Lightweight high-strength axle housing

Abstract

The utility model discloses a light-weight high-strength axle housing, which comprises an axle housing middle section, an axle housing left section and an axle housing right section, and is characterized in that one side, far away from the axle housing middle section, of each of the axle housing left section and the axle housing right section is connected with a shaft end structure, and the cross section of each of the axle housing left section and the axle housing right section is of a rectangular structure. As the left section and the right section of the axle housing adopt the rectangular section structures, compared with the traditional circular or complex section, the axle housing has higher flexural rigidity and higher material utilization rate. The edge effect of the rectangular section can effectively disperse stress, the bearing capacity is improved, meanwhile, machining, manufacturing and assembling are facilitated, and light weight is achieved while the strength is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of vehicle parts, and in particular to a lightweight and high-strength axle housing. Background Technology

[0002] The axle housing is a core component of the drive axle in construction machinery (such as heavy trucks, excavators, and loaders). It primarily supports and transmits power while bearing the complex loads generated during vehicle operation. In the construction machinery field, the drive axle not only needs to transmit engine power to the wheels but also bears the vehicle's own weight, load, and dynamic loads such as impacts and vibrations during driving. Therefore, the strength, rigidity, and durability of the axle housing directly affect the reliability, safety, and service life of the entire vehicle. In practical use, insufficient axle housing strength can lead to numerous malfunctions, such as housing deformation, oil leaks, damage to internal structural components, and even housing breakage.

[0003] Traditional axle housings are typically manufactured using casting or welding processes. To improve structural strength, methods such as increasing wall thickness, adding dense reinforcing ribs, or localized thickening are often employed to enhance load-bearing capacity. However, while this design approach can improve the strength of the axle housing to some extent, it also results in a significant increase in weight, leading to higher overall vehicle energy consumption, increased material costs, and potentially impacting vehicle maneuverability and fuel economy. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides a lightweight and high-strength bridge housing.

[0005] This utility model provides a lightweight and high-strength bridge housing, which adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A lightweight and high-strength bridge housing includes a middle section, a left section, and a right section, characterized in that: the left and right sections are connected to the shaft end structure on the side away from the middle section, and the cross-sections of the left and right sections are rectangular.

[0007] By designing the left and right sections of the axle housing as rectangular cross-sections, the manufacturing process is simplified and material utilization is improved compared to the circular or complex cross-sections of traditional cast axle housings. The rectangular cross-section's edge structure can more effectively distribute load stress, making it particularly suitable for bearing vertical bending moments. It also facilitates assembly and positioning with the shaft end structure, resulting in a more stable and reliable overall structure.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of this invention, the aspect ratio of the rectangular structure is less than 0.9.

[0009] By employing the aforementioned technical solutions, the aspect ratio of the rectangular cross-section is limited to less than 0.9, enabling the bridge shell to achieve a higher flexural section modulus for the same cross-sectional area, thereby enhancing its overall flexural strength. The narrow-height design optimizes material distribution, resulting in less deformation of the bridge shell under heavy loads while maintaining a lower weight, meeting the requirements for lightweight construction.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, a transition structure is further provided between the left section of the bridge housing and the shaft end. The transition structure includes a rectangular cross-section end close to the main body of the bridge housing and a rectangular circular cross-section end away from the main body of the bridge housing. The two cross-section ends are connected by a continuous gradient curved surface. The four corners of the rectangular cross-section end are provided with rounded transition areas. The corresponding geometric features of the circular cross-section end and the rectangular cross-section end are naturally connected by a spatial curved surface to form a transition area with uniform wall thickness.

[0011] Through the above technical solution, the transition body structure achieves a natural transition from a rectangular to a circular cross-section through a continuous, gradually changing curved surface, eliminating the stress concentration problem caused by traditional right-angle transitions. The combination of the rounded corner transition area and the spatial curved surface ensures uniform wall thickness, reduces the risk of casting defects, and improves the fatigue life of the transition area, making it suitable for high-frequency impact conditions in engineering machinery.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of this invention, the lower surface of the left or right section of the bridge housing is set as an inclined plane.

[0013] Through the above technical solution, the lower surface of the bridge shell adopts an inclined plane design, changing the load direction from vertical shear to oblique pressure, and utilizing the higher compressive strength of the material to improve the load-bearing capacity. This structure optimizes the stress distribution, reduces local stress concentration, and improves the overall durability of the bridge shell.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of this invention, the inclined plane forms an angle of 12-16° with the horizontal mounting reference plane of the bridge housing.

[0015] The above technical solution limits the angle between the inclined plane and the horizontal reference plane to 12-16°, ensuring the maximum proportion of the pressure component while avoiding an excessively large angle that would affect the structural compactness. This angle range has been optimized to ensure increased strength without affecting the installation space and overall layout of the bridge housing.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, reinforcing ribs are provided on one or both of the front and rear faces of the axle housing, and the reinforcing ribs extend along the axial direction of the axle housing and form a structural connection with the leaf spring seat.

[0017] The above technical solution involves axially extending reinforcing ribs on the front or rear face of the axle housing, forming a structural connection with the leaf spring seat to enhance the overall rigidity of the axle housing. These reinforcing ribs effectively suppress vibration and deformation of the axle housing under dynamic loads, improving structural stability and extending service life.

[0018] As a preferred embodiment of this invention, the reinforcing ribs are provided in two sets in the height direction.

[0019] Through the above technical solution, two sets of height-direction reinforcing ribs form a double-layer support structure. The upper layer mainly resists bending deformation, while the lower layer enhances torsional resistance, enabling the bridge shell to maintain high strength under complex stress conditions. This design significantly improves the overall load-bearing capacity without excessively increasing weight.

[0020] In summary, this utility model has at least one of the following beneficial technical effects:

[0021] 1. This utility model adopts a rectangular cross-section structure in the left and right sections of the bridge shell, which has higher bending stiffness and material utilization rate compared with traditional circular or complex cross-sections. The edge effect of the rectangular cross-section can effectively disperse stress and improve load-bearing capacity, while facilitating processing, manufacturing and assembly, achieving lightweight while ensuring strength.

[0022] 2. By incorporating a gradual transition structure between the axle housing and the shaft end, a smooth transition from a rectangular to a circular cross-section is achieved through a continuous curved surface, avoiding stress concentration. The rounded corner transition zone and uniform wall thickness design improve fatigue life and optimize casting processability, making the axle housing more reliable and durable under dynamic loads.

[0023] 3. By adopting an inclined plane structure on the lower surface of the bridge shell, the load direction is changed from vertical shear to oblique compression, making full use of the material's compressive strength. This design optimizes stress distribution, reduces local stress concentration, and improves overall load-bearing capacity, without affecting installation space and structural compactness. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is the lightweight and high-strength bridge housing of Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the transition structure of Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the transition structure of Embodiment 1 of this utility model, showing a circular cross-section.

[0028] Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of Embodiment 2 of this utility model.

[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Middle section of axle housing; 2. Left section of axle housing; 3. Right section of axle housing; 4. Shaft end structure; 5. Leaf spring seat; 6. Transition body structure; 7. Reinforcing rib; 21. Lower surface. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-5 The present invention will be described in further detail below.

[0031] Example 1:

[0032] See attached document Figure 1 To the attached Figure 2 This embodiment discloses a lightweight and high-strength bridge housing. The bridge housing is integrally cast and includes a middle section 1, a left section 2, and a right section 3. The left section 2 and the right section 3 are connected to the shaft end structure 4 on the side away from the middle section 1. The cross-sections of the left section 2 and the right section 3 are rectangular.

[0033] In this embodiment, the width-to-height ratio of the rectangular structure is less than 0.9. Under the conditions of the same cross-sectional area (i.e., the same material consumption) and equal wall thickness, the width-to-height ratio (B / H) does not exceed 0.9. This allows for a higher flexural section modulus than that of a circular or elliptical cross-section, thereby improving the flexural strength of the bridge shell and reducing compressive deformation.

[0034] The rectangular frame section of the axle housing needs to transition to the circular section at the axle end to mate with the wheel-side support shaft. Therefore, a transition structure 6 is provided between the left section 2 of the axle housing and the axle end structure 4, such as... Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the transition structure 6 includes a rectangular cross-section end near the main body of the bridge shell and a circular cross-section end away from the main body of the bridge shell. The two cross-section ends are connected by a continuous, gradually changing curved surface. The four corners of the rectangular cross-section end are provided with rounded transition areas. The corresponding geometric features of the circular cross-section end and the rectangular cross-section end are naturally connected by a spatial curved surface, forming a transition area with uniform wall thickness. This results in a transition structure with a large circular arc and uniform wall thickness. Compared with traditional transition structures, this structure enables a smooth transition and uniform wall thickness of the transition body. With the same amount of material, a larger cross-section is obtained, increasing the bending strength. At the same time, because the wall thickness of each cross-section is uniform, the possibility of pores and shrinkage porosity at the solution accumulation points during casting is reduced.

[0035] Reinforcing ribs 7 are provided on one or both of the front and rear faces of the axle housing. In this embodiment, a set of reinforcing ribs 7 is provided on the front and rear faces of the left section 2 and the right section 3 of the axle housing. The reinforcing ribs 7 extend along the axial direction of the axle housing and are fixedly connected to the leaf spring seat 5 to form an integral load-bearing structure. Each set of reinforcing ribs 7 has two sets in the height direction. The reinforcing ribs 7 can increase the bending and shear strength of the axle housing.

[0036] Example 2:

[0037] Reference Figure 5In this embodiment, everything else is the same as in Embodiment 1, except that the lower surface 21 of the left section 2 or the right section 3 of the bridge shell is set as an inclined plane, which forms an angle of 12-16° with the horizontal mounting reference plane of the bridge shell. By setting the inclined plane, the pressure F borne by the lower surface of the bridge shell is decomposed into a shear force F1 on the inclined plane and a pressure F2 on the inclined plane, which reduces the shear force on the lower surface 21. Since the compressive strength of the same material is greater than its shear strength, the load-bearing capacity of the bridge shell is improved.

[0038] The above are all preferred embodiments of this utility model, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this utility model. Therefore, all equivalent changes made to the structure, shape and principle of this utility model should be covered within the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. A lightweight, high-strength bridge housing, comprising a middle section (1), a left section (2), and a right section (3), characterized in that: The left section (2) and the right section (3) of the axle housing are both connected to the shaft end structure (4) on the side away from the middle section (1) of the axle housing. The cross-section of the left section (2) and the right section (3) of the axle housing is a rectangular structure. The lower surface (21) of the left section (2) or the right section (3) of the axle housing is set as an inclined plane. The inclined plane forms an angle of 12-16° with the horizontal mounting reference plane of the axle housing.

2. The lightweight, high-strength bridge housing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The aspect ratio of the rectangular structure is less than 0.

9.

3. A lightweight, high-strength bridge housing according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A transition structure (6) is also provided between the left section (2) of the bridge shell and the shaft end structure (4). The transition structure (6) includes a rectangular cross-section end close to the main body of the bridge shell and a rectangular circular cross-section end away from the main body of the bridge shell. The two cross-section ends are connected by a continuous gradient curved surface. The four corners of the rectangular cross-section end are provided with rounded transition areas. The corresponding geometric features of the circular cross-section end and the rectangular cross-section end are naturally connected by a spatial curved surface to form a transition area with uniform wall thickness.

4. A lightweight, high-strength bridge housing according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A reinforcing rib (7) is provided on one or both of the front and rear faces of the axle housing. The reinforcing rib (7) extends along the axle housing axial direction and is connected to the leaf spring seat (5).

5. A lightweight, high-strength bridge housing according to claim 4, characterized in that: The reinforcing ribs (7) are provided in two sets in the height direction.

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