Gear shifting air cylinder assembly and gearbox system

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of vehicle gear shifting, and provides a gear shifting air cylinder assembly and a gearbox system. The gear shifting air cylinder assembly comprises an air cylinder and a gear shifting assembly, wherein the air cylinder comprises a plurality of axially arranged cylinder bodies; the partition plates are arranged between the adjacent cylinder bodies, and the partition plates are in sealing fit with the cylinder bodies to form a plurality of working cavities; the piston comprises a plurality of piston bodies connected through a piston rod, the piston rod penetrates through the partition plate, and the piston bodies are located in the working cavities respectively and can do axial reciprocating motion; and the plurality of air passages are distributed in the partition plate and are respectively communicated with the plurality of working cavities. The air channels are formed in the partition plate, the air channels do not need to be machined on the cylinder body, the structural design of the air cylinder can be simplified, the cylinder body can be formed in a stamping mode and the like, and the machining cost of the air cylinder is greatly reduced. The air channels are arranged in the partition plates, air supply from the middle is achieved, air paths are concentrated, the structure is compact, and maintenance is convenient. According to the gear shifting air cylinder assembly, modular design can be formed, the cylinder body and the partition plate can be assembled according to needs, and the gear shifting air cylinder assembly meets various use scenes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of vehicle shifting, and specifically, to a shifting cylinder assembly and a transmission system. Background Art

[0002] An automatic shifting transmission system can automatically select a suitable gear according to the vehicle state. To achieve automatic shifting, the shifting cylinder of the transmission system usually has multiple chambers. Under different working conditions, the piston in the shifting cylinder is moved to the target position by controlling the air pressure in each chamber, and then the gear is switched to the target gear through structures such as a shifting fork connected to the piston.

[0003] In the current shifting cylinder, the air passages connecting the chambers and the valve parts are arranged on the cylinder wall. The defect is that multiple air passages connecting multiple chambers need to be machined on the cylinder wall, which not only makes the cylinder structure complex, but also this kind of cylinder can only adopt casting and machining processes, resulting in higher processing costs.

[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background art section is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present invention, and thus may include information that does not constitute the prior art known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a shifting cylinder assembly and a transmission system, which can simplify the cylinder structure design and reduce the processing cost.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a shifting cylinder assembly is provided, including: a cylinder including a plurality of cylinder bodies arranged axially; a partition plate disposed between adjacent cylinder bodies, the partition plate being sealingly fitted with the cylinder bodies to form a plurality of working chambers; a piston including a plurality of piston bodies connected by a piston rod, the piston rod passing through the partition plate, and the plurality of piston bodies being respectively located in the plurality of working chambers and capable of reciprocating axially; and a plurality of air passages distributed in the partition plate and respectively communicating the plurality of working chambers.

[0007] In some embodiments, the cylinder body is a rotating part and is formed by stamping in one step.

[0008] In some embodiments, a sealing ring is crimped between the partition plate and the cylinder body, and the partition plate is tightly connected to the cylinder body.

[0009] In some embodiments, between the piston body and the cylinder body, and between the piston rod and the partition plate, there are sealing and sliding connections.

[0010] In some embodiments, the shift cylinder assembly further includes: a support piston disposed between the piston body and the cylinder block; wherein, a sealed sliding connection is provided between the support piston and the piston body, and between the support piston and the cylinder block.

[0011] In some embodiments, a step is provided on the inner wall of the cylinder block, and the step is used to limit the support piston and allow the piston body to pass through.

[0012] In some embodiments, the air passages of each working chamber are connected to different valve components, or, the air passages of at least some of the working chambers are connected to different valve chambers of the same valve component.

[0013] In some embodiments, the cylinder includes an adjacent first cylinder block and a second cylinder block; the partition is in sealing cooperation with the first cylinder block to form a first working chamber, and is in sealing cooperation with the second cylinder block to form a second working chamber; the piston includes a first piston body located in the first working chamber and a second piston body located in the second working chamber; the air passages include a first air passage communicating with the first working chamber and a second air passage communicating with the second working chamber.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first cylinder block and the second cylinder block are integrally formed with corresponding end covers respectively.

[0015] In some embodiments, the shift cylinder assembly has one or more of the following working states: the first working chamber intakes air, and the piston moves towards the first cylinder block to a first working position; the second working chamber intakes air, and the piston moves towards the second cylinder block to a second working position; the first working chamber and the second working chamber intake air simultaneously, and the piston moves to a third working position where the forces are balanced.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, a transmission system is provided, and the transmission system is configured with the shift cylinder assembly as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0017] The beneficial effects of the present invention compared with the prior art at least include:

[0018] In the present invention, the air passage is arranged in the partition plate located between adjacent cylinder blocks, eliminating the need to machine the air passage on the cylinder block, which can simplify the structural design of the cylinder. Moreover, the cylinder block can be formed by stamping or other methods, significantly reducing the processing cost of the cylinder. Among them, the partition plate is hermetically fitted with the cylinder block to form multiple working chambers of the shift cylinder assembly. In coordination with the design of the split cylinder block and partition plate, the piston is designed to include multiple piston bodies connected by a piston rod. The piston rod passes through the partition plate, and the multiple piston bodies reciprocate axially in the multiple working chambers. Under different working conditions, high-pressure gas is introduced into the corresponding working chamber through the corresponding air passage, enabling the control of the piston to move to the corresponding working position, thereby realizing the shift drive of the target gear. By arranging the air passage in the partition plate in the present invention to supply air from the middle, compared with the scheme of supplying air from the end, the occupied space of the air passage can be reduced, making the gas path concentrated, the structure compact, and facilitating maintenance.

[0019] The shift cylinder assembly of the present invention can form a modular design, and each component can be assembled as needed, realizing a flexible design and meeting various usage scenarios.

[0020] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are only exemplary and explanatory, and cannot limit the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The accompanying drawings herein are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, showing embodiments consistent with the present invention, and are used together with the specification to explain the principles of the present invention. Obviously, the following described drawings are only some embodiments of the present invention, and those of ordinary skill in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0022] Figure 1 and Figure 2 show a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the shift cylinder assembly in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 show a schematic structure diagram of the piston in the first working position in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 show a schematic structure diagram of the piston in the second working position in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 and Figure 6 show a schematic structure diagram of the piston in the third working position in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, example embodiments can be implemented in a variety of forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described herein. Instead, these embodiments are provided to make the present invention more comprehensive and complete and to fully convey the concepts of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art.

[0027] The accompanying drawings are only schematic illustrations of the present invention and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same or similar parts, and thus their repeated description will be omitted.

[0028] The terms "first", "second" and similar words used in the specific description do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. The orientation or position relationship indicated by the terms "left", "right" and the like is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention. The term "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined. In addition, in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the term "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal connection of two elements.

[0029] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and features in different embodiments may be combined with each other.

[0030] Figure 1 and Figure 2 The cross-sectional structure of the shift cylinder assembly is shown. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The shift cylinder assembly is cut from different axial sections to illustrate the various air passages. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the shift cylinder assembly provided by the embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0031] A cylinder, comprising a plurality of cylinder bodies (11, 12) arranged axially;

[0032] A partition plate 20 is arranged between adjacent cylinder bodies (11, 12), and the partition plate 20 and the cylinder bodies (11, 12) are sealed and matched to form a plurality of working chambers (110, 120);

[0033] The piston comprises a plurality of piston bodies (31, 32) connected by a piston rod 33, the piston rod 33 passes through a partition plate 20, and the plurality of piston bodies (31, 32) are respectively located in a plurality of working chambers (110, 120) and can axially reciprocate;

[0034] A plurality of air passages (P1, P2) are distributed in the partition plate 20 and are connected to the plurality of working chambers (110, 120) respectively.

[0035] The present invention sets the air passage (P1, P2) in the partition 20 between the adjacent cylinder bodies (11, 12), and does not need to process the air passage (P1, P2) on the cylinder bodies (11, 12), which can simplify the structural design of the cylinder, and the cylinder bodies (11, 12) can be formed by stamping and other methods, which greatly reduces the processing cost of the cylinder. The partition 20 and the cylinder bodies (11, 12) are sealed and matched to form multiple working chambers (110, 120) of the shift cylinder assembly; in conjunction with the design of the split cylinder bodies (11, 12) and the partition 20, the piston is designed to include multiple piston bodies (31, 32) connected by a piston rod 33, the piston rod 33 passes through the partition 20, and the multiple piston bodies (31, 32) respectively reciprocate axially in the multiple working chambers (110, 120). Under different working conditions, high-pressure gas is introduced into the corresponding working chamber through the corresponding air passage, which can control the piston to move to the corresponding working position to achieve shift drive. The present invention arranges the air duct (P1, P2) in the partition 20 to realize air supply from the middle. Compared with the solution of air intake from the ends, it can reduce the space occupied by the air duct (P1, P2), make the air path centralized, compact and easy to maintain.

[0036] The shift cylinder assembly of the present invention can form a modular design, and the various components can be assembled as needed to achieve a flexible design to meet various usage scenarios. For example, according to the number of gears required, a suitable number of cylinder bodies are selected to form a suitable number of working chambers with corresponding partitions; for another example, according to the shift control requirements, a cylinder body of a suitable size is selected to form a working chamber of a suitable volume with a partition with a corresponding air passage.

[0037] Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the figure, it is shown that the cylinder includes two cylinder bodies (11, 12), and two independent air passages (P1, P2) are arranged on the partition 20, leading to two working chambers (110, 120), respectively, but the invention is not limited thereto. According to different application scenarios, the number of cylinder bodies, the volume of the working chamber, the aperture of the air passage, the distribution of the air passage, etc. can be adjusted as needed.

[0038] In some embodiments, since the partition plate 20 is used as an air guide plate, high-pressure gas enters the working chambers (110, 120) through the air channels (P1, P2) arranged on the partition plate 20, without passing through the cylinder blocks (11, 12). Therefore, the cylinder blocks (11, 12) can simplify the structural design and be formed into simple rotating parts, which are formed by stamping in one step, greatly reducing the cost. Being formed into an integral rotating body structure by stamping in one step also enables the cylinder blocks (11, 12) to have continuous outer surfaces and inner cavities, with uniform overall wall thickness, high dimensional accuracy, and good surface finish, meeting the requirements for structural stability and sealing during use. The partition plate 20 can be made of an aluminum alloy part, but this is not limited thereto, as long as it can be hermetically fitted with the cylinder blocks (11, 12) to form the working chambers (110, 120) and is suitable for arranging the air channels (P1, P2). In the design of the piston, the piston rod connecting two adjacent piston bodies can be integrally formed with one of the piston bodies and connected to the other piston body by means such as fastening connection.

[0039] In some embodiments, a sealing ring 40 is crimped between the partition plate 20 and the cylinder blocks (11, 12) to achieve the sealing fit between the partition plate 20 and the cylinder blocks (11, 12). In addition, the partition plate 20 is firmly connected to the cylinder blocks (11, 12) to achieve convenient assembly. In other embodiments, the partition plate 20 and the cylinder blocks (11, 12) can also be connected by means such as bonding and welding, as long as they can achieve a tight and stable fit to form a sealed working chamber (110, 120).

[0040] In some embodiments, between the piston bodies (31, 32) and the cylinder blocks (11, 12), and between the piston rod 33 and the partition plate 20, there are hermetic sliding connections. In this way, the piston can reciprocate axially in the cylinder and move to different working positions under the action of the air pressure in different working chambers, so that the transmission system switches to the appropriate gear position.

[0041] In some embodiments, the shift cylinder assembly further includes: a support piston 50, arranged between the piston body and the cylinder block ( Figure 1 and Figure 2 as specifically shown in the figure that the support piston 50 is arranged between the first piston body 31 and the first cylinder block 11); wherein, between the support piston 50 and the piston body, and between the support piston 50 and the cylinder block, there are hermetic sliding connections. The support piston 50 can achieve the adaptation between the piston body and the cylinder block. According to the design requirements, the support piston 50 can be arranged between one or more piston bodies and the corresponding cylinder blocks. Under the action of the air pressure in different working chambers, the support piston 50 and the corresponding piston body can move synchronously or separately.

[0042] Among them, grooves can be formed on the corresponding components and sealing rings can be embedded to achieve sealed sliding connection between two components through the sealing rings. Sealed sliding connection between components can also be achieved through oil seals, special coatings, etc.

[0043] Further, in some embodiments, a step 60 is provided on the inner wall of the cylinder block. The step 60 is used to limit and support the piston 50 and allow the piston body to pass through. Figure 1 and Figure 2 Taking the shown structure as an example, a step 60 is provided on the inner wall of the first cylinder block 11. The step 60 is used to limit and support the piston 50 and allow the first piston body 31 to pass through.

[0044] Through the limiting effect of the step 60 on supporting the piston 50, the piston can be balanced in force under specific working conditions and maintained at the target working position, and then the transmission system can switch to the target gear. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 When the first working chamber 110 and the second working chamber 120 are simultaneously filled with gas, the piston moves under the air pressure of the two working chambers until the support piston 50 abuts against the step 60 and the first piston body 31 abuts against the support piston 50, reaching a state of force balance; in the state shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 , when the first working chamber 110 is filled with gas alone, the piston moves leftward, and when the second working chamber 120 is filled with gas alone, the piston drives the support piston 50 to move rightward together.

[0045] In the above embodiments, the air ducts of each working chamber can be connected to different valve components (the valve components are not specifically shown in the figure) to achieve control of the input pressure of each working chamber, so that each working chamber can be filled with gas alone or multiple working chambers can be filled with gas simultaneously. The air ducts of some working chambers or all working chambers can also be connected to different valve cavities of the same valve component, which can also achieve control of the input pressure of each working chamber. The valve component referred to in the present invention can be a suitable valve component such as a solenoid valve or a control valve. The valve component is used to deliver an appropriate amount of high-pressure gas to the corresponding working chamber under the control of a vehicle controller (such as an electronic control unit ECU) to push the piston to move to a predetermined working position, so that the vehicle can shift to a suitable gear.

[0046] In some specific implementation manners, as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown in the figure, the cylinder includes adjacent first cylinder block 11 and second cylinder block 12. The partition plate 20 is hermetically fitted with the first cylinder block 11 to form a first working chamber 110, and is hermetically fitted with the second cylinder block 12 to form a second working chamber 120; the piston includes a first piston body 31 located in the first working chamber 110 and a second piston body 32 located in the second working chamber 120; the air passage includes a first air passage P1 communicating with the first working chamber 110 and a second air passage P2 communicating with the second working chamber 120. In other implementation manners, as described above, the number of cylinder blocks, as well as design elements such as the volume of the working chamber, the aperture of the air passage, the distribution of the air passage, etc., can all be adjusted as needed to adapt to different application scenarios.

[0047] Among them, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the first cylinder block 11 and the second cylinder block 12 are integrally formed with the corresponding end covers respectively, which can greatly simplify the structural design of the cylinder and reduce the processing cost.

[0048] When the cylinder includes adjacent first cylinder block 11 and second cylinder block 12, the shift cylinder assembly can at least achieve three working states and drive the piston to move to three working positions. Specifically, Figure 3 shows the structure of the piston in the first working position, Figure 4 shows the structure of the piston in the second working position, Figure 5 and Figure 6 shows the structure of the piston in the third working position. Combining Figures 1 to 6 shown, in some specific implementation manners, the shift cylinder assembly can have the following three working states.

[0049] Combining Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, in the first working state, the high-pressure gas from the corresponding valve member enters the first working chamber 110 through the first air passage P1. Under the air pressure in the first working chamber 110, the piston moves towards the first cylinder block 11 to the first working position. The first working position is, for example: the piston moves towards the first cylinder block 11 until the first piston body 31 abuts against the end wall of the first cylinder block 11, that is, the piston moves leftward as a whole to the limit position, but not limited thereto.

[0050] Combining Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 4 shown, in the second working state, the high-pressure gas from the corresponding valve member enters the second working chamber 120 through the second air passage P2. Under the air pressure in the second working chamber 120, the piston moves towards the second cylinder block 12 to the second working position. The second working position is, for example: the piston moves towards the second cylinder block 12 until the second piston body 32 abuts against the end wall of the second cylinder block 12, that is, the piston moves rightward as a whole to the limit position, but not limited thereto.

[0051] In some working conditions, when the shift cylinder assembly is in the first working state, the transmission system shifts to a high gear, and when the shift cylinder assembly is in the second working state, the transmission system shifts to a low gear; or, when the shift cylinder assembly is in the first working state, the transmission system shifts to a low gear, and when the shift cylinder assembly is in the second working state, the transmission system shifts to a high gear.

[0052] Combined with Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, in the third working state, the high-pressure gas from the corresponding valve member enters the first working chamber 110 through the first air passage P1 and enters the second working chamber 120 through the second air passage P2. Under the combined air pressure of the first working chamber 110 and the second working chamber 120, the piston moves until the support piston 50 abuts against the step 60 and the first piston body 31 abuts against the support piston 50, reaching a force balance state. At this time, the piston is in the third working position, and the transmission system can shift to neutral.

[0053] Figures 3 to 6 In, the working chambers and air passages covered by the gray dot-shaped shadow are in the air intake state. According to the design requirements of different working positions, the air intake volume of each working chamber, the position of the step 60, etc. can all be adjusted. In other embodiments, the shift cylinder assembly may also have more working states, not limited to the three described above.

[0054] The embodiment of the present invention also provides a transmission system, which is configured with a shift cylinder assembly as described in any of the above embodiments. The shift cylinder assembly can be connected to the shift fork and other structures of the transmission system through a push rod 34 connected to the piston.

[0055] The present invention sets the air passages (P1, P2) in the partition 20 located between the adjacent cylinder blocks (11, 12), eliminating the need to machine the air passages (P1, P2) on the cylinder blocks (11, 12), which can simplify the structural design of the cylinder. Moreover, the cylinder blocks (11, 12) can be formed by stamping and other methods, significantly reducing the processing cost of the cylinder, and further simplifying the structural design of the transmission system and reducing the processing cost of the transmission system. The present invention sets the air passages (P1, P2) in the partition 20 to supply air from the middle. Compared with the scheme of supplying air from the end, it can reduce the occupied space of the air passages (P1, P2), thereby making the air circuit of the transmission system concentrated, the structure compact, and convenient for maintenance. The shift cylinder assembly of the present invention can form a modular design, and each component can be assembled as needed, achieving a flexible design, meeting the usage scenarios of various transmission systems, and being applicable to various types of vehicles such as light trucks.

[0056] The above content is a further detailed description of the present invention in combination with specific preferred embodiments. It cannot be determined that the specific implementation of the present invention is only limited to these descriptions. For those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains, without departing from the concept of the present invention, several simple deductions or substitutions can still be made, and all should be regarded as belonging to the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A shift cylinder assembly, characterized in that, Comprising: A cylinder, including a plurality of cylinder bodies arranged axially; Partition plates, arranged between adjacent cylinder bodies, the partition plates being in sealing cooperation with the cylinder bodies to form a plurality of working chambers; A piston, including a plurality of piston bodies connected by a piston rod, the piston rod passing through the partition plates, the plurality of piston bodies being respectively located in the plurality of working chambers and capable of reciprocating axially; A plurality of air passages, distributed in the partition plates, respectively communicating with the plurality of working chambers.

2. The shift cylinder assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that The cylinder body is a rotating part, formed by stamping in one time.

3. The shift cylinder assembly according to claim 1, wherein, A sealing ring is crimped between the partition plate and the cylinder body, and the partition plate is fixedly connected to the cylinder body.

4. The shift cylinder assembly according to claim 1, wherein Between the piston body and the cylinder body, and between the piston rod and the partition plate, there are sealing sliding connections.

5. The shift cylinder assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, Further comprising: Support pistons, arranged between the piston bodies and the cylinder bodies; Wherein, between the support piston and the piston body, and between the support piston and the cylinder body, there are sealing sliding connections.

6. The shift cylinder assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, A step is provided on the inner wall of the cylinder body, and the step is used to limit the support piston and allow the piston body to pass through.

7. The shift cylinder assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air passages of each working chamber are connected to different valve components, or, the air passages of at least part of the working chambers are connected to different valve chambers of the same valve component.

8. The shift cylinder assembly according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that: The cylinder includes adjacent first and second cylinder bodies; The partition plate is in sealing cooperation with the first cylinder body to form a first working chamber, and is in sealing cooperation with the second cylinder body to form a second working chamber; The piston includes a first piston body located in the first working chamber and a second piston body located in the second working chamber; The air passages include a first air passage communicating with the first working chamber and a second air passage communicating with the second working chamber.

9. The shift cylinder assembly according to claim 8, wherein, The first cylinder body and the second cylinder body are integrally formed with corresponding end covers respectively.

10. The shift cylinder assembly according to claim 8, wherein, The shift cylinder assembly has one or more of the following working states: The first working chamber intakes air, and the piston moves towards the first cylinder body to a first working position; The second working chamber intakes air, and the piston moves towards the second cylinder body to a second working position; The first working chamber and the second working chamber intake air simultaneously, and the piston moves to a third working position where the forces are balanced.

11. A transmission system, characterized in that, The transmission system is configured with the shift cylinder assembly according to any one of claims 1-10.

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