Planet carrier and gearbox

Abstract

The invention provides a planet carrier and a gearbox. The planet carrier comprises a supporting element, and the supporting element comprises a planet wheel supporting part, one or more first stamping parts and second stamping parts. The planet wheel supporting part is used for supporting the planet wheels to rotate on the axial sides of the planet wheels. The first stamping part protrudes towards the axial side of the planet wheel supporting part and is provided with a radial contact face used for making contact with a bearing. The second stamping part protrudes towards the other axial side of the planet wheel supporting part and is provided with a spline used for being connected with the rotating shaft. In this way, the planet carrier can provide a radial contact surface for mounting a bearing while keeping compact, and has lower cost, lighter weight and smaller volume.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of transmission, and more specifically to a planetary carrier and a gearbox. Background Art

[0002] German invention patent application DE102019129237A1 discloses a planetary carrier for a planetary gearbox. The planetary carrier is rotatably mounted in the housing of the planetary gearbox via rolling bearings. ) is provided with an output interface formed by a spline, through which the output shaft for driving the wheels is connected to the planetary carrier. However, when the support element is manufactured by a stamping process, the support element lacks a radial contact surface for mounting the bearing. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application is made in view of the above-mentioned state of the prior art. An object of this application is to provide a planet carrier and a gearbox, which can overcome or alleviate at least one of the disadvantages described in the above-mentioned background art.

[0004] In order to achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solutions.

[0005] The present application provides a planetary carrier as follows, comprising a supporting element, wherein the supporting element comprises a planetary gear supporting portion, one or more first stamping portions and a second stamping portion, wherein the planetary gear supporting portion is used to support the rotation of the multiple planetary gears on one axial side of the multiple planetary gears, the first stamping portion protrudes toward the one axial side of the planetary gear supporting portion and is provided with a radial contact surface for contacting a bearing, and the second stamping portion protrudes toward the other axial side of the planetary gear supporting portion and is provided with a spline for engaging with a rotating shaft.

[0006] In an optional solution, the supporting element is a stamped element formed by stamping a plate.

[0007] In another optional solution, the radial contact surface faces radially outward, and the axial length of the radial contact surface is configured to be smaller than the axial length of the bearing supported by the radial contact surface.

[0008] In another optional solution, the support element has a plurality of first stamping portions, each of the first stamping portions extends along the circumference of the support element, and the plurality of first stamping portions are evenly spaced in the circumference.

[0009] In another optional solution, the first stamping portion is adjacent to the second stamping portion.

[0010] In another optional solution, the second stamping portion is cylindrical, the spline is arranged on the inner circumference of the second stamping portion, and the first stamping portion is arranged on the radially outer side of the second stamping portion.

[0011] In another optional solution, the support element further includes an axial contact surface, and the axial contact surface is used to contact the bearing supported by the radial contact surface.

[0012] In another optional solution, the axial contact surface is adjacent to the radial contact surface, and the axial contact surface and the radial contact surface are formed by machining the stamped support element.

[0013] The present application provides a gearbox comprising: the planet carrier described above; a plurality of planetary gears supported on the planet carrier; and a bearing mounted to the radial contact surface in contact with the radial contact surface.

[0014] In an optional solution, the bearing is an angular contact bearing.

[0015] With this technical solution, by providing the first stamped portion, the planet carrier can utilize the space inside it to provide splines, making the planet carrier compact in the axial direction. Furthermore, by providing the second stamped portion, the planet carrier can maintain its compactness while providing a radial contact surface for mounting the bearing.

[0016] In particular, in a preferred embodiment, the support element can be formed by stamping a plate. Compared with the prior art, the stamped support element can have lower cost, lighter weight and smaller volume.

[0017] In particular, in a preferred embodiment, the support element has multiple first stamped portions, which are evenly spaced in the circumferential direction. Thus, when the radial contact surfaces are formed by machining away a portion of the material of the stamped protrusions, minimal or no material removal is required in the areas between adjacent radial contact surfaces. This ensures the connection strength between the second stamped portion and its radially outer portion, thereby ensuring the strength and durability of the planet carrier. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a partial structure of a gearbox according to an embodiment of the present application is shown, wherein the rolling elements and the outer ring of the first bearing are omitted.

[0019] Figure 2 Shown Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the planet carrier of the gearbox.

[0020] Description of Reference Numerals

[0021] 1 planet carrier; 11 first support element; 111 first stamping portion; 112 second stamping portion; 113 first radial contact surface; 114 spline; 115 first axial contact surface; 119 planet gear support portion; 11a first annular groove; 12 second support element; 121 third stamping portion; 13 rivet;

[0022] 2 planetary gears;

[0023] 3 planetary axes;

[0024] 4. First bearing;

[0025] A: axial direction; C: circumferential direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The following describes exemplary embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these specific descriptions are only used to teach those skilled in the art how to implement the present application, and are not intended to exhaust all possible methods of the present application, nor to limit the scope of the present application.

[0027] Figure 1 The diagram shows a partial structure of a gearbox according to an embodiment of the present application, in particular a partial structure of a reducer suitable for electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles.

[0028] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2The gearbox may include a planet carrier 1, a plurality of planetary gears 2, a plurality of planetary shafts 3, a first bearing 4 (an example of a bearing), a second bearing, a sun gear, a ring gear (not shown in the figure), and an oil collector. The planetary shaft 3 may be mounted on the planet carrier 1, and the planetary gears 2 may be rotatably supported on the planetary shaft 3. For example, the planetary gears 2 may be supported on the planetary shaft 3 by needle bearings. The planetary gears 2 may mesh with the sun gear on the radial outside of the sun gear and mesh with the ring gear on the radial inside of the ring gear. For example, the planetary gears 2, the sun gear, and the ring gear may adopt the same or similar configuration as that of German invention patent application DE102019129237A1. The entire content of German invention patent application DE102019129237A1 is incorporated herein by reference. The planetary shaft 3 can be provided with a blind hole for the flow of lubricating oil, and the oil collector can collect the lubricating oil in the blind hole, thereby supplying the lubricating oil to the needle bearing between the planetary gear 2 and the planetary shaft 3. For example, the planetary shaft 3 and the oil collector can adopt the same or similar configuration as the Chinese invention patent application CN116635651A. The entire content of the Chinese invention patent application CN116635651A is incorporated herein by reference. The first bearing 4 and the second bearing can be respectively installed on both axial sides of the planetary carrier 1 to jointly support the rotation of the planetary carrier 1. The sun gear can serve as the torque input end of the gearbox, and the planetary carrier can serve as the torque output end of the gearbox. For example, the motor can be connected to the sun gear, and the planetary carrier can be connected to the wheel via a rotating shaft.

[0029] The planet carrier 1 may include a first support element 11 (an example of a support element), a second support element 12, and a plurality of rivets 13. The first support element 11 and the second support element 12 may be arranged opposite each other in the axial direction A, with the planet gears 2 and the sun gear 2 disposed between the first support element 11 and the second support element 12. One axial end of the planet shaft 3 may be inserted into the first support element, while the other axial end of the planet shaft 3 may be inserted into the second support element 12. The first support element 11 may be fixedly connected to the second support element 12 via rivets 13, and the rivets 13 and the planet gears 2 may be arranged alternately in the circumferential direction C. The rivets 13 may be H-shaped, for example, and may have a configuration identical or similar to that of Chinese invention patent application CN117321319A. The entire contents of Chinese invention patent application CN117321319A are incorporated herein by reference. The oil collector may be mounted on the second support element 12, for example, by snapping onto the second support element 12.

[0030] The first support element 11 may include a plurality of first stamping portions 111, a second stamping portion 112, and a planetary gear support portion 119. The planetary gear support portion 119 may support the rotation of the plurality of planetary gears 2 on one axial side of the plurality of planetary gears 2. The first stamping portion 111 may protrude toward one axial side of the planetary gear support portion 119 (the side facing away from the second support element 12 and the planetary gears 2) and extend along the circumferential direction C. The outer periphery of the first stamping portion 111 may be provided with a first radial contact surface 113 (an example of a radial contact surface) facing radially outward, for example, the first radial contact surface 113 may be obtained by machining. The second stamping portion 112 may protrude toward the other axial side of the planetary gear support portion 119 (the side facing the second support element 12 and the planetary gears 2) and be formed into a cylindrical shape. The inner periphery of the second stamping portion 112 may be provided with a spline 114, and the rotating shaft may be spline-connected to the first support element 11 via the spline 114. The first punching portion 111 may be disposed radially outward of the second punching portion 112 and adjacent to the second punching portion 112. The plurality of first punching portions 111 may be evenly spaced around the second punching portion 112 in the circumferential direction C. That is, the plurality of first punching portions 111 are discontinuous in the circumferential direction C.

[0031] The first bearing 4 can be mounted on the first support element 11. A first annular groove 11a can be provided on one axial end surface of the first support element 11 (the surface facing away from the second support element 12 and the planetary gear 2). For example, the first annular groove 11a can be machined. The first annular groove 11a can be located radially outward of the first stamped portion 111 and coaxially with the second stamped portion 112. The bottom surface of the first annular groove 11a can be formed as a first axial contact surface 115 (an example of an axial contact surface). The first axial contact surface 115 can be adjacent to the first radial contact surface 113. For example, the first radial contact surface 113 can be formed simultaneously with the machining of the first annular groove 11a. In other words, a portion of the first stamped portion 111 can be removed during the machining of the first annular groove 11a. The first bearing 4 can be located radially outward of the first stamped portion 111 and coaxially with the second stamped portion 112. The first bearing 4 can be an angular contact ball bearing, and the inner ring of the first bearing 4 can abut against the first radial contact surface 113 and the first axial contact surface 115. The axial length of the first radial contact surface 113 may be smaller than the axial length of the inner ring. For example, the axial length of the first radial contact surface 113 may be smaller than or equal to half of the axial length of the inner ring.

[0032] The second support element 12 may include a third stamping portion 121 and a second annular groove. The third stamping portion 121 may protrude toward the other axial side (the side facing away from the first support element 11 and the planetary gear 2) and be cylindrical in shape. The outer periphery of the third stamping portion 121 may be provided with a second radial contact surface facing radially outward, for example, which may be obtained by machining. The second annular groove may be provided on the other axial end surface of the second support element 12 (the side facing away from the first support element 11 and the planetary gear 2), for example, which may be obtained by machining. The second annular groove may be provided radially outward of the third stamping portion 121, and the third stamping portion 121 and the second annular groove may be arranged coaxially with the second stamping portion. The bottom surface of the second annular groove may be formed as a second axial contact surface, which may be adjacent to the second radial contact surface, for example, which may be obtained simultaneously with the machining of the second annular groove. In other words, a portion of the third stamping portion 121 may be removed during the machining of the second annular groove.

[0033] A second bearing can be mounted on the second support element 12. The second bearing can be positioned radially outward from the third stamped portion 121 and coaxially arranged therewith. The second bearing can be an angular contact ball bearing, with the inner ring of the second bearing abutting the second radial contact surface and the second axial contact surface. The axial length of the second radial contact surface can be greater than or equal to the axial length of the inner ring. An oil collector can be positioned radially outward from the second bearing, and the second bearing can pump lubricating oil into the oil collector during rotation.

[0034] The manufacturing method of the planet carrier 1 may include:

[0035] (i) punching a first plate (the raw material of the first supporting element 11 ) into a first punched part to obtain a first punched portion 111 and a second punched portion 112 ;

[0036] (ii) punching the second plate (the raw material of the second supporting element 12 ) into a second punched part to obtain a third punched portion 121 ;

[0037] (iii) riveting the first stamping part to the second stamping part;

[0038] (iv) machining a first annular groove 11 a and a spline 114 on the first stamping part to obtain the first support member 11 ; and

[0039] (v) A second annular groove is machined on the second punched part to obtain the second supporting element 12 .

[0040] Here, step (iii) can preferably be implemented before steps (iv) and (v), so that the first radial contact surface 113, the first axial contact surface 115, the second radial contact surface and the second axial contact surface can be protected from the influence of the force and possible deformation during the riveting process, so that the first radial contact surface 113, the first axial contact surface 115, the second radial contact surface and the second axial contact surface can have higher precision.

[0041] The gearbox of this embodiment has at least the following advantages:

[0042] (i) By providing the first stamped portion 111, the planet carrier 1 can utilize the space on its inner side (the side where the planet gears 2 are located) to provide the splines 114, resulting in a compact structure of the planet carrier 111 in the axial direction A. Furthermore, by providing the second stamped portion 112, the planet carrier 1 can provide a first radial contact surface 113 for mounting the first bearing 4 while maintaining its compactness. Furthermore, compared to the prior art, the stamped first support element 11 can be lower in cost, lighter in weight, and smaller in size.

[0043] (ii) By spacing the plurality of first stamping portions 111 in the circumferential direction C, when the first radial contact surfaces 113 are formed by machining, the area between adjacent first radial contact surfaces 113 can have no material removed or less material removed, thereby ensuring the connection strength between the second stamping portion 112 and its radially outer portion, and ensuring the strength and durability of the planetary carrier 1.

[0044] (iii) By making the first punched portion 111 adjacent to the second punched portion 112 , the first punched portion 111 and the second punched portion 112 can be compactly arranged in the radial direction R, so that the planet carrier can have a more compact structure.

[0045] (iv) By configuring the first bearing 4 as an angular contact bearing, the first bearing 4 can simultaneously apply an axial load and a radial load to the first support element 11, so that the load is not entirely applied to the first stamped portion 111. In this way, the planetary carrier 1 can transmit a large torque and has a high reliability.

[0046] It should be understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the present application. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications and changes to the above embodiments based on the teachings of the present application without departing from the scope of the present application.

[0047] (i) Gearboxes are neither limited to use as speed reducers nor limited to use in electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles.

[0048] (ii) The first support element 11 is not limited to being provided with a plurality of spaced-apart first punching portions 111 . For example, the first punching portion 111 may be annular and coaxially provided radially outside the second punching portion 112 .

[0049] (iii) The first bearing 4 and the second bearing are not limited to angular contact bearings, and may be, for example, deep groove ball bearings.

[0050] (iv) The first supporting element 11 is not limited to being riveted to the second supporting element 12 , and may be welded to the second supporting element 12 , for example.

Claims

1. A planet carrier, characterized in that: The invention comprises a support element, wherein the support element comprises a planetary gear support portion (119), one or more first stamping portions (111) and a second stamping portion (112), The planetary gear support portion (119) is used to support the plurality of planetary gears (2) for rotation on one axial side of the plurality of planetary gears (2); the first stamping portion (111) protrudes toward the one axial side of the planetary gear support portion (119) and is provided with a radial contact surface for contacting a bearing; the second stamping portion (112) protrudes toward the other axial side of the planetary gear support portion (119) and is provided with a spline (114) for engaging with a rotating shaft.

2. The planet carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that The supporting element is a stamped element formed by stamping a plate.

3. The planet carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that The radial contact surface faces radially outward, and an axial length of the radial contact surface is configured to be smaller than an axial length of a bearing supported by the radial contact surface.

4. The planet carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that The supporting element has a plurality of first stamping portions (111), each of the first stamping portions (111) extends along a circumferential direction (C) of the supporting element, and the plurality of first stamping portions (111) are evenly spaced apart in the circumferential direction (C).

5. The planet carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The first stamping portion (111) is adjacent to the second stamping portion (112).

6. The planet carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The second punching portion (112) is cylindrical, the spline (114) is arranged on the inner periphery of the second punching portion (112), and the first punching portion (111) is arranged on the radially outer side of the second punching portion (112).

7. The planet carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that The support element further includes an axial contact surface configured to contact the bearing supported by the radial contact surface.

8. The planet carrier according to claim 7, characterized in that The axial contact surface is adjacent to the radial contact surface, and the axial contact surface and the radial contact surface are formed by machining the stamped support element.

9. A gear box, characterized in that: include: The planet carrier (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8; A plurality of planetary gears (2) supported on the planetary carrier (1); as well as A bearing is mounted to the radial contact surface in contact with the radial contact surface.

10. The gearbox according to claim 9, characterized in that The bearing is an angular contact bearing.

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