Lubricating device for lubricating chain transmission assembly

Abstract

According to the lubricating device for lubricating the chain transmission assembly, the chain transmission assembly comprises a first chain wheel, a second chain wheel and a first chain, the first chain can be arranged around the first chain wheel and the second chain wheel in a sleeving mode, and the first chain wheel can be connected to an output shaft of a motor so that the motor can drive the first chain wheel, the first chain and the second chain wheel to rotate. The lubricating device comprises: a container having an injection port for a lubricant and at least one output port, the container being fixed away from the chain drive assembly; the output pipeline is used for being connected with the output opening of the container, the output pipeline can be arranged to extend into the chain transmission assembly and is provided with a discharge hole for discharging the lubricating agent, and the position of the discharge hole can be selected to correspond to the first chain to be lubricated, so that the lubricating agent is allowed to be conveyed to the first chain to be lubricated. The lubricating device is convenient to mount, dismount and maintain, small in occupied space, low in cost, easy and convenient to operate, capable of guaranteeing personnel safety and capable of fully and evenly lubricating the chain of the driving station.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a lubrication device used in a vehicle production line, and more particularly to a lubrication device used for lubricating a chain drive assembly in a drive station of a vehicle production line. Background Art

[0002] In vehicle production lines, a drive station is usually required to transmit the power output by the motor to the production line to drive equipment such as chain beds carrying car bodies or vehicle parts. Therefore, the normal operation of the drive station can ensure the continuous and smooth operation of the production line.

[0003] The drive station of the vehicle production line usually adopts chain drive. The drive station generally includes multiple sets of chain drive components consisting of large sprockets and chains. The chains are usually multi-row chains, for example, each chain consists of two or three rows of roller chains.

[0004] In order for the drive station to operate properly, the multiple rows of chains in the chain drive assembly need to be fully lubricated. Proper lubrication can significantly reduce the wear of the chain hinges and extend the service life. When lubrication is insufficient, the chain wears, causing the chain to jump teeth or shake, causing severe vibrations, excessive noise and other problems, the power transmission of the motor will be lost, and the service life of the chain will be affected. Chain wear will eventually cause the drive station to malfunction and require downtime for maintenance, which will directly affect the production efficiency of the vehicle production line.

[0005] In order to fully lubricate the chains in the drive station, the operator needs to first remove the safety fence outside the drive station to get close to each chain drive assembly, and then use an oiler to move back and forth over each row of chains to drip oil downwards to lubricate multiple rows of chains. During the entire lubrication operation, the drive station cannot be shut down, and the chain drive assembly must be kept running to lubricate the entire length of the chain. When there are multiple chain drive assemblies, in order to shorten the lubrication operation time, multiple people need to enter the safety fence at the same time to operate synchronously. For example, for a drive station with two sets of chain drive assemblies, it takes at least 15 minutes for two people to remove the fence and lubricate multiple rows of chains of the two sets of chain drive assemblies each time. The operation process visually controls the positioning of the oiler and judges the lubrication situation. It is difficult to ensure uniform lubrication by manually applying lubricating oil. The lubrication operation process poses a very high safety risk to the operator. Utility Model Content

[0006] It is an object of the present disclosure to address one or more of the above-mentioned problems as well as other problems, and to achieve additional advantages.

[0007] The present disclosure provides a lubricating device for lubricating a chain transmission assembly, wherein the chain transmission assembly may at least include:

[0008] A first sprocket, a second sprocket, and a first chain, wherein the first chain may be sleeved around the first sprocket and the second sprocket, and the first sprocket may be connected to an output shaft of a motor, so that the motor may drive the first sprocket, the first chain, and the second sprocket to rotate;

[0009] The lubricating device may include at least:

[0010] a container for containing lubricant, the container may have an injection port and at least one output port for the lubricant, the container may be arranged away from the chain drive assembly;

[0011] An output pipeline for connecting to the output port of the container, the output pipeline can be arranged to extend into the chain drive assembly and have a discharge hole for discharging lubricant, and the position of the discharge hole can be selected to correspond to the first chain to be lubricated, thereby allowing the lubricant to be delivered to the first chain to be lubricated.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the output pipeline may be detachable.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the output pipeline can be fixed inside the chain transmission assembly by magnetic adsorption, hook connection, plug-in connection, or snap-on connection.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the output pipeline may be retractable.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a first tensioning wheel supported by a first bracket may be provided on the first chain for tensioning the first chain.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the output pipeline may extend along the first bracket and be arranged laterally above the first chain.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the lubrication device may include at least one valve, which may be installed at the output port of the container to open or close the output pipeline and control the flow rate of lubricant discharge.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the container may have multiple output ports, and the lubrication device may include multiple output pipelines, each of which may be connected to an output port, wherein each of the multiple output pipelines may have a discharge hole for discharging lubricant.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the lubrication device may include a plurality of valves, which are respectively installed at the plurality of output ports and can be used to independently control the lubricant delivery of each output pipeline.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the valve may be an electromagnetic valve.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the chain drive assembly may further include: a third sprocket, a fourth sprocket and a second chain, the second chain may be sleeved around the third sprocket and the fourth sprocket, the power of the motor may be transmitted to the third sprocket via a transmission shaft connected to the second sprocket, so that the second sprocket may drive the third sprocket, the second chain and the fourth sprocket to rotate; wherein the discharge holes of the corresponding output pipelines among the multiple output pipelines may respectively correspond to the first chain and the second chain to be lubricated.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a second tensioning wheel supported by a second bracket may be provided on the second chain for tensioning the second chain.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the diameter of the discharge hole may be between 2 mm and 5 mm.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first chain may be a multi-row roller chain.

[0025] It should be noted that the various aspects of the present disclosure described for one embodiment may be included in other different embodiments, although not specifically described for the other different embodiments. In other words, all embodiments and / or features of any embodiment may be combined in any manner and / or combination, as long as they are not mutually contradictory.

[0026] The use of the lubricating device disclosed herein can reduce the number of personnel required for operation, shorten the operation time, allow personnel to operate outside the drive station to ensure safety, and allow the chain of the drive station to be fully and evenly lubricated. The lubricating device disclosed herein is easy to install, disassemble and repair, does not require a large space, is low in cost, is easy to operate, and does not require additional installation of devices such as oil cups, oil guns, oil pumps, or oil bath lubrication and splash lubrication inside the drive station. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present disclosure, specific embodiments given only as examples will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0028] Figure 1 One embodiment of a chain drive assembly of a drive station consistent with the present disclosure is shown.

[0029] Figure 2 One embodiment of a two-set chain drive assembly of a drive station consistent with the present disclosure is shown.

[0030] Figure 3An embodiment of a chain of a chain drive assembly of a drive station consistent with the present disclosure is shown.

[0031] Figure 4 One embodiment of a lubrication device of a drive station consistent with the present disclosure is shown.

[0032] Figure 5 One embodiment of a lubrication device of a drive station consistent with the present disclosure is shown.

[0033] It should be understood that in the drawings, for the sake of clarity, the lubrication device and the chain drive assembly are only schematically shown. The dimensions of certain features may vary and are not drawn to scale. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate some embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be presented in a variety of different ways and is not limited to the embodiments described below; in fact, the embodiments described below are intended to make the disclosure of the present disclosure more complete and fully illustrate the scope of protection of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should also be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in various ways to provide more additional embodiments.

[0035] It should be understood that the terms used in the specification are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. All terms (including technical terms and scientific terms) used in the specification have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art unless otherwise defined. For the sake of simplicity and / or clarity, well-known functions or structures may not be described in detail.

[0036] The singular forms "a", "said" and "the" used in the specification include plural forms unless clearly indicated. The terms "include", "comprise" and "contain" used in the specification indicate the presence of the claimed features, but do not exclude the presence of one or more other features. The term "and / or" used in the specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items.

[0037] In the specification, when an element is referred to as being “on,” “attached to,” “connected to,” “coupled to,” or “contacting” another element, etc., the element may be directly on, attached to, connected to, coupled to, or contacting another element, or intervening elements may be present.

[0038] In the specification, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used for convenience of description and are not intended to be limiting. Any technical features represented by "first", "second", "third", etc. are interchangeable.

[0039] In the specification, spatial relational terms such as "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "top", "bottom", etc. may describe the relationship of one feature to another feature in the drawings. It should be understood that the spatial relational terms include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation shown in the drawings. For example, when the device in the drawings is turned over, features previously described as being "below" other features may now be described as being "above" the other features. The device may also be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the relative spatial relationships will be interpreted accordingly.

[0040] In particular, the spatial relationship terms such as "inside" and "outside" referred to in this disclosure refer to the orientation of the drive station, and "lateral" refers to the direction intersecting the length direction of the chain, not strictly perpendicular to the length direction of the chain.

[0041] The present disclosure relates to a lubricating device for lubricating a chain drive assembly, which is particularly suitable for lubricating a chain drive assembly used in a drive station of a vehicle production line. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The lubricating device of the present disclosure is easy to move and install, and can lubricate any appropriate equipment in any situation.

[0042] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0043] In a vehicle production line, a drive station is usually required to transmit the power output by the motor to the production line. The drive station generally includes multiple groups of chain drive assemblies composed of large sprockets and chains. The lubricating device is used to lubricate the chain drive assemblies arranged in the drive station, especially the chains therein.

[0044] The chain drive assembly of the drive station generally includes a sprocket, a chain and a tensioner. Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the chain drive assembly 1 includes a first sprocket 2, a second sprocket 3, and a first chain 4. The first chain 4 is sleeved around the first sprocket 2 and the second sprocket 3. The first sprocket 2 is connected to an output shaft 8 of a motor 7, so that the motor can drive the first sprocket, the first chain, and the second sprocket to rotate. A first tensioning wheel 5 supported by a first bracket 6 can also be provided on the first chain for tensioning the first chain 4.

[0045] The drive station may include multiple sets of such chain drive assemblies. Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the chain drive assembly further includes a third sprocket, a fourth sprocket, and a second chain 9. The second chain 9 is sleeved around the third sprocket and the fourth sprocket. The power of the motor can be transmitted to the third sprocket via a transmission shaft 10 connected to the second sprocket, so that the second sprocket can drive the third sprocket, the second chain and the fourth sprocket to rotate. The fourth sprocket is used, for example, to drive a production line ( Figure 2The second chain 9 may also be provided with a second tensioning wheel supported by a second bracket for tensioning the second chain 9.

[0046] In some embodiments, the first chain and the second chain may be single-row chains. In other embodiments, the first chain and the second chain may be multi-row chains, for example Figure 3 The two-row and three-row chains shown. Figure 2 , 4 In the embodiment shown in 5, the first chain 4 and the second chain 9 are both multi-row chains.

[0047] like Figure 4 As shown, the lubricating device 11 for lubricating the chain drive assembly may include a container 12 for containing lubricant. The container may have an injection port and at least one output port for the lubricant. The output port is, for example, located at the lower part of the container. The container may be arranged away from the chain drive assembly 1. The container may be positioned outside the drive station. The container is, for example, hung on the outer fence of the drive station, or mounted on the equipment housing of the drive station, or arranged on a movable cart parked near the drive station for easy operation by an operator.

[0048] The lubricating device 11 may include an output pipe 13 for connecting to an output port of the container. The output pipe 13 may be arranged to extend into the chain drive assembly 1 so that the lubricant can be continuously and synchronously delivered to the chain to be lubricated, for example, to the first chain 4 and / or the second chain 9. This allows the operator to perform the lubrication operation without approaching the chain drive assembly. The output pipe 13 may have a discharge hole 15 (e.g., Figure 5 The position of the discharge hole can be selected to correspond to the chain to be lubricated. Figure 5 As shown, the position of the drain holes can be selected to correspond to the number of rows of the chain to be lubricated. Depending on the width of the chain in the chain drive assembly, drain holes of different sizes can also be selected. Figure 5 In the embodiment shown, the diameter of the outlet hole is between 2 mm and 5 mm.

[0049] The chains used in the drive station are relatively large, so the lubrication operation of each row of chains takes a long time. Compared with the manual injection of lubricants, which requires the operator to enter the drive station for close operation and cannot achieve synchronous lubrication of multiple rows of chains, the lubrication device disclosed in the present invention allows the operator to input lubricants only outside the drive station, and can achieve synchronous start and end of lubrication operations for each row of chains of the same chain drive assembly or multiple chain drive assemblies, thereby improving the efficiency of lubrication operations, shortening lubrication operation time, and greatly reducing the safety risks of operators. For example, in some embodiments, an operator can complete the lubrication of all chains in about 3 minutes.

[0050] The lubricating device disclosed in the present invention can be installed inside a chain drive assembly with a small space, occupying very little space and not affecting the operation of the chain drive assembly. The lubricating device disclosed in the present invention is not limited by the number of chains of the chain drive assembly, and is applicable to both single-row chains and multi-row chains, without the need to install special lubricating components for lubricating multi-row chains.

[0051] In some embodiments, the container may have multiple output ports (e.g., two, three, or four output ports). The lubrication device may include multiple output pipelines (e.g., two, three, or four output pipelines). Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the container 12 has two output ports, and the lubricating device 11 includes a first output pipeline 13 and a second output pipeline 13'. The first output pipeline 13 and the second output pipeline 13' are respectively connected to the two output ports of the container. The lubricating device of the present disclosure allows multiple output pipelines to be provided for the same chain drive assembly, for example, to enhance lubrication efficiency. The lubricating device of the present disclosure also allows multiple chain drive assemblies to be lubricated through multiple output pipelines.

[0052] In some embodiments, the output pipeline may be detachable. The output pipeline may be fixed inside the chain drive assembly by magnetic adsorption, hook connection, plug-in, snap fixation, or other suitable methods. In some embodiments, the output pipeline may extend along the bracket of the tensioning wheel and be arranged laterally above the chain so that each discharge hole of the output pipeline may face a row of chains. The lubrication device disclosed in the present invention allows the operator to select the fixing method of the output pipeline inside the chain drive assembly according to the specific structure of the chain drive assembly. The lubrication device disclosed in the present invention also allows the output pipeline to be easily removed from the chain drive assembly, for example, when the operator needs to maintain or repair the drive station, or when the output pipeline needs to be replaced, or when the lubrication device needs to be stored.

[0053] The output conduit may be retractable. In some embodiments, the output conduit is conveniently stored when lubrication is not required, for example, near a container. In other embodiments, the length of the output conduit may be adjusted by retracting the output conduit according to the position of the chain to be lubricated, so that the discharge hole is better positioned.

[0054] The lubrication device may include a valve. The valve may be installed at the outlet of the container to open or close the outlet pipeline and control the flow rate of lubricant discharge. Figure 4 In the embodiment shown, the lubricating device may include two valves 14, 14', which are respectively installed at the two output ports, for independently controlling the lubricant to be delivered to the first output pipeline and the second output pipeline. In an embodiment with multiple output ports, a valve may be configured for each output port as needed, so that the container can be controlled to supply lubricant to only part of the output pipelines.

[0055] The valve can be a solenoid valve. In some embodiments, the opening and closing of the valve can be controlled remotely by a computer. This allows an operator to control the lubrication device away from the drive station or production line.

[0056] The lubricating device disclosed herein is suitable for lubricating chains of different numbers and styles. In some embodiments, the first chain is a double-row roller chain, and the second chain is a triple-row roller chain. In other embodiments, the chain can also be a toothed chain, a sleeve chain, a bent plate chain, etc.

[0057] Although the present disclosure has been disclosed as above in the form of a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the present disclosure. Any person skilled in the art may make possible changes and modifications to the technical solution of the present disclosure by using the methods and technical contents disclosed above without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, any simple modifications, equivalent changes and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present disclosure without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present disclosure shall fall within the protection scope of the technical solution of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A lubricating device for lubricating a chain drive assembly, characterized in that: The chain drive assembly at least comprises: A first sprocket, a second sprocket and a first chain, wherein the first chain is sleeved around the first sprocket and the second sprocket, and the first sprocket is connected to an output shaft of a motor, so that the motor drives the first sprocket, the first chain and the second sprocket to rotate; The lubrication device at least comprises: a container for containing lubricant, the container having an injection port and at least one output port for the lubricant, the container being arranged away from the chain drive assembly; an output conduit for connection to the output port of the container, the output conduit being arranged to extend into the chain drive assembly and having a discharge hole for discharging lubricant, the position of the discharge hole being selected to correspond to the first chain to be lubricated, thereby allowing the lubricant to be delivered to the first chain to be lubricated.

2. The lubricating device for lubricating a chain drive assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The output pipeline is detachable.

3. The lubricating device for lubricating a chain drive assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The output pipeline can be fixed inside the chain transmission assembly by magnetic adsorption, hook connection, plug-in connection, or snap-on connection.

4. The lubricating device for lubricating a chain drive assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The output pipeline is retractable.

5. The lubricating device for lubricating a chain drive assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first chain is provided with a first tensioning wheel supported by a first bracket for tensioning the first chain.

6. The lubricating device for lubricating a chain drive assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: The output pipeline extends along the first bracket and is arranged laterally above the first chain.

7. The lubricating device for lubricating a chain drive assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lubricating device comprises at least one valve, which is installed at the output port of the container and is used to open or close the output pipeline and control the flow rate of lubricant discharge.

8. The lubricating device for lubricating a chain drive assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The container has a plurality of output ports, and the lubricating device comprises a plurality of output pipelines, each of which is connected to one output port, wherein each of the plurality of output pipelines has a discharge hole for discharging lubricant.

9. The lubricating device for lubricating a chain drive assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that: The lubrication device comprises a plurality of valves, which are respectively installed at the plurality of output ports and are used to independently control the lubricant delivery of each output pipeline.

10. The lubricating device for lubricating a chain drive assembly according to claim 7 or 9, characterized in that: The valve is a solenoid valve.

11. The lubricating device for lubricating a chain drive assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that: The chain transmission assembly further includes: a third sprocket, a fourth sprocket, and a second chain, wherein the second chain is sleeved around the third sprocket and the fourth sprocket, and the power of the motor is transmitted to the third sprocket through a transmission shaft connected to the second sprocket, so that the second sprocket drives the third sprocket, the second chain, and the fourth sprocket to rotate; The discharge holes of corresponding output pipelines among the plurality of output pipelines respectively correspond to the first chain and the second chain to be lubricated.

12. The lubricating device for lubricating a chain drive assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that: The second chain is provided with a second tensioning wheel supported by a second bracket for tensioning the second chain.

13. The lubricating device for lubricating a chain drive assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The diameter of the discharge hole is between 2 mm and 5 mm.

14. The lubricating device for lubricating a chain drive assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first chain is a multi-row roller chain.

Images