half shaft to pass through is opened in the shaft housing, and the axial hole is provided with a reamer at the end of the shaft housing abutting against the oil pan, and the inner diameter of the reamer is larger than the inner diameter of the inner hole.

[0012] Optionally, the liquid level required for the lubricating oil in the oil storage chamber to lubricate the speed reduction mechanism is set as a standard liquid level, and the height of the standard liquid level is equal to or lower than the height of the lowest point of the inner hole in the vertical direction.

[0013] Optionally, the through hole is higher than the lowest point of the semi-axis as a whole in the vertical direction, and the through hole is located outside the semi-axis as a whole in the horizontal direction.

[0014] Optionally, a wheel hub bearing unit is mounted on the bridge housing, the wheel end includes a wheel hub, and the wheel hub is mounted on the wheel hub bearing unit; the reduction mechanism includes a planetary gear, and the output end of the half shaft is connected to the wheel hub via the planetary gear.

[0015] The above technical solution has the following beneficial effects: The wheel-end active lubrication device provided by the present application has an oil pan seal arranged in the connecting cavity to isolate the oil storage cavity and the driving cavity, and at the same time an oil gap is arranged between the half-shaft and the inner hole, so that the lubricating oil in the oil storage cavity can only flow into the driving cavity through the oil gap; at the same time, the lubricating oil in the driving cavity is continuously transported to the connecting cavity through the oil supply part, and then transported to the oil storage cavity from the connecting cavity, so that the amount of lubricating oil in the oil storage cavity and the amount of lubricating oil in the driving cavity are in a state of dynamic balance, which not only avoids the poor lubrication effect caused by the low amount of lubricating oil in the oil storage cavity, but also solves the problem of excessive oil temperature of the lubricating oil at the wheel end being in harsh working conditions for a long time through the circulation of the lubricating oil. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the active lubrication device at the wheel end in one embodiment of the present application.

[0017] Figure 2 It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the wheel end and the partial connection in one embodiment of the present application.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure when the oil supply to the wheel end is balanced in one embodiment of the present application.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the oil pan in one embodiment of the present application.

[0020] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of the oil supply pipe in one embodiment of the present application.

[0021] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the connection between the shaft housing and the middle housing in one embodiment of the present application.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in which the oil pan is integrally formed on the bridge housing in one embodiment of the present application.

[0023] Figure 8 This is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present application in which an oil supply hole is opened in the side wall of the bridge housing.

[0024] Reference Numbers 1-bridge housing, 10-driving chamber, 11-connecting chamber, 12-middle housing, 13-axle housing, 130-expansion hole, 14-limiting step, 15-half shaft.

[0025] 2-wheel end, 20-oil storage chamber, 21-reduction mechanism, 22-wheel hub, 23-wheel hub bearing unit.

[0026] 3-oil pan, 30-inner hole, 31-through hole.

[0027] 4-oil supply part, 40-oil supply channel, 400-oil supply pipe, 401-oil supply hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The specific implementation of the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0029] It is easy to understand that according to the technical solution of the present invention, without changing the essential spirit of the present invention, a variety of structural modes and implementation modes that can be replaced by those skilled in the art can be replaced with each other. Therefore, the following specific implementation modes and drawings are only exemplary descriptions of the technical solution of the present invention, and should not be regarded as the whole of the present invention or as a limitation or restriction to the technical solution of the invention.

[0030] The directional terms such as up, down, left, right, front, back, front, back, top, bottom, etc. mentioned or may be mentioned in this specification are defined relative to the structures shown in the drawings. They are relative concepts and may change accordingly according to different positions and different usage conditions. Therefore, these or other directional terms should not be interpreted as restrictive terms.

[0031] The present application provides a wheel end active lubrication device, comprising: a bridge housing 1, a wheel end 2, an oil pan 3 and an oil supply part 4.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 1 The axle housing 1 includes a driving chamber 10 and a connecting chamber 11 which are connected. The wheel end 2 is located at the end of the axle housing 1. The wheel end 2 includes an oil storage chamber 20 which is connected to the connecting chamber 11 and a speed reduction mechanism 21 which is at least partially located in the oil storage chamber 20. The speed reduction mechanism 21 is connected to the half shaft 15 extending to the driving chamber 10. The oil pan 3 is sealed and arranged in the connecting chamber 11. An inner hole 30 is opened on the oil pan 3. The half shaft 15 passes through the inner hole 30 and an oil gap is left between the half shaft 15 and the inner hole 30.

[0033] The oil supply portion 4 includes an oil supply channel 40 and a driving portion that are drive-connected, the inlet of the oil supply channel 40 is connected to the lubricating oil in the driving chamber 10, the outlet of the oil supply channel 40 is connected to the through hole 31 on the oil pan 3, or the outlet of the oil supply channel 40 is arranged on the inner wall of the connecting chamber 11 on the oil pan 3 facing the wheel end 2, so as to supply oil to the wheel end 2 under the drive of the driving portion.

[0034] The driving cavity 10 in the embodiment of the present application is used to place driving components such as a driving motor, and the lubricating oil in the driving cavity 10 is used to provide lubrication for the driving components. Figure 1 The oil storage chamber 20 provides lubrication for the speed reduction mechanism 21 disposed therein, and the connecting chamber 11 serves as a bridge connecting the oil storage chamber 20 and the driving chamber 10 , providing the required space for the flow of lubricating oil between the driving chamber 10 and the oil storage chamber 20 .

[0035] The driving part in the embodiment of the present application may be an oil pump, which is mounted on the oil supply passage 40, or the inlet of the oil pump is connected to the lubricating oil in the driving chamber 10, and the outlet is connected to the inlet of the oil supply passage 40, so as to provide the oil pressure required for conveying the lubricating oil to the oil supply passage 40. The oil pump may be fixedly mounted on the inner wall of the axle housing 1 or on the driving component in the axle housing 1.

[0036] The oil pan 3 in the embodiment of the present application has an outer edge seal disposed on the inner wall of the connecting chamber 11, and the connecting chamber 11 is divided into a part connected to the driving chamber 10 and another part connected to the oil storage chamber 20 through the oil pan 3. The two parts are connected only through the oil supply channel 40 and the oil gap, and the lubricating oil flows from the driving chamber 10 to the oil storage chamber 20 through the oil supply channel 40. Figure 2 Middle arrow A, Figure 3 As shown by the arrow B in the middle; the lubricating oil flows from the oil storage chamber 20 to the drive chamber 10 through the oil supply gap, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown by the arrow C in the middle, dynamic balance of the lubricating oil is achieved.

[0037] The wheel-end active lubrication device provided in the present application has an oil pan 3 that is sealed and arranged in the connecting chamber 11 to isolate the oil storage chamber 20 and the driving chamber 10, and at the same time, an oil gap is arranged between the half shaft 15 and the inner hole 30, so that the lubricating oil in the oil storage chamber 20 can only flow into the driving chamber 10 through the oil gap; at the same time, the lubricating oil in the driving chamber 10 is continuously transported to the connecting chamber 11 through the oil supply part 4, and then transported to the oil storage chamber 20 from the connecting chamber 11, so that the amount of lubricating oil in the oil storage chamber 20 and the amount of lubricating oil in the driving chamber 10 can be in a state of dynamic balance, which not only avoids the low amount of lubricating oil in the oil storage chamber 20 causing the lubrication effect to deteriorate, but also solves the problem of excessive oil temperature of the lubricating oil at the wheel end 2 under harsh working conditions for a long time through the circulation of the lubricating oil.

[0038] In an optional embodiment of the oil supply passage 40, the oil supply passage 40 includes an oil supply pipe 400 located inside the axle housing 1, the inlet of the oil supply pipe 400 is connected to the lubricating oil of the drive chamber 10, and the outlet of the oil supply pipe 400 is sealed and connected to the through hole 31. Figures 1 to 7 As shown, in this embodiment, the oil supply channel 40 is a tubular oil supply pipe 400 disposed in the cavity of the bridge housing 1. The oil supply pipe 400 continuously delivers the lubricating oil in the driving cavity 10 to the oil storage cavity 20 under the drive of the driving unit to ensure that the oil storage cavity 20 has sufficient oil. Among them, a sealing ring can be embedded at the connection between the oil supply pipe 400 and the through hole 31 to make the oil supply pipe 400 and the through hole 31 sealed and connected, so as to ensure that the lubricating oil in the oil supply pipe 400 can only flow through the through hole 31 into the side of the oil pan 3 facing the wheel end 2. Part of the structure of the oil supply pipe 400 in this embodiment can be as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown, a sealing ring is provided at one end of the oil supply pipe 400 .

[0039] In one embodiment of the positioning method of the oil supply pipe 400, a clamping groove is provided on the inner wall of the connecting cavity 11, and the oil supply pipe 400 is at least partially clamped in the clamping groove. The clamping groove can play a role of clamping and limiting the oil supply pipe 400, thereby increasing the structural stability of the oil supply pipe 400. Among them, the clamping groove can be an arc groove adapted to the cylindrical oil supply pipe 400. Furthermore, the opening of the clamping groove can also be set to be narrowed to stably limit the oil supply pipe 400 in the arc groove and firmly clamp the oil supply pipe 400.

[0040] In another optional embodiment of the oil supply channel 40, the oil supply channel 40 includes an oil supply hole 401 opened in the side wall of the axle housing 1, and the outlet of the oil supply channel 40 is arranged on the inner wall of the connecting chamber 11 located on the oil pan 3 facing the wheel end 2. The oil supply hole 401 is opened in the side wall of the axle housing 1, and the lubricating oil in the driving chamber 10 flows to the oil storage chamber 20 through the oil supply hole 401. Figure 8 As shown by the middle arrow D, no additional oil supply pipeline is required, which reduces the number of components in the driving chamber 10 and saves space. In this embodiment, the inlet of the oil supply hole 401 can be set on the inner wall of the driving chamber 10 and connected to the outlet of the oil pump.

[0041] As an optional embodiment, a limiting step 14 is provided in the connecting cavity 11, and the oil pan 3 is sealed against the limiting step 14. The limiting step 14 in the embodiment of the present application can play a role in axial positioning of the oil pan 3, thereby increasing the structural stability of the oil pan 3. The oil pan 3 can be installed on the inner wall of the connecting cavity 11 by interference fit, such as Figure 8 It can also be integrally formed on the inner wall of the connecting cavity 11, such as Figure 6 A sealing ring may be provided at the abutment between the oil pan 3 and the limiting step 14 to increase the stability of the seal and prevent the lubricating oil from overflowing from the abutment between the two.

[0042] In an optional embodiment of the bridge housing 1, the bridge housing 1 includes a middle housing 12 and an axle housing 13 arranged along the axial direction of the half shaft 15, one end of the axle housing 13 extends into the middle housing 12 and abuts against the oil pan 3, and the other end of the axle housing 13 is connected to the wheel end 2. In the embodiment of the present application, the bridge housing 1 is divided into the middle housing 12 and the axle housing 13, and the length and end structure of the bridge housing 1 can be flexibly expanded by changing the length and end structure of the axle housing 13, thereby increasing the adaptability of the bridge housing 1 to the wheel end 2. The axle housing 13 can be pressed into the middle housing 12 by interference fit, and the oil pan 3 abuts against the end of the axle housing 13, which not only plays a role in axially limiting the axle housing 13, but also can avoid the accumulation of lubricating oil at the ends of the oil pan 3 and the axle housing 13, so as to increase the utilization rate of the lubricating oil.

[0043] In an optional embodiment of the abutment between the shaft housing 13 and the oil pan 3, a shaft hole for the half shaft 15 to pass through is opened in the shaft housing 13, and the shaft hole is provided with a reamer 130 at the end of the shaft housing 13 abutting against the oil pan 3, and the inner diameter of the reamer 130 is larger than the inner diameter of the inner hole 30. A spacing is left between the half shaft 15 and the shaft hole to facilitate the flow of lubricating oil, such as Figure 2 The inner diameter of the expansion hole 130 is larger than the inner diameter of the inner hole 30, so as to define a buffer zone for accumulating a small amount of lubricating oil at the abutment between the shaft housing 13 and the oil pan 3, thereby reducing the probability of the lubricating oil flowing down from the oil pan 3 directly falling on the shaft housing 13 and causing splashing. The central axis of the expansion hole 130 is arranged in a colinear manner with the central axis of the inner hole 30, and the expansion hole 130 can be as follows: Figure 2 The trumpet shape shown enables the side wall of the buffer zone to be inclined, which is beneficial to reducing the amount of oil accumulated in the buffer zone and at the same time plays an effective buffering role.

[0044] In an optional embodiment of the opening method of the inner hole 30, the liquid level required for the lubricating oil in the oil storage chamber 20 to lubricate the speed reduction mechanism 21 is set as a standard liquid level, and the height of the standard liquid level is equal to or lower than the lowest point height of the inner hole 30 in the vertical direction. The embodiment of the present application can make the height of the lubricating oil in the oil storage chamber 20 always maintain at or above the standard liquid level, ensuring that the speed reduction mechanism 21 in the oil storage chamber 20 is fully lubricated. Among them, the vertical distance between the standard liquid level and the bottom of the half shaft 15 can be 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 7mm, 8mm, etc. At this distance, the speed reduction mechanism 21 can be fully lubricated. In addition, the standard liquid level can also be set according to the specific structural form of the speed reduction mechanism 21.

[0045] As an optional embodiment in which the through hole 31 is arranged on the oil pan 3, as Figure 4 As shown, the through hole 31 is vertically higher than the lowest point of the half-shaft 15 as a whole, thereby avoiding the unfavorable situation that when the outlet of the through hole 31 provides lubricating oil from below the half-shaft 15, the lubricating oil below the half-shaft 15 returns from the through hole 31 to the oil supply channel 40; in addition, the through hole 31 is horizontally located on the outside of the half-shaft 15 as a whole, thereby avoiding the lubricating oil at the outlet of the through hole 31 sliding onto the rotating half-shaft 15 and causing the lubricating oil to splash.

[0046] In an optional embodiment of the reduction mechanism 21, a hub bearing unit 23 is installed on the bridge housing 1, and the wheel end 2 includes a hub 22, and the hub 22 is installed on the hub bearing unit 23. The reduction mechanism 21 includes a planetary gear, and the output end of the half shaft 15 is located in the oil storage chamber 20 and is connected to the hub 22 through the planetary gear. The planetary gear in this embodiment can be a single planetary gear, including a sun gear fixedly connected to the half shaft 15, a planetary gear surrounding the outer periphery of the sun gear and meshing with it, and a gear ring is arranged on the outer periphery of the planetary gear, and the gear ring is fixedly connected to the hub 22. The rotation of the half shaft 15 is transmitted to the hub 22 after being reduced by the planetary gear. In the embodiment of the present application, the hub 22 is sleeved and installed on the outside of the bridge housing 1 through the hub bearing unit 23, which ensures that the hub 22 is rotatably installed on the bridge housing 1. The hub bearing unit 23 is a conventional component when the hub 22 is installed, and this application will not be described in detail. When the speed reduction mechanism 21 is a planetary gear, the standard liquid level in the oil storage chamber 20 may be the lowest point of the inner diameter where the sun gear and the half shaft 15 are embedded.

[0047] As needed, the above technical solutions can be combined to achieve the best technical effect.

[0048] The above are only the principles and preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, several other modifications can be made based on the principles of the present invention, which should also be considered as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wheel end active lubrication device, characterized in that: include: A bridge housing, comprising a driving chamber and a connecting chamber that are connected; A wheel end portion, located at an end portion of the axle housing, the wheel end portion comprising an oil storage chamber communicated with the connecting chamber and a speed reduction mechanism at least partially located in the oil storage chamber, the speed reduction mechanism being connected to a half shaft extending to the driving chamber; An oil pan, which is sealed in the connecting cavity, and an inner hole is formed on the oil pan, through which the half shaft passes, and an oil gap is left between the half shaft and the inner hole; The oil supply part includes an oil supply channel and a driving part that are drive-connected, the inlet of the oil supply channel is connected to the lubricating oil in the driving cavity, the outlet of the oil supply channel is connected to the through hole on the oil pan, or the outlet of the oil supply channel is arranged on the inner wall of the connecting cavity on the oil pan facing the wheel end, so as to supply oil to the wheel end under the drive of the driving part.

2. The wheel end active lubrication device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The oil supply passage comprises an oil supply pipe located inside the bridge housing, an inlet of the oil supply pipe is located in the lubricating oil of the driving chamber, and an outlet of the oil supply pipe is sealed and connected to the through hole.

3. The wheel end active lubrication device according to claim 2, characterized in that: A clamping groove is provided on the inner wall of the connecting cavity, and the oil supply pipe is at least partially clamped in the clamping groove.

4. The wheel end active lubrication device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The oil supply passage comprises an oil supply hole opened in the side wall of the bridge housing, and the outlet of the oil supply hole is arranged on the inner wall of the connecting cavity located on the side of the oil pan facing the wheel end.

5. The wheel end active lubrication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: A limiting step is arranged in the connecting cavity, and the oil pan seal abuts against the limiting step.

6. The wheel end active lubrication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The axle housing includes a middle housing and an axle housing arranged along the axial direction of the half shaft, one end of the axle housing extends into the middle housing and abuts against the oil pan, and the other end of the axle housing is connected to the wheel end.

7. The wheel end active lubrication device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The shaft housing is provided with a shaft hole for the half shaft to pass through, and the shaft hole is provided with a reamer at the end of the shaft housing abutting against the oil pan, and the inner diameter of the reamer is larger than the inner diameter of the inner hole.

8. The wheel end active lubrication device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid level required for the lubricating oil in the oil storage chamber to lubricate the speed reduction mechanism is set as a standard liquid level, and the height of the standard liquid level is equal to or lower than the height of the lowest point of the inner hole in the vertical direction.

9. The wheel end active lubrication device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The through hole is higher than the lowest point of the semi-axis as a whole in the vertical direction, and is located outside the semi-axis as a whole in the horizontal direction.

10. The wheel end active lubrication device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A wheel hub bearing unit is mounted on the axle housing, and the wheel end comprises a wheel hub, which is mounted on the wheel hub bearing unit; The speed reduction mechanism comprises a planetary gear, and the output end of the half shaft is connected to the wheel hub via the planetary gear.

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