Oil inlet path structure for driving shaft

Abstract

The utility model relates to an oil inlet path structure for a drive shaft, the drive shaft is supported by a bearing, the bearing is directly held by a first bearing seat, the first bearing seat is embedded in a second bearing seat, the oil inlet path structure at least comprises a main oil inlet channel, a main oil outlet channel, a second oil outlet channel and a main oil outlet channel, and the main oil inlet channel extends inwards in the second bearing seat in the radial direction; the accessory lubricating channel extends to the first lubricating point from the radial inner end of the main oil inlet channel and extends inwards in the second bearing seat in the radial direction; the branch lubricating channel is branched forwards in the transverse direction from the accessory lubricating channel and penetrates into the first bearing seat to extend; and the bearing lubricating channel extends inwards in the radial direction from the branch lubricating channel to a second lubricating point, and the first lubricating point is located on the radial inner side of the branch position of the branch lubricating channel from the accessory lubricating channel. By means of the oil inlet path structure, under the split type bearing seat (or split type flange) structure, the stability of lubrication can be ensured, the number of special parts is reduced, and meanwhile the risk of oil leakage is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model generally relates to an oil inlet circuit structure for a drive shaft. Background Art

[0002] It is known that bearings, especially high-speed bearings and more especially high-speed bearings used for wind power generation, usually need to be replaced after being subjected to long-term operation wear. In the field of wind power generation, since these bearings are usually assembled to wind power towers, such replacement is usually completed in the tower environment. In order to replace the bearings as easily as possible, these bearings are usually fixed to the corresponding mechanical structure (such as a motor, a gearbox, etc.) by means of a split bearing seat (in some cases, the split bearing seat is respectively arranged on the corresponding part of the split flange) so that the bearing can stably support the corresponding drive shaft (whether it is an output shaft or an input shaft). With the help of this split bearing seat, it is possible to ensure that the bearing to be replaced is more easily removed without completely dismantling the entire flange structure (but only dismantling a part of the split bearing).

[0003] However, due to this split structure, the lubricating material for lubricating the bearing accordingly passes through the split boundaries between different parts of the split bearing seat (for example, including the radial surface split boundaries perpendicular to the axial direction and the circumferential surface split boundaries around the axial direction) in the path transmitted to the bearing. It is well known to those skilled in the art that in order to lubricate the bearing, the lubrication point of the bearing is usually selected at the middle position (or substantially the middle position) of the bearing so that the lubricating material can quickly lubricate the entire bearing in substantially the same amount at the same time, which is particularly important for bearings such as double-row tapered roller bearings and ball bearings. The selection of such a lubrication position can ensure the timely lubrication of the bearing and avoid the risk of lubrication lag caused by the supply of lubricating material from a certain lateral direction and the risk of poor lubrication effect caused by the heating of the lubricating material at the rear lubrication position.

[0004] Therefore, in the prior art, there is a design in which an oil inlet is set at the middle position of the bearing and the oil inlet is usually directly radially connected to the total oil inlet channel through the circumferential surface split boundary. This direct radial connection design makes the transmission have the risk of lubricating material leakage. In order to avoid such leakage, it is usually necessary to set a large-sized (especially thick) sealing ring around the lubrication channel for the lubrication point between the circumferential surface split boundaries of the split bearing seat (split flange). In addition, since the sealing ring is set between the circumferential surface split boundaries, complex special parts are required for installation and disassembly, which is costly and difficult to install.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for an oil inlet circuit structure that can ensure the stability of lubrication under a split bearing seat (or split flange) structure, reduce the number of dedicated components, and reduce the risk of oil leakage. Utility Model Content

[0006] In order to ensure the lubrication performance of the output shaft and reduce the risk of oil leakage when disassembling and assembling the bearing, while reducing the demand for the number and size of special components, the utility model proposes an oil inlet circuit structure for the drive shaft.

[0007] Therefore, the present application relates to an oil inlet circuit structure for a drive shaft, which is supported by a bearing in its end portion, the bearing being directly held by a first bearing seat and the first bearing seat being embedded in a second bearing seat, the oil inlet circuit structure comprising at least: a main oil inlet channel, which is configured to introduce oil-gas lubricating oil into the second bearing seat and which is configured to extend radially inward in the second bearing seat; an accessory lubrication channel, which is configured to extend from the radially inner end of the main oil inlet channel to a first lubrication point and is configured to extend radially inward in the second bearing seat; a branch lubrication channel, which is configured to branch laterally forward from the accessory lubrication channel and extend through the first bearing seat; and a bearing lubrication channel, which is configured to extend radially inward from the branch lubrication channel to the bearing to guide the oil-gas lubricating oil to a second lubrication point for the bearing, wherein the first lubrication point is located radially inside the branch position of the branch lubrication channel from the accessory lubrication channel.

[0008] Optionally, the main oil inlet passage and the accessory lubrication passage are both configured to extend radially and vertically, and the branch lubrication passage is configured to extend axially and horizontally.

[0009] Optionally, the main oil inlet channel is constructed to include an axial section extending axially inward at its radial inner end and the accessory lubrication channel is constructed to extend from near the axial inner end of the axial section, wherein the axial section is arranged to be higher than the branch position of the branch lubrication channel from the accessory lubrication channel.

[0010] Optionally, a first annular seal is disposed around the drive shaft between radial surfaces of the first bearing seat and the second bearing seat that face and contact each other in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction.

[0011] Optionally, the second annular seal is disposed around the outer circumference of the first bearing seat and between circumferential surfaces of the first bearing seat and the second bearing seat that face and contact each other in a circumferential plane around the axial direction.

[0012] Optionally, a lubrication channel seal is arranged around the branch lubrication channel between radial surfaces of the first bearing seat and the second bearing seat, and the lubrication channel seal is arranged radially outside the first annular seal and axially inside the second annular seal.

[0013] Optionally, the oil-gas lubricating oil is input into the main oil inlet passage at a first pressure higher than atmospheric pressure and a second pressure lower than the first pressure is applied to the accessory lubricating passage.

[0014] Optionally, the lubrication passage seal has a thickness dimension that is smaller than the first annular seal and the second annular seal.

[0015] Optionally, the drive shaft is an output shaft for a gearbox and the first lubrication point is configured for lubricating a gear in the gearbox.

[0016] With the help of the oil inlet circuit structure of the utility model, the stability of lubrication can still be ensured under the split bearing seat (or split flange) structure, the number of special components can be reduced, and the risk of oil leakage can be reduced at the same time. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Other advantages and aspects of the present application will become more apparent with reference to the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0018] Figure 1 An axial cross-sectional view showing a bearing support portion of an output shaft of a drive mechanism including an oil inlet passage structure according to a first embodiment of the utility model; and

[0019] Figure 2 An axial cross-sectional view of a bearing support portion of an output shaft of a driving mechanism including an oil inlet passage structure according to a second embodiment of the utility model is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Throughout the present application, the same reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or parts.

[0021] In describing the embodiment of the utility model, the axial direction corresponds to the front-to-back direction of the normally arranged driving mechanism along its driving shaft, wherein the direction where the end portion of the driving shaft extending outward is located is further defined as the front or axially outer side and the direction extending opposite to the end portion is defined as the rear or axially inner side. The vertical direction corresponds to the up-and-down direction of the normally placed driving mechanism, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and is usually also collinear with the direction of gravity, wherein the direction away from gravity is further defined as the upper side. The radial direction is perpendicular to the axial direction and passes through the center of a circle around the axial direction on a plane perpendicular to the axial direction, wherein the side close to the driving shaft in the radial direction is further defined as the radial inner side. The circumferential direction is the peripheral direction around the axial direction. Although the definitions of the directions used in this article are defined in detail herein, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that these direction definitions are exemplary only, and those skilled in the art can flexibly define them according to their needs.

[0022] like Figure 1 As shown, it shows an axial cross-sectional view of the bearing support portion of the output shaft of the driving mechanism including the oil inlet passage structure according to the first embodiment of the utility model.

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, the drive shaft 1 is supported by a bearing 2 in its end portion and is retained in the drive mechanism so as to be rotationally driven. The bearing 2 is directly retained by a first bearing seat 3 and the first bearing seat 3 is retained by a second bearing seat 4. As an example, the first bearing seat 3 is embedded in the second bearing seat 4, especially the radial inner side of the second bearing seat 4, so that the first bearing seat 3 is generally contained in the preset space between the second bearing seat 4 and the drive shaft. Further, a sealing cover 5 is fixedly connected to the first bearing seat 3, the sealing cover 5 includes a through hole for passing the drive shaft 1 and the sealing cover 5 is configured to prevent the lubricating material for the drive shaft 1 and other components of the drive mechanism from leaking along the drive shaft. As an example, the sealing cover 5 can be configured to ensure the prevention of lubricating material leakage in a contact sealing or non-contact sealing manner.

[0024] In the context of the present application, the bearing 2 of the drive shaft 1 is preferably a double-row tapered roller bearing, however, other bearings are also possible, such as ball bearings, other types of tapered roller bearings, etc.

[0025] As mentioned above, the first bearing seat 3 is configured to be nested in the second bearing seat 4, so that the first and second bearing seats can be separated from each other, and thus a split boundary (i.e., a boundary separated from each other) is formed in the first and second bearing seats, i.e., surfaces facing or contacting each other. Figure 1 In the embodiment of the present invention, the split interface includes a radial surface split boundary perpendicular to the axial direction (referred to as the radial surface) and a circumferential surface split boundary around the axial direction (referred to as the circumferential surface). Further, the first and second bearing seats can be selectively configured as a part of the flange of the drive mechanism. Therefore, in some cases, the first and second bearing seats correspond to two different parts of the split flange.

[0026] Further, in the first embodiment of the present application and in the subsequent description of the present application, the lubricating material used for the drive shaft 1 and other components of the drive mechanism is selected as oil-gas lubricating oil. The advantage of oil-gas lubricating oil is that while achieving excellent uniform lubrication of the target, it can also achieve distribution of the lubricating material by means such as pressure regulation, thereby facilitating the distribution and regulation of the lubricating material. Of course, other lubricating materials can also be conceived, such as oil mist lubricating oil, etc.

[0027] The oil inlet circuit structure in the first embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below. The oil inlet circuit structure includes a main oil inlet channel 6, which is constructed to extend radially inward (or substantially radially inward), and more preferably radially and vertically inward. In an embodiment of the present application, the main oil inlet channel is constructed to extend completely in the second bearing seat 4. With the help of the main oil inlet channel 6, the oil and gas lubricating oil is introduced into the second bearing seat 4 and thereafter further transmitted to various lubrication points that need to be lubricated to achieve the lubrication function. In the context of the present application, various channels are selectively constructed as roughly circular channels, but this is not restrictive, and those skilled in the art can conceive of any possible channel shape that can achieve the relevant functions of each channel without departing from the scope of the present application. Of course, different parts of the same channel or different channels can be combined to adopt channels of different shapes without departing from the scope of the present application.

[0028] In the first embodiment of the present application, further, the oil inlet structure also includes an accessory lubrication channel 7, which is configured to extend from the radial inner end of the main oil inlet channel 6 to the first lubrication point 8. In the embodiment of the present application, the first lubrication point 8 is configured to be used for lubricating other accessories other than bearings in the drive mechanism, such as gears in the drive mechanism. In other words, the accessory lubrication channel 7 is configured to extend directly from the main oil inlet channel 6 to the first lubrication point 8. In the embodiment of the present application, the accessory lubrication channel 7 is also configured to extend in the second bearing seat 4. In the embodiment of the present application, the accessory lubrication channel 7 is also configured to extend radially inward (or substantially radially inward), preferably radially and vertically inward. To some extent, the accessory lubrication channel 7 can be regarded as a radially inward extension of the main oil inlet channel 6. Of course, although the accessory lubrication channel 7 is described as extending radially inward, the accessory lubrication channel 7 may include a certain length of a direction change portion at its radial inner end to be able to extend to the first lubrication point 8, which does not depart from the scope of the present application. In fact, in the embodiments and scope of the present application, the extension direction of each channel represents the overall extension orientation of the corresponding channel and may represent an incomplete extension orientation. There may be a certain degree of direction change in these extension orientations, but this obviously does not deviate from the scope of protection of the present application.

[0029] In the first embodiment of the present application, further, the oil inlet structure also includes a branch lubrication channel 9, which is constructed to branch forward from the accessory lubrication channel 7 and penetrate into the first bearing seat 3 to extend. In other words, in the embodiment of the present application, the accessory lubrication channel 7 is constructed to extend at the axial inner position of the bearing 2 and thus the branch lubrication channel 9 for guiding the oil-gas lubricating oil to the bearing 2 will obviously extend forward laterally. In the embodiment of the present application, the branch lubrication channel is preferably constructed to branch forward axially and horizontally from the accessory lubrication channel 7, that is, the accessory lubrication channel 7 extending vertically inwardly in the radial direction extends horizontally toward the direction where the bearing 2 is located. As mentioned above, since the main oil inlet channel 6 and the accessory lubrication channel 7 both extend in the second bearing seat 4, the branch lubrication channel 9 will obviously extend through the split boundary of the first and second bearings. Preferably, in the embodiment of the present application, the branch lubrication channel 9 extends through the radial surface split boundary of the first and second bearings and thus the branch lubrication channel 9 is divided into two channel parts by the radial surface split boundary. In the embodiment of the present application, due to the truncation of the branch lubrication channel 9 by the radial surface split boundary, there may be lubricating oil leakage between the fractures of the branch lubrication channel at the radial surface split boundary. In order to prevent such leakage, a lubrication channel seal is provided around the branch lubrication channel between the radial surface split boundaries. A detailed description of the lubrication channel seal will be described later.

[0030] In the first embodiment of the present application, further, the oil inlet structure further includes a bearing lubrication channel 10, which is configured to extend radially inward (or substantially radially inward) from the axially outer end of the branch lubrication channel 9 to the bearing 2. As mentioned above, since the bearing 2 is directly held by the first bearing seat 3, the first bearing seat 3 is located radially outside the bearing 2. Therefore, the branch lubrication channel 9 is obviously also located radially outside the bearing 2, and therefore, the bearing lubrication channel 10 extends radially inward (or substantially radially inward) from the branch lubrication channel 9, and more preferably, extends radially and vertically inward to reach the second lubrication point 11 for lubricating the bearing 3.

[0031] In the embodiment of the present application, the first lubrication point 8 is located radially inside the branch position of the branch lubrication channel 9 from the accessory lubrication channel 7, that is, at a radially more inner position. In other words, the oil-gas lubricant from the main oil inlet channel 6 will obviously flow through the branch position first and then continue to reach the first lubrication point 8. In the embodiment of the present application, the second lubrication point 11 is basically located at the middle position of the bearing 2, so that the oil-gas lubricant can lubricate the front and rear parts of the bearing 2 at the same time. Further, compared with the oil circuit design in which the branch lubrication channel 9 passes through the circumferential surface split boundary, the branch lubrication channel 9 branching from the accessory lubrication channel 7 changes the lubrication priority or lubrication order of the oil-gas lubricant. Further, in the embodiment of the present application, since the branch lubrication channel 9 passes through the radial surface split boundary, when the first bearing seat 3 is disassembled, the lubricating material will only exist in the fracture of the branch lubrication channel 9 that extends transversely (axially) as a whole. Therefore, this transverse extension will effectively reduce the leakage or outflow of the oil-gas lubricant from the oil inlet oil circuit structure, especially the condensed oil-gas lubricant, when the first bearing seat 3 is disassembled.

[0032] Figure 2 The axial cross-sectional view of the bearing support portion of the output shaft of the driving mechanism including the oil inlet oil circuit structure according to the second embodiment of the utility model is shown, which is different from the first embodiment of the present application in that the main oil inlet channel 6 includes an axial section 6-1 extending axially inward, preferably axially horizontally inward, at its radial inner end, and the accessory lubrication channel 7 is constructed to extend from the vicinity of the axial inner end of the axial section. In other words, the main oil inlet channel 6 includes an axial section 6-1 and a radial section 6-2 (such as the main oil inlet channel described in the first embodiment), and with the help of the axial section 6-1, on the one hand, the setting position of the radial section 6-2 is more flexible, and the number of lubrication points that the oil inlet oil circuit structure may be used for lubrication can be expanded. Further, in the second embodiment of the present application, the axial section 6-1 is set to be higher than the branch position of the branch lubrication channel 9 from the accessory lubrication channel 7. In other words, the axial section 6-1 is located radially outside the branch lubrication channel to optimize the flow lubrication order of the oil-gas lubricant and avoid the leakage of the condensed oil-gas lubricant that may occur.

[0033] Furthermore, if Figure 1-2As shown, in the embodiment of the present application, the first annular seal 13 is arranged around the drive shaft between the radial surfaces of the first bearing seat 3 and the second bearing seat 4 facing each other in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction (corresponding to the radial surface separation boundary of the first and second bearing seats). Considering the possible leakage path of the oil-gas lubricating oil in the entire drive mechanism, it is obvious that the possible gap between the separation boundary between the first and second bearing seats cannot be ignored. In order to seal the gap, the first annular seal 13 is arranged around the drive between the radial surfaces between the first and second bearing seats to ensure the sealing effect.

[0034] Furthermore, if Figure 1-2 As shown, in the embodiment of the present application, the second annular seal 14 is arranged around the outer periphery of the first bearing seat 3 between the circumferential surfaces (corresponding to the circumferential surface split boundary) of the first bearing seat 3 and the second bearing seat 4 that face and contact each other in a circumferential plane around the axial direction. For the advantages of the second annular seal 14, please refer to the above description of the first annular seal 13.

[0035] Furthermore, if Figure 1-2 As shown, as mentioned above, the lubrication channel seal 15 is arranged around the branch lubrication channel between the radial surfaces of the first bearing seat 3 and the second bearing seat 4. As mentioned above, due to the truncation of the branch lubrication channel 9 by the radial surface, there may be lubricating oil leakage along the split boundary between the fractures of the branch lubrication channel 8 at the radial surface. In order to prevent such leakage, the lubrication channel seal 15 is arranged around the branch lubrication channel 9 between the split boundaries of the radial surface. Further, the lubrication channel seal is arranged on the radial outer side of the first annular seal 13 and is located on the axial inner side of the second annular seal 14. In other words, the lubrication channel seal 15 is arranged between the first and second annular seals along the respective boundaries of the first and second bearing seats, and therefore the first annular seal 13 is located on the radial inner side of the lubrication channel seal 15 and the second annular seal 14 is located on the radial outer side of the lubrication channel seal 15. With this combined structure, the oil and gas lubricating oil in the branch lubrication channel will not leak and further guarantee for possible leakage of the branch lubrication channel is ensured by means of the first and second annular seals.

[0036] As mentioned above and as known to those skilled in the art, the oil-gas lubricant is input into the main oil inlet channel 6 at a first pressure higher than atmospheric pressure. Furthermore, in order to adjust the distribution ratio of the oil-gas lubricant in the accessory lubrication channel 7 and the branch lubrication channel 9, the accessory lubrication channel 7 is applied with a second pressure less than the first pressure so that more or less oil-gas lubricant can be supplied to the branch lubrication channel 9 or the accessory lubrication channel 7 by adjusting the ratio between the first and second pressures. Obviously, the greater the second pressure, the more oil-gas lubricant is distributed to the branch lubrication channel. This way of adjusting the distribution according to pressure is obvious to those skilled in the art and will not be further elaborated here. In addition, in the scope of the present application, the first and second pressures respectively represent the absolute gas pressure or relative gas pressure at the corresponding positions.

[0037] Furthermore, if Figure 1-2 As shown, in the embodiment of the present application, the thickness dimension of the lubrication channel seal 15 is smaller than that of the first annular seal 13 and the second annular seal 14. As mentioned above, since the fracture of the branch lubrication channel is located between the radial surfaces, the installation difficulty of the lubrication channel seal 15 is significantly reduced. Compared with the case where it is installed between the circumferential surfaces, the position of the lubrication channel seal 15 can be ensured with the help of fewer special parts, thereby realizing the installation of the lubrication channel seal 15. Compared with the case where the lubrication channel seal is installed between the circumferential surfaces, the friction between the first and second bearing seats will obviously also pose a challenge to the position maintenance of the lubrication channel seal. Therefore, a seal of larger size (especially thickness) is required to overcome this position error for accurate positioning. Therefore, by means of the design of the branch lubrication channel 9 through the radial surface, the thickness dimension requirement for the thickness dimension of the lubrication channel seal 15 can be reduced and the need for special tools can be reduced.

[0038] Further, it can be envisioned that the drive shaft 1 is exemplarily and not limited to an output shaft for a gearbox and the first lubrication point 8 is exemplarily and not limited to being configured to lubricate the gears in the gearbox. Of course, this is only exemplary, and the drive mechanism used by the drive shaft can be any possible mechanism and the first lubrication point can be configured to be used for any possible non-bearing component.

[0039] The above embodiments described in this application are merely exemplary and non-restrictive. A person skilled in the art should understand that various modifications can be made to the above embodiments according to the disclosure of this application without departing from the scope of this application, and these modifications or equivalents also fall within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An oil inlet passage structure for a drive shaft, the drive shaft being supported by a bearing in an end portion thereof, characterized in that: The bearing is directly held by a first bearing seat and the first bearing seat is embedded in a second bearing seat, and the oil inlet passage structure at least comprises: a main oil inlet passage configured to introduce oil-gas lubricating oil into the second bearing seat and configured to extend radially inwardly in the second bearing seat; an accessory lubrication passage configured to extend from a radially inner end of the main oil inlet passage to a first lubrication point and configured to extend radially inwardly in the second bearing seat; a branch lubrication passage configured to branch forwardly from the accessory lubrication passage and extend through the first bearing seat; and a bearing lubrication passage configured to extend radially inwardly from the branch lubrication passage to the bearing to direct the oil-air lubrication oil to a second lubrication point for the bearing, Wherein, the first lubrication point is located radially inward of a branch position of the branch lubrication channel from the accessory lubrication channel.

2. The oil inlet circuit structure for a drive shaft according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main oil inlet passage, the accessory lubricating passage, and the bearing lubricating passage are all configured to extend radially and vertically, and the branch lubricating passage is configured to extend axially and horizontally.

3. The oil inlet circuit structure for a drive shaft according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The main oil inlet passage is configured to include an axial section extending axially inward at a radially inner end thereof, and the accessory lubrication passage is configured to extend from an axially inner end close to the axial section, wherein the axial section is arranged higher than the branch position of the branch lubrication passage from the accessory lubrication passage.

4. The oil inlet passage structure for a drive shaft according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A first annular seal is disposed around the drive shaft between radial surfaces of the first bearing seat and the second bearing seat that face and contact each other in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction.

5. The oil inlet passage structure for a drive shaft according to claim 4, characterized in that: A second annular seal is provided around the outer periphery of the first bearing seat between circumferential surfaces of the first bearing seat and the second bearing seat that face and contact each other in a circumferential plane around the axial direction.

6. The oil inlet passage structure for a drive shaft according to claim 5, characterized in that: A lubrication channel seal is disposed around the branch lubrication channel between the radial surfaces of the first bearing seat and the second bearing seat, and the lubrication channel seal is disposed radially outward of the first annular seal and axially inward of the second annular seal.

7. The oil inlet passage structure for a drive shaft according to claim 1, characterized in that: The oil-gas lubricating oil is input into the main oil inlet passage at a first pressure higher than atmospheric pressure and the accessory lubricating passage is applied with a second pressure lower than the first pressure.

8. The oil inlet passage structure for a drive shaft according to claim 6, characterized in that: The lubrication passage seal has a thickness dimension that is smaller than thickness dimensions of the first annular seal and the second annular seal.

9. The oil inlet passage structure for a drive shaft according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive shaft is an output shaft for a gearbox and the first lubrication point is configured for lubricating a gear in the gearbox.

10. The oil inlet passage structure for a drive shaft according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second lubrication point is located at a middle position of the bearing, so that the oil-gas lubricant can lubricate the bearing evenly at the same time.

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