Speed reducer and vehicle

Abstract

The utility model provides a speed reducer and a vehicle. The speed reducer comprises a shell, a water inlet and a water outlet, a containing cavity is formed in the shell, and the shell is provided with a water inlet and a water outlet which communicate with the containing cavity; the reduction gear and the differential mechanism are arranged in the accommodating cavity; and the heat exchange pipe is arranged in the containing cavity, one end of the heat exchange pipe is connected with the water inlet, the other end of the heat exchange pipe is connected with the water outlet, and the heat exchange pipe is configured to exchange heat with oil in the containing cavity. According to the speed reducer, lubricating oil in the speed reducer can be subjected to the cooling effect of convection air on one hand and can also be subjected to the active water cooling effect of the heat exchange pipe on the other hand, it is guaranteed that the lubricating oil and an oil seal work within the proper temperature, and the over-temperature work probability of the lubricating oil and the oil seal is reduced. In this way, the heat dissipation capacity of the speed reducer is improved, the speed reducer is matched with a vehicle with high explosion and high vehicle speed requirements, and therefore the problem that the maximum running speed of the vehicle is limited is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vehicle technology, and in particular to a speed reducer and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] The front reducer assembly is a key component of a vehicle's drivetrain, responsible for deceleration and torque amplification, changing the direction of power transmission, distributing power, and providing necessary structural support. The front reducer assembly contains a drive gear, a driven gear, and a differential. During vehicle operation, power is transmitted through the meshing of the gears, and the differential regulates the rotational speed of the wheels on both sides. Its performance directly affects the vehicle's power response, fuel economy, driving experience, and safety.

[0003] In related technologies, the front reduction gear assembly is primarily lubricated by gear oil within the housing. This gear oil absorbs heat from the transmission gears and dissipates it through the housing via convection currents during high-speed vehicle operation. However, gear oil has a limit to its heat dissipation efficiency. When a vehicle travels at or near its maximum speed for a period of time, the rate of temperature rise in the gear oil far exceeds its heat dissipation efficiency. This causes the temperature of both the gear oil and the operating temperature of the oil seals to exceed their temperature limits, leading to premature failure of both the gear oil and the oil seals within their lifespan. This limits the development of maximum speeds for vehicles with high acceleration and high speeds. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application provides a speed reducer and a vehicle, which aims to improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the speed reducer and thus improve the problem of limited maximum vehicle speed.

[0005] The specific technical solution is as follows:

[0006] An embodiment of the first aspect of this application provides a speed reducer, comprising: a housing having a cavity formed inside the housing, the housing having an inlet and an outlet communicating with the cavity, the inlet and the outlet being for communicating with a vehicle's water cooling system; a reduction gear and a differential, both disposed within the cavity; and a heat exchange tube disposed within the cavity, one end of the heat exchange tube being connected to the inlet and the other end being connected to the outlet, the heat exchange tube being configured to exchange heat with oil within the cavity.

[0007] In this application, a heat exchange tube is installed inside the reducer's housing cavity, and the heat exchange tube can be connected to the vehicle's water-cooling system through an inlet and an outlet. The lubricating oil inside the reducer, such as gear oil, submerges the heat exchange tube, thus facilitating heat exchange between them. When the vehicle is traveling at high speed, or even at its maximum speed, the lubricating oil inside the reducer is cooled by both convective airflow and active water cooling from the heat exchange tube, ensuring that the lubricating oil and oil seals operate within suitable temperatures and reducing the probability of overheating. This improves the reducer's heat dissipation capacity, making it suitable for vehicles with high-speed, high-impact requirements, thereby alleviating the problem of limited maximum vehicle speed.

[0008] In addition, since the lubricating oil uses a combination of water cooling and air cooling for heat dissipation, when the vehicle is running at low to medium speeds, it can also improve the average operating temperature of the lubricating oil and oil seals, increase the service life and reliability of the lubricating oil and oil seals, and thus also help to improve the service life and reliability of the reducer.

[0009] Furthermore, this application uses heat exchange tubes to directly exchange heat with the lubricating oil, which is more advantageous than setting up water cooling channels in the casing, thus reducing the construction cost of water cooling for the reducer.

[0010] In some embodiments, the receiving cavity includes a transmission cavity and a heat exchange cavity that are interconnected, with the heat exchange cavity located below the transmission cavity; the reduction gear and the differential are disposed in the transmission cavity, the heat exchange tube is disposed in the heat exchange cavity, and the water inlet and the water outlet are both directly connected to the heat exchange cavity.

[0011] This design has several advantages. First, it ensures that the heat exchange tubes have a sufficient heat exchange area, thus improving the water cooling effect. Second, it prevents interference between the heat exchange tubes and the reduction gears and differential in the transmission chamber. Third, it addresses the issue of residual lubricating oil at the bottom of the receiving chamber failing to submerge the heat exchange tubes due to lubricating oil splashing, thereby further improving the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange tubes and ultimately enhancing the heat dissipation capacity of the reducer.

[0012] In some embodiments, the heat exchange tube extends in a tortuous manner within the heat exchange cavity, and the heat exchange tube includes at least one bent section.

[0013] By setting the heat exchange tubes to a tortuous extension, the heat exchange tubes can maximize the heat dissipation area of ​​their outer surface within a limited space, allowing the cooling water and lubricating oil inside the heat exchange tubes to fully exchange heat, thereby further improving the heat dissipation capacity of the reducer.

[0014] In some embodiments, the housing has a main body portion and a protrusion portion, the main body portion forming the transmission cavity and the protrusion portion forming the heat exchange cavity;

[0015] The outer surface of the shell is provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs, and at least some of the reinforcing ribs are connected at both ends to the main body and the protrusion, respectively.

[0016] Since the differential and reduction gear in the transmission cavity generate alternating loads during operation, the loads are prone to cause stress concentration at the abrupt changes in shape of the protrusion and the main body. In this embodiment, multiple reinforcing ribs are provided on the outer wall of the shell, and at least some of the reinforcing ribs are connected to the main body and the protrusion at both ends, so that the load can be evenly distributed to the entire shell, reducing the probability of deformation and cracking between the main body and the protrusion, thereby improving the rigidity and deformation resistance of the shell.

[0017] In some embodiments, the heat exchange tube is a stainless steel tube or a copper tube, which is beneficial to improving the heat exchange efficiency and service life of the heat exchange tube.

[0018] In some embodiments, the outer surface of the heat exchange tube is provided with an oleophobic layer.

[0019] In this embodiment, an oleophobic layer is provided on the outer surface of the heat exchange tube. On the one hand, this reduces the probability of oil adhering to the outer surface of the heat exchange tube, thereby improving heat exchange efficiency. On the other hand, when changing the lubricating oil in the reducer, the presence of the oleophobic layer makes it difficult for oil droplets to adhere to the outer surface of the heat exchange tube under gravity or fluid scouring, thus improving the convenience of lubricating oil replacement and reducing the residue of oil to be replaced.

[0020] In some embodiments, the housing includes a first sub-shell and a second sub-shell that are sealed together in a front-to-back direction. The first sub-shell and the second sub-shell together enclose the receiving cavity. The water inlet and the water outlet are both located in the first sub-shell, or the water inlet and the water outlet are both located in the second sub-shell.

[0021] Firstly, this design allows for pre-assembly of the heat exchange tubes with either the first or second sub-shell, improving the ease of gearbox assembly. Secondly, the inlet and outlet ports are located on the same sub-shell, ensuring the heat exchange tubes form at least one bend, thus enhancing their heat exchange efficiency. Thirdly, the heat exchange tubes and one of the sub-shells form an integrated structure. During gearbox disassembly and maintenance, if the heat exchange tubes are involved, the entire unit can be replaced; otherwise, only consumable parts can be replaced. This prevents leakage caused by repeated disassembly and reassembly of the heat exchange tubes, further improving their reliability and lifespan.

[0022] In some embodiments, the reducer further includes a seal, and both ends of the heat exchange tube are respectively sealed to the inlet and the outlet via the seal.

[0023] In some embodiments, the sealing element is one of a sealing ring, a sealing gasket, or a sealing sleeve.

[0024] The aforementioned sealing components can achieve a seal between the heat exchange tube and the inlet and outlet, reducing the probability of coolant leakage from the heat exchange tube into the containment cavity, thereby improving the reliability of the heat exchange tube operation.

[0025] In some embodiments, the reducer further includes an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe located outside the receiving cavity, the inlet pipe being connected to the inlet and the outlet pipe being connected to the outlet.

[0026] By setting up inlet and outlet water pipes, the heat exchange tubes can be connected to the external water cooling system to form a complete coolant circulation loop, thereby improving the convenience of connecting the heat exchange tubes to the external water cooling system.

[0027] An embodiment of the second aspect of this application provides a vehicle including a water-cooling system and the reducer described in the first aspect, wherein the water inlet and the water outlet are connected to the water-cooling system.

[0028] In this way, the lubricating oil, such as gear oil, inside the reducer submerges the heat exchange tubes, thus facilitating heat exchange between them. When the vehicle is traveling at high speeds, even at its maximum speed, the lubricating oil inside the reducer is cooled by both convective airflow and active water cooling from the heat exchange tubes. This ensures that the lubricating oil and oil seals operate within suitable temperatures, reducing the probability of them overheating. This improves the reducer's heat dissipation capacity, making it suitable for vehicles with high-speed, high-impact demands, thereby alleviating the problem of limited maximum vehicle speed. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a speed reducer provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a disassembled reducer provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second sub-shell and heat exchange tube provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another structure of the speed reducer after disassembly, according to one embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 5This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of a speed reducer provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0034] The annotations in the attached figures are explained as follows:

[0035] 10. Speed ​​reducer;

[0036] 100. Housing; 110. Input shaft hole; 120. First output mounting hole; 130. Second output mounting hole; 101. Receiving cavity; 1011. Transmission cavity; 1012. Heat exchange cavity; 102. Water inlet; 103. Water outlet; 104. Reinforcing rib; 140. Main body; 150. Protrusion; 160. First sub-shell; 170. Second sub-shell;

[0037] 200. Reduction gear; 210. Driven gear;

[0038] 400, heat exchange tube; 500, sealing element; 600, water inlet pipe; 700, water outlet pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0039] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0040] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, they are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the terms used to describe positional relationships in the accompanying drawings are only for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting this patent. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0041] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as implying or suggesting relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0042] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0043] As described in the background section, in related technologies, the front reduction gear assembly is primarily lubricated by gear oil within the housing, which is then cooled by convection airflow during high-speed vehicle operation. However, the air-cooling efficiency of gear oil has a limit. When a vehicle travels at or near its maximum speed for a period of time, the rate of temperature rise in the gear oil far exceeds its cooling efficiency. This causes the temperature of both the gear oil and the operating temperature of the oil seals to exceed their temperature limits, leading to premature failure of the gear oil and oil seals within their lifespan. Consequently, the reduction gear's cooling capacity restricts the development of maximum driving speeds for vehicles with high acceleration and high speeds.

[0044] Based on the above problems, this application proposes a speed reducer and a vehicle, aiming to improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the speed reducer and thus improve the problem of limited maximum vehicle speed.

[0045] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, an embodiment of the first aspect of this application provides a speed reducer 10. The speed reducer 10 includes a housing 100, a reduction gear 200, a differential (not shown in the figure), and a heat exchange tube 400. The housing 100 has a receiving cavity 101 inside. The housing 100 is provided with an inlet 102 and an outlet 103 communicating with the receiving cavity 101. The inlet 102 and the outlet 103 are used to communicate with the vehicle's water cooling system. The reduction gear 200 and the differential are both located in the receiving cavity 101. The heat exchange tube 400 is located in the receiving cavity 101. One end of the heat exchange tube 400 is connected to the inlet 102, and the other end is connected to the outlet 103. The heat exchange tube 400 is configured to exchange heat with the oil in the receiving cavity 101.

[0046] The reducer 10 is used to achieve functions such as vehicle deceleration and torque increase, changing the direction of power transmission, and power distribution. The reducer 10 can be the front final drive of the vehicle. The housing 100 is the protective base of the reducer 10, and its internal cavity 101 provides a stable mounting environment for the reduction gear 200 and the differential. The housing 100 is usually made of high-strength materials, such as cast iron or aluminum alloy. Cast iron has good casting performance and high strength, and can withstand large loads; aluminum alloy has the advantages of light weight and good heat dissipation performance, and is suitable for applications with high requirements for weight and heat dissipation. The shape of the housing can be designed according to actual application requirements, such as cylindrical, square, etc.

[0047] The reduction gear 200 is the core component of the reducer 10. The reduction gear 200 may include a driving gear (not shown in the figure) and a driven gear 210. The driving gear is connected to the input drive shaft to receive the driving force from the input drive shaft. The driven gear 210 is connected to the output shaft and also meshes with the driving gear, thereby converting the high-speed rotation of the input drive shaft into the low-speed rotation of the output shaft, realizing the speed reduction and torque increase function of the reducer 10. The number of transmission stages of the reduction gear 200 is the same as the number of stages of the reducer 10. In a specific embodiment, the reducer 10 is a single-stage reducer, and the reduction gear 200 includes a driving gear connected to the input drive shaft and a driven gear meshing with the driving gear. It is understood that the reduction gear 200 can be a bevel gear meshing structure.

[0048] The differential is a key component in the reducer 10 that enables differential speed function. When the vehicle turns, the differential allows the left and right wheels to rotate at different speeds, thus ensuring smooth turning. The differential mainly consists of a differential housing, planetary gears housed within the differential housing, half-shaft gears, and half-shafts connected to the half-shaft gears.

[0049] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 5 The housing 100 has an input shaft hole 110 and two oppositely arranged first output mounting holes 120 and second output mounting holes 130. The input shaft hole 110 is used to mount an input drive shaft, which can be, for example, the output shaft of a motor, engine, or gearbox. The driven gear 210 is connected to the differential housing of the differential, and the two half-shafts of the differential are the output shafts, respectively mounted in the first output mounting hole 120 and the second output mounting hole 130. Optionally, bearings are provided in the input shaft hole 110, the first output mounting hole 120, and the second output mounting hole 130 to improve the reliability and stability of the rotation of the input drive shaft and the half-shafts.

[0050] The power transmission path of the reducer 10 is as follows: the power from the vehicle's power source is transmitted to the drive gear through the input drive shaft in the input shaft hole 110, and then the drive gear reduces the speed and transmits the power to the driven gear 210, achieving the effect of speed reduction and torque increase. Afterwards, the driven gear 210 drives the differential housing to rotate, and the differential housing then drives the left and right half-shafts to rotate, distributing power to the left and right wheel half-shafts, so that the left and right wheels can rotate at different speeds to meet the vehicle's differential requirements.

[0051] Heat exchange tubes 400 are disposed within the receiving cavity 101 and connected to both the inlet 102 and the outlet 103. The inlet 102 and outlet 103 can be connected to the vehicle's water-cooling system. Thus, the coolant from the water-cooling system can enter the heat exchange tubes 400 through the inlet 102 and then flow back into the water-cooling system through the outlet 103. It is understood that if the vehicle is a centralized drive pure electric vehicle, the water-cooling system can be either a motor cooling system or a battery cooling system; if the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle, the water-cooling system can be either a motor cooling system, a battery cooling system, or an engine cooling system; if the vehicle is a gasoline-powered vehicle, the water-cooling system can be an engine cooling system.

[0052] In this application, a heat exchange tube 400 is installed inside the receiving cavity 101 of the reducer 10, and the heat exchange tube 400 can be connected to the vehicle's water cooling system through the inlet 102 and the outlet 103. The lubricating oil, such as gear oil, inside the reducer 10 submerges the heat exchange tube 400, thereby exchanging heat with it. When the vehicle is traveling at high speed or even at its maximum speed, the lubricating oil inside the reducer 10 is cooled by both convective airflow and active water cooling by the heat exchange tube 400, ensuring that the lubricating oil and oil seals operate within a suitable temperature range and reducing the probability of overheating. This improves the heat dissipation capacity of the reducer 10.

[0053] Understandably, vehicles currently equipped with air-cooled reducers typically have a maximum speed below 190 km / h. This is because if a vehicle travels at its indicated speed of 190 km / h for only 30 minutes, the temperature inside the reducer's housing will rise to 150°C and continue to increase. However, the maximum temperature resistance of lubricating oil is 150°C, while the maximum temperature resistance of oil seal rubber is 160°C. This can cause the lubricating oil and oil seals to fail, weakening the lubrication and cooling function, and posing a risk of damage to internal parts and oil leakage to the reducer. The reducer 10 of this application, through a combination of active water cooling and air cooling, significantly improves the heat dissipation capacity of the reducer 10, allowing the vehicle's indicated maximum speed to exceed the 190 km / h limit. This makes it suitable for vehicles with high-speed, high-impact requirements, thereby alleviating the problem of limited maximum vehicle speed.

[0054] In addition, since the lubricating oil adopts a combination of water cooling and air cooling for heat dissipation, when the vehicle is running at low to medium speeds, the average operating temperature of the lubricating oil and oil seals can be reduced, thereby improving the service life and reliability of the lubricating oil and oil seals, which in turn helps to improve the service life and reliability of the reducer 10.

[0055] Furthermore, this application uses heat exchange tubes 400 to directly exchange heat with lubricating oil, which is more advantageous than setting up water cooling channels in the housing 100, thus reducing the construction cost of water cooling for the reducer 10.

[0056] In some embodiments, such as Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the receiving cavity 101 includes a transmission cavity 1011 and a heat exchange cavity 1012 that are interconnected. The heat exchange cavity 1012 is located below the transmission cavity 1011. The reduction gear 200 and the differential are located in the transmission cavity 1011. The heat exchange tube 400 is located in the heat exchange cavity 1012. The water inlet 102 and the water outlet 103 are both directly connected to the heat exchange cavity 1012.

[0057] In this embodiment, the receiving cavity 101 is divided into a transmission cavity 1011 and a heat exchange cavity 1012. The transmission cavity 1011 and the heat exchange cavity 1012 are interconnected and there is no physical isolation structure. Only heat exchange tubes 400 are installed in the heat exchange cavity 1012. This ensures that the heat exchange tubes 400 have a certain heat exchange area, thereby improving the water cooling effect. On the other hand, it avoids interference between the heat exchange tubes 400 and the reduction gear 200 and differential in the transmission cavity 1011. The fact that the inlet 102 and the outlet 103 are directly connected to the heat exchange cavity 1012 means that the inlet 102 and the outlet 103 are located on the shell 100 opposite to the heat exchange cavity 1012. This improves the convenience of connecting the heat exchange tubes 400 to the inlet 102 and the outlet 103.

[0058] Furthermore, the heat exchange chamber 1012 is located below the transmission chamber 1011. This arrangement ensures that the heat exchange tube 400, after installation, is located at the bottom of the receiving chamber 101. It is understood that when the reduction gear 200 and the differential rotate, a portion of the lubricating oil will be continuously agitated, causing some lubricating oil to splash, thus reducing the amount of lubricating oil accumulated at the bottom of the receiving chamber 101. Moreover, the higher the rotational speed, the less lubricating oil accumulates at the bottom of the receiving chamber 101. In this embodiment, placing the heat exchange tube 400 within the heat exchange chamber 1012 at the bottom of the receiving chamber 101 improves the problem of residual lubricating oil at the bottom of the receiving chamber 101 failing to submerge the heat exchange tube 400 due to lubricating oil splashing. This further enhances the heat exchange effect of the heat exchange tube 400, thereby further improving the heat dissipation capacity of the reducer 10.

[0059] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the heat exchange tube 400 extends in a tortuous shape within the heat exchange cavity 1012, and the heat exchange tube 400 includes at least one bent section.

[0060] The heat exchange tube 400 is separately disposed within the heat exchange chamber 1012, so interference issues with the heat exchange tube 400 can be disregarded. In this embodiment, by setting the heat exchange tube 400 to a tortuous extension, the heat dissipation area of ​​the outer surface of the heat exchange tube 400 can be maximized within a limited space, allowing for sufficient heat exchange between the cooling water and lubricating oil within the heat exchange tube 400, thereby further improving the heat dissipation capacity of the reducer 10.

[0061] Optionally, the heat exchange tube 400 includes at least one bend. When the heat exchange tube 400 has one bend, the heat exchange tube 400 is generally U-shaped; when the heat exchange tube 400 has two or more bends, the heat exchange tube 400 is generally S-shaped or coiled.

[0062] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the housing 100 has a main body 140 and a protrusion 150. The main body 140 forms a transmission cavity 1011, and the protrusion 150 forms a heat exchange cavity 1012. The outer surface of the housing 100 is provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs 104, and at least some of the reinforcing ribs 104 are connected at both ends to the main body 140 and the protrusion 150 respectively.

[0063] In this embodiment, the main body 140 forms a transmission cavity 1011 to accommodate transmission components such as the reduction gear 200 and the differential. The protrusion 150 is formed at the bottom of the main body 140 through a sudden change in the shape of the housing 100, thereby forming a heat exchange cavity 1012 that communicates with the transmission cavity 1011 within the protrusion 150. At this time, the inlet 102 and the outlet 103 can be formed on the protrusion 150, thereby improving the convenience of connecting the heat exchange tube 400. Furthermore, since the differential and reduction gear 200 in the transmission cavity 1011 generate alternating loads during operation, the loads are prone to cause stress concentration at the abrupt changes in shape between the protrusion 150 and the main body 140. Therefore, this embodiment provides multiple reinforcing ribs 104 on the outer wall of the housing 100, and connects at least some of the reinforcing ribs 104 to the main body 140 and the protrusion 150 at both ends, thereby distributing the load evenly throughout the housing 100, reducing the probability of deformation, cracking, etc. between the main body 140 and the protrusion 150, and thus improving the rigidity and deformation resistance of the housing 100.

[0064] In some embodiments, the heat exchange tube 400 is a stainless steel tube or a copper tube. Both stainless steel and copper tubes have good thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance, which helps to improve the heat exchange efficiency and service life of the heat exchange tube 400.

[0065] In some embodiments, the outer surface of the heat exchange tube 400 is provided with an oleophobic layer (not shown in the figure).

[0066] Since the heat exchange tube 400 needs to exchange heat with lubricating oil, the lubricating oil easily adheres to the outer surface of the heat exchange tube 400, forming an oil film, which affects the heat exchange efficiency between the heat exchange tube 400 and the lubricating oil. In this embodiment, an oleophobic layer is provided on the outer surface of the heat exchange tube 400. On the one hand, this reduces the probability of oil adhering to the outer surface of the heat exchange tube 400, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency. On the other hand, when the lubricating oil in the reducer 10 is replaced, due to the presence of the oleophobic layer, oil droplets are unlikely to adhere to the outer surface of the heat exchange tube 400 under gravity or fluid scouring, thus improving the convenience of lubricating oil replacement in the reducer 10 and reducing the residue of the oil to be replaced.

[0067] Optionally, the oleophobic layer can be formed by coating the outer surface of the heat exchange tube 400 with oleophobic materials such as fluoropolymers, silicon-based coatings, and ceramic composite coatings.

[0068] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the housing 100 includes a first sub-housing 160 and a second sub-housing 170 that are sealed together in the front-to-back direction. The first sub-housing 160 and the second sub-housing 170 together enclose a receiving cavity 101. The water inlet 102 and the water outlet 103 are both located in the first sub-housing 160, or the water inlet 102 and the water outlet 103 are both located in the second sub-housing 170.

[0069] Both the first sub-shell 160 and the second sub-shell 170 can be formed by casting. It is understood that the first sub-shell 160 includes half of the main body 140 and half of the protrusion 150, while the second sub-shell 170 includes the other half of the main body 140 and the other half of the protrusion 150. After being sealed together, they form a complete shell structure. The front-rear direction refers to the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0070] In this embodiment, both the inlet 102 and the outlet 103 are located in the first sub-shell 160, or both in the second sub-shell 170. This has several advantages: First, it allows the heat exchange tube 400 to be pre-assembled with the first sub-shell 160 or the second sub-shell 170, thus improving the ease of assembly of the reducer 10. Second, the inlet and outlet being located on the same sub-shell of the housing 100 allows the heat exchange tube 400 to form at least one bend, thereby improving its heat exchange efficiency. Third, the heat exchange tube 400 and one of the sub-shells are an integral structure. During disassembly and maintenance of the reducer 10, if the heat exchange tube 400 is involved, it can be replaced entirely; if not, only consumable parts can be replaced. This prevents leakage from the heat exchange tube 400 due to repeated disassembly and assembly, thus improving its reliability and service life.

[0071] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the reducer 10 also includes a seal 500, and both ends of the heat exchange tube 400 are sealed to the inlet 102 and the outlet 103 respectively through the seal 500.

[0072] Understandably, the two ends of the heat exchange tube 400 can be connected to the inlet 102 and outlet 103 using various methods such as welding, threaded connection, flange connection, or interference fit. Optionally, the sealing element 500 can be one of a sealing ring, a sealing gasket, or a sealing sleeve. The sealing ring can achieve both planar pressure sealing and pipe wall pressure sealing, the sealing gasket can achieve planar pressure sealing, and the sealing sleeve can achieve a wrap-around interference fit seal. By setting the sealing element 500, the heat exchange tube 400 can be sealed with the inlet 102 and outlet 103, reducing the probability of coolant leakage from the heat exchange tube 400 into the receiving cavity 101, thereby improving the reliability of the heat exchange tube 400.

[0073] Preferably, in some embodiments, rubber sealing sleeves are cured on the outer surfaces of both ends of the heat exchange tube 400. The two ends of the heat exchange tube 400 are pressed into the inlet 102 and outlet 103 respectively by a press-fitting method, and then the sealing sleeves are cured by a vulcanization process to enhance the adhesion and sealing performance between the sealing sleeves and the shell 100. Thus, the combination of interference fit and sealing sleeves achieves a sealed connection between the heat exchange tube 400 and the inlet 102 and outlet 103, thereby helping to reduce costs and improve assembly efficiency.

[0074] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the reducer 10 also includes an inlet pipe 600 and an outlet pipe 700 located outside the receiving cavity 101. The inlet pipe 600 is connected to the inlet 102, and the outlet pipe 700 is connected to the outlet 103.

[0075] By providing an inlet pipe 600 and an outlet pipe 700, the heat exchanger tube 400 can be connected to an external water cooling system to form a complete coolant circulation loop. This improves the ease of connecting the heat exchanger tube 400 to the external water cooling system. Optionally, the inlet pipe 600 and the outlet pipe 700 can be connected to the inlet 102 and the outlet 103 by means of threaded connection.

[0076] Secondly, this application provides a vehicle including a water-cooling system and a reducer 10 as described in the first aspect, with an inlet 102 and an outlet 103 connected to the water-cooling system. In this way, the lubricating oil, such as gear oil, inside the reducer 10 submerges the heat exchange tube 400, thereby exchanging heat with it. When the vehicle is traveling at high speed, even at its maximum speed, the lubricating oil inside the reducer 10 is cooled by both convective airflow and active water cooling by the heat exchange tube 400, ensuring that the lubricating oil and oil seals operate within a suitable temperature range and reducing the probability of overheating. This improves the heat dissipation capacity of the reducer 10, making it suitable for vehicles with high-speed, high-impact requirements, thereby alleviating the problem of limited maximum vehicle speed.

[0077] In addition, since the lubricating oil adopts a combination of water cooling and air cooling for heat dissipation, when the vehicle is running at low to medium speeds, the average operating temperature of the lubricating oil and oil seals can be reduced, thereby improving the service life and reliability of the lubricating oil and oil seals, which in turn helps to improve the service life and reliability of the reducer 10.

[0078] Furthermore, this application uses heat exchange tubes 400 to directly exchange heat with lubricating oil, which is more advantageous than setting up water cooling channels in the housing 100, thus reducing the construction cost of water cooling for the reducer 10.

[0079] Alternatively, the water cooling system can be one of the following: a motor cooling system, a battery cooling system, or an engine cooling system.

[0080] Optionally, water temperature sensors can be installed on both the inlet 102 and outlet 103 of the reducer 10, and an oil temperature sensor can be installed inside the receiving cavity 101. Both the water temperature sensor and the oil temperature sensor are electrically connected to the controller of the water cooling system. In this way, the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange tube 400 can be quantitatively monitored, thereby controlling the water flow rate and temperature entering the water cooling system through the inlet 102 as needed, so as to accurately control the oil temperature in the receiving cavity 101.

[0081] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A speed reducer, characterized in that, include: The housing has an internal cavity, and the housing is provided with an inlet and an outlet that communicate with the cavity. The inlet and the outlet are used to communicate with the vehicle's water cooling system. The reduction gear and differential are both located within the receiving cavity; and A heat exchange tube is disposed in the receiving cavity. One end of the heat exchange tube is connected to the water inlet, and the other end is connected to the water outlet. The heat exchange tube is configured to exchange heat with the oil in the receiving cavity.

2. The reducer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The receiving cavity includes a transmission cavity and a heat exchange cavity that are interconnected, with the heat exchange cavity located below the transmission cavity; The reduction gear and the differential are located in the transmission cavity, the heat exchange tube is located in the heat exchange cavity, and the water inlet and the water outlet are directly connected to the heat exchange cavity.

3. The reducer according to claim 2, characterized in that, The heat exchange tube extends in a tortuous shape within the heat exchange cavity, and the heat exchange tube includes at least one bent section.

4. The reducer according to claim 2, characterized in that, The housing has a main body and a protrusion, the main body forming the transmission cavity and the protrusion forming the heat exchange cavity; The outer surface of the shell is provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs, and at least some of the reinforcing ribs are connected at both ends to the main body and the protrusion, respectively.

5. The reducer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat exchange tube is made of stainless steel or copper.

6. The reducer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer surface of the heat exchange tube is provided with an oleophobic layer.

7. The reducer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing includes a first sub-shell and a second sub-shell that are sealed together in the front-to-back direction. The first sub-shell and the second sub-shell together enclose the receiving cavity. The water inlet and the water outlet are both located in the first sub-shell, or the water inlet and the water outlet are both located in the second sub-shell.

8. The reducer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reducer also includes a sealing element, and both ends of the heat exchange tube are respectively sealed to the water inlet and the water outlet through the sealing element.

9. The reducer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reducer also includes an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe located outside the receiving cavity. The inlet pipe is connected to the inlet, and the outlet pipe is connected to the outlet.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that, It includes a water cooling system and a reducer as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein both the water inlet and the water outlet are connected to the water cooling system.

Images