A planet gear heat treatment cushion block assembly

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of planet gear heat treatment with backing block assembly, for pad in the lower end of planet gear, this planet gear heat treatment with backing block assembly includes at least three interval distribution's backing block, backing block includes upper backing body and lower backing body and the compensation mechanism of the movable connection of upper backing body and lower backing body, the lower backing body is opened in a mounting groove, compensation mechanism is distributed in mounting groove, upper backing body can be swung in mounting groove around the fulcrum of compensation mechanism by compensation mechanism to be used for adaptive fitting planet gear bottom surface to make the end surface of planet gear keep level, upper backing body can adaptive fitting planet gear bottom surface by compensation mechanism, dynamically adjust posture to offset height difference influence, ensure that the end surface of planet gear keeps level, gear end surface keeps level, avoid permanent warping produced due to posture deviation in cooling process, ensure gear machining precision.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of planetary gear processing technology, and specifically relates to a spacer assembly for heat treatment of planetary gears. Background Technology

[0002] In the manufacturing process of planetary gears, heat treatment is a key step to improve their mechanical properties (such as hardness, wear resistance, and toughness). To improve production efficiency, planetary gears are usually stacked on the honeycomb plate of the material rack during heat treatment. That is, multiple planetary gears are stacked axially, with adjacent gears separated by spacers. This avoids collision damage caused by direct contact between the tooth surfaces and provides a flow channel for the heating and cooling media, ensuring uniform heat treatment.

[0003] However, existing technologies using spacers to support and separate planetary gears often employ rigid structures with fixed heights and support surface angles. During heat treatment (especially carburizing and quenching at 800-1200℃), these rigid spacers can undergo thermal expansion or creep deformation due to high temperatures. For example, metal spacers may bend due to localized overheating, while ceramic spacers may develop microcracks due to sudden temperature changes, leading to height deviations. This deformation can create height differences (typically 0.1-0.5mm) between three spacers that were originally of equal height, directly causing the positioning end face of the planetary gear to tilt. Even if the gear itself is machined to the required precision, the tilted support datum will cause an attitude shift, ultimately resulting in permanent warping after cooling. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of the technical problems existing in the prior art, this utility model provides a pad assembly for heat treatment of planetary gears.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A planetary gear heat treatment pad assembly is provided for placing on the lower end of a planetary gear. The planetary gear heat treatment pad assembly includes at least three spaced-apart pads. Each pad includes an upper pad body and a lower pad body, as well as a compensation mechanism that movably connects the upper pad body and the lower pad body. The lower pad body has a mounting groove, and the compensation mechanism is distributed within the mounting groove. The compensation mechanism allows the upper pad body to swing around the fulcrum of the compensation mechanism within the mounting groove to adaptively conform to the bottom surface of the planetary gear, keeping the end face of the planetary gear horizontal.

[0007] Furthermore, the compensation mechanism includes a fitting part located in the middle of the mounting groove and arranged along the width direction of the mounting groove, a fitting groove on the fitting part, and a fitting protrusion on the bottom surface of the upper pad body corresponding to the position of the fitting groove. The fitting groove and the fitting protrusion form a swing fulcrum by using arc surface cooperation. The upper pad body can swing back and forth around the swing fulcrum. The two ends of the upper pad body away from the fulcrum can move in an arc trajectory towards or away from the bottom surface of the mounting groove, respectively, so as to adaptively swing and fit the bottom surface of the planetary gear.

[0008] Furthermore, the compensation mechanism includes an upper insert bolted to the bottom surface of the upper pad, a lower insert bolted to the bottom surface of the mounting groove, and a spring disposed between the upper insert and the lower insert. When the bottom surface of the planetary gear is tilted or uneven, the upper pad can achieve adaptive up-and-down swing at both ends through the elastic deformation of the spring.

[0009] Furthermore, the spring is made of a high-temperature resistant material.

[0010] Furthermore, the mounting groove is provided with two symmetrically spaced elastic pads, which are respectively arranged near the two ends of the upper pad and form point contact with the bottom surface of the upper pad; the elastic pads have an upwardly convex arc-shaped structure, and their bottom surfaces are fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the mounting groove; the elastic pads are integrally formed of heat-resistant elastic steel; when the compensation mechanism drives the upper pad to swing, the elastic pads at both ends can deform accordingly with the tilt direction of the upper pad.

[0011] Furthermore, the compensation mechanism includes a universal rod and a spherical groove. The universal rod is installed in the mounting groove of the lower pad. The universal rod includes an integrally formed universal ball and a rod body. The rod body is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the mounting groove of the lower pad by bolts. The spherical groove is formed on the bottom surface of the upper pad for mating with the universal ball. The universal ball fits into the spherical groove, and the opening diameter of the spherical groove is smaller than the diameter of the universal ball to achieve rotatable mating of the universal ball within the spherical groove. Through the spherical mating structure, the upper pad can perform multi-angle universal swing with the center of the universal ball as a fixed swing fulcrum.

[0012] Furthermore, the top surface of the upper pad has several raised ribs arranged in a crisscross pattern.

[0013] Furthermore, the bottom surface of the lower pad is provided with a recessed groove that is recessed toward the mounting groove.

[0014] Furthermore, the three pads are symmetrically and evenly distributed around the axis of the planetary gear, with the center angle between adjacent pads and the axis being 120°.

[0015] In summary, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: 1. Through the adaptive adjustment capability of the compensation mechanism (arc surface fit, spring elastic deformation, and multi-angle swing of the universal ball), the height difference of the pads caused by high temperature is offset in real time, ensuring that the end face of the planetary gear always remains horizontal, avoiding permanent warping caused by posture deviation during cooling, directly ensuring that the key processing accuracy such as end face runout and parallelism of the gear is not damaged by the heat treatment process, and significantly improving the product qualification rate. 2. The horizontal and vertical raised ribs on the top surface of the upper pad form a grid-like medium channel, making the heating or cooling medium flow more evenly, avoiding local medium stagnation caused by gear tilting, and ensuring that the mechanical properties such as hardness and wear resistance of various parts of the gear are consistent; at the same time, the line contact design of the raised ribs reduces the heat conduction interference between the pads and the gears, further ensuring the uniformity of heat exchange. 3. The recessed groove of the lower pad can prevent the high-temperature expansion force from squeezing the installation groove, preventing the compensation mechanism from jamming, and at the same time offsetting thermal stress through small deformation, protecting the main structure of the lower pad. 4. The three pads symmetrically distributed at 120° evenly distribute the load, reducing local excessive wear and extending the service life of the component. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a spacer block assembly for heat treatment of planetary gears provided by this utility model.

[0017] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the upper and middle pads with raised ribs.

[0018] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Vertical sectional view.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the compensation structure in another embodiment.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the compensation structure in another embodiment.

[0021] In the diagram, 100-pad, 110-upper pad, 111-fitting protrusion, 112-upper insert, 120-lower pad, 121-mounting groove, 1210-elastic washer, 122-recessed groove, 123-lower insert, 200-fitting part, 300-spring, 400-universal rod, 410-universal ball, 420-rod body, 500-bolt, 600-protruding ridge. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The present invention will be further illustrated below with reference to specific figures.

[0023] Please see Figure 1This invention provides a spacer assembly for heat treatment of planetary gears, used to place a spacer on the lower end of a planetary gear. It includes at least three spacers 100 spaced apart, each spacer 100 comprising an upper spacer 110, a lower spacer 120, and a compensation mechanism movably connecting the upper and lower spacers 110 and 120. A mounting groove 121 is formed on the lower spacer 120, and the compensation mechanism is distributed within the mounting groove 121. The compensation mechanism allows the upper spacer 110 to swing around the fulcrum of the compensation mechanism within the mounting groove 121 to adaptively conform to the bottom surface of the planetary gear, keeping the end face of the planetary gear horizontal. Through the swinging ability of the upper spacer 110 around the fulcrum of the compensation mechanism, even if the lower spacer 120 undergoes slight deformation (height difference) due to high temperature, the upper spacer 110 can still adaptively conform to the bottom surface of the planetary gear, dynamically adjusting its posture to offset the influence of the height difference, ensuring that the end face of the planetary gear always remains horizontal, preventing permanent warping caused by posture shift during cooling, and ensuring gear machining accuracy.

[0024] Three pads 100 are symmetrically and evenly distributed around the axis of the planetary gear, with the central angle between adjacent pads 100 and the axis of the planetary gear being 120°. This 120° symmetrical distribution of the three pads 100 forms a stable triangular support structure, providing a horizontal reference plane for the planetary gear. Even if a single pad 100 is slightly adjusted due to the oscillation of the compensation mechanism, the resultant force of the three points can still constrain the spatial orientation of the planetary gear, preventing translational or rotational displacement during heat treatment (such as during medium flow impact or slight vibration). The planetary gear itself has a certain weight (especially large-sized gears), and the 120° symmetrical distribution allows the three pads to evenly distribute the weight. If the distribution is asymmetrical (e.g., unequal angles), one pad may bear a larger load, potentially causing excessive wear of the compensation mechanism of that pad 100 (or increased local deformation of the lower pad 120). Simultaneously, uneven stress on the bottom surface of the planetary gear may cause microscopic plastic deformation. The symmetrical distribution ensures consistent load distribution on each pad 100, extending component life and protecting the gear bottom surface. The core of the compensation mechanism is the offsetting of height differences through the swinging of the upper pad 110, while the 120° symmetrical distribution allows for more even adjustment.

[0025] Please see Figure 2The top surface of the upper pad 110 has several crisscrossing raised ribs 600. These crisscrossing ribs 600 create a grid-like gap (similar to a "drainage ditch" structure) between the bottom surface of the gear and the top surface of the upper pad 110, providing more flow paths for heating media (such as carburizing gas) and cooling media (such as quenching oil). Compared to traditional planar supports (where only edges or local gaps allow flow), this design allows the medium to flow more evenly across the bottom surface of the gear, avoiding temperature differences caused by localized medium stagnation (such as uneven carbon concentration distribution during carburizing or inconsistent cooling rates during quenching), thus ensuring the consistency of the overall heat treatment effect (hardness, wear resistance) of the gear. In addition, the raised ribs 600 make line contact (rather than surface contact) with the bottom surface of the gear, reducing the direct contact area between the pad 100 and the gear. This design can reduce the "local heat absorption" or "local heat insulation" effect of the pad 100 on the gear during the high-temperature stage (avoiding local temperature deviation caused by the difference in thermal conductivity between the pad material and the gear), and at the same time, it can reduce the obstruction of the pad 100 to the heat dissipation of the gear during the cooling stage, allowing the cooling medium to act more directly on the bottom surface of the gear and accelerate uniform cooling.

[0026] The bottom surface of the lower pad 120 is provided with a recessed groove 122 that is recessed towards the mounting groove 121. The recessed groove 122 is recessed towards the mounting groove 121, which is equivalent to forming an elastic buffer zone below the mounting groove 121. When the lower pad 120 is heated and expands, the material will preferentially extend into the "empty area" of the recessed groove 122, reducing the compression on the inner wall of the mounting groove 121 (without the recessed groove 122, the expansion force may directly cause the size of the mounting groove 121 to shrink, jamming the compensation mechanism). The design of the recessed groove 122 allows thermal stress to be released preferentially at the recessed groove 122. The edge of the recessed groove 122 forms a stress concentration point, but because the groove itself is empty, the stress will not accumulate into destructive cracks, but will be offset by small deformations (such as slight bending of the groove wall), thereby protecting the main structure of the lower pad 120.

[0027] Please see Figure 3The compensation mechanism includes a fitting part 200 located in the middle of the mounting groove 121 and arranged along the width of the mounting groove 121, a fitting groove on the fitting part 200, and a fitting protrusion 111 on the bottom surface of the upper pad 110 corresponding to the position of the fitting groove. The fitting groove and the fitting protrusion 111 form a swing fulcrum by using arc surface cooperation. The upper pad 110 can swing back and forth around this swing fulcrum. The two ends of the upper pad 110 away from the fulcrum can move in an arc trajectory towards or away from the bottom surface of the mounting groove 121, thereby adaptively swinging and conforming to the bottom surface of the planetary gear. When the three pads 100 develop a height difference due to thermal expansion or creep (for example, the lower pad 120 of one pad is slightly higher than the other two due to deformation), one end of the corresponding upper pad 110 will be subjected to pressure from the bottom surface of the gear. At this time, the upper pad 100 can swing around the arc-shaped fulcrum: the end of the upper pad 110 on the higher side sinks towards the bottom surface of the mounting groove 121 (moving in an arc trajectory), and the end of the upper pad 110 on the lower side rises away from the bottom surface of the mounting groove 121. Finally, the top surfaces of the three upper pads 110 automatically adjust to the same plane and completely fit with the bottom surface of the planetary gear. This adjustment is "real-time dynamic": throughout the entire heat treatment process (from heating, holding to cooling), the thermal deformation of the pad 100 will continuously change, and the swing structure of the arc-shaped fit can respond synchronously with the deformation, always maintaining the horizontal state of the gear positioning end face and avoiding permanent warping caused by the misalignment of the support datum.

[0028] Please see Figure 4 In another embodiment, the compensation mechanism includes an upper insert 112 bolted to the bottom surface of the upper pad 110, a lower insert 123 bolted to the bottom surface of the mounting groove 121, and a spring 300 disposed between the upper insert 112 and the lower insert 123. When the bottom surface of the planetary gear is tilted or uneven, the upper pad 110 can achieve adaptive up-and-down swing at both ends through the elastic deformation of the spring 300. When the bottom surface of the planetary gear is uneven due to its own processing errors (such as slight warping or local protrusions), the spring 300 can automatically conform to the irregular contour of the bottom surface of the upper pad 110 by varying degrees of compression or extension (for example, if a point on the bottom surface of the gear is slightly higher, the compression of the spring 300 at the corresponding position increases; if a point is slightly lower, the extension of the spring 300 increases), thus avoiding stress concentration caused by local suspension. The spring 300 provides more sensitive elastic feedback to address the thermal deformation of the pad assembly itself. Even if the height difference between the three pads 100 exceeds the compensation range for the arc surface oscillation, the spring 300 can still absorb the deviation through elastic deformation, ensuring that the top surface of the upper pad 110 remains in contact with the bottom surface of the gear, maintaining support stability. The spring 300 allows the top surface of the upper pad 110 to automatically "follow" the undulations of the planetary gear end face, forming an adaptive adjustment that conforms to the contour, ensuring that each contact point has appropriate pressure support.

[0029] Spring 300 uses high-temperature resistant materials such as nickel-based superalloys, which can resist elastic failure at high temperatures and ensure that the compensation function does not diminish. Moreover, such materials can significantly improve the corrosion resistance and oxidation resistance of Spring 300, reducing performance degradation caused by corrosion and extending service life even under long-term high-temperature cyclic conditions.

[0030] Two symmetrically spaced elastic pads 1210 are provided within the mounting groove 121. The two elastic pads 1210 are arranged adjacent to the two end edges of the upper pad 110 and form point contact with the bottom surface of the upper pad 110. The elastic pads 1210 have an upwardly convex arc-shaped structure, and their bottom surfaces are fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the mounting groove 121. When the compensation mechanism drives the upper pad 110 to swing, the elastic pads 1210 at both ends can deform accordingly with the tilt direction of the upper pad 110. The elastic pads 1210 are integrally formed from heat-resistant elastic steel, and the surface is sandblasted and stress-relieved annealed (to eliminate processing stress and prevent breakage at high temperatures). The elastic pads 1210 and the compensation mechanism form "double-end auxiliary supports." When the compensation mechanism drives the upper pad 110 to swing around a fulcrum, the elastic pads 1210 at both ends bear the pressure or tension on the corresponding side, balancing the force on the upper pad 110 and preventing "swaying and jamming" when tilted to one side.

[0031] Please see Figure 5 In another embodiment, the compensation mechanism includes a universal rod 400 and a spherical groove. The universal rod 400 is installed in the mounting groove 121 of the lower pad 120. The universal rod 400 includes an integrally formed universal ball 410 and a rod body 420. The rod body 420 is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the mounting groove 121 of the lower pad 120 by bolts 500. The spherical groove is formed on the bottom surface of the upper pad 110 for mating with the universal ball 410. The universal ball 410 fits into the spherical groove, and the opening diameter of the spherical groove is smaller than the diameter of the universal ball 410 to achieve rotatable mating of the universal ball 410 within the spherical groove. Through the spherical mating structure, the upper pad 110 can perform multi-angle universal swing with the center of the universal ball 410 as a fixed swing fulcrum. The upper pad 110 can "follow" any posture of the gear bottom surface through omnidirectional swing, ensuring that every point of the top surface and the gear bottom surface can make uniform contact, avoiding local suspension caused by limited swing in one direction. Omnidirectional swing can absorb deviations through multi-directional posture adjustment, without relying on deformation compensation in one direction, making it more adaptable.

[0032] This pad assembly: 1. Through the adaptive adjustment capability of the compensation mechanism (arc surface fit, elastic deformation of spring 300, and multi-angle swing of universal ball 410), the height difference of the pad 100 caused by high temperature is offset in real time, ensuring that the end face of the planetary gear always remains horizontal. This avoids permanent warping caused by posture deviation during cooling, directly ensuring that key machining accuracy such as end face runout and parallelism of the gear is not damaged by the heat treatment process, and significantly improving the product qualification rate. 2. The horizontal and vertical raised ribs 600 on the top surface of the upper pad 110 form a grid-like medium channel, making the heating or cooling medium flow more evenly and avoiding local medium stagnation caused by gear tilting. This ensures that the mechanical properties such as hardness and wear resistance of all parts of the gear are consistent. At the same time, the line contact design of the raised ribs 600 reduces the heat conduction interference between the pad and the gear, further ensuring the uniformity of heat exchange. 3. The recessed groove 122 of the lower pad 120 can prevent the high-temperature expansion force from squeezing the mounting groove 121, preventing the compensation mechanism from jamming. At the same time, it offsets thermal stress through slight deformation, protecting the main structure of the lower pad 120. Fourth, the three pads, symmetrically distributed at 120°, evenly distribute the load, reducing localized excessive wear and extending the service life of the components.

[0033] The above are merely embodiments of this utility model and do not limit the patent scope of this utility model. Any equivalent structure made using the contents of this utility model specification and drawings, whether directly or indirectly applied to other related technical fields, shall also be within the patent protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A spacer assembly for heat treatment of planetary gears, used to place on the lower end of planetary gears, characterized in that: It includes at least three spaced pads, each pad comprising an upper pad and a lower pad, and a compensation mechanism movably connecting the upper pad and the lower pad. The lower pad has a mounting groove, and the compensation mechanism is distributed within the mounting groove. The compensation mechanism enables the upper pad to swing around the fulcrum of the compensation mechanism within the mounting groove to adaptively conform to the bottom surface of the planetary gear, keeping the end face of the planetary gear horizontal.

2. The planetary gear heat treatment pad assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The compensation mechanism includes a fitting part located in the middle of the mounting groove and arranged along the width direction of the mounting groove, a fitting groove on the fitting part, and a fitting protrusion on the bottom surface of the upper pad corresponding to the position of the fitting groove. The fitting groove and the fitting protrusion form a swing fulcrum by using arc surface cooperation. The upper pad can swing back and forth around the swing fulcrum. The two ends of the upper pad away from the fulcrum can move in an arc trajectory towards or away from the bottom surface of the mounting groove, respectively, so as to adaptively swing and fit the bottom surface of the planetary gear.

3. The planetary gear heat treatment pad assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The compensation mechanism includes an upper insert bolted to the bottom surface of the upper pad, a lower insert bolted to the bottom surface of the mounting groove, and a spring disposed between the upper insert and the lower insert. When the bottom surface of the planetary gear is tilted or uneven, the upper pad can achieve adaptive up-and-down swing at both ends through the elastic deformation of the spring.

4. The planetary gear heat treatment pad assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The spring is made of a high-temperature resistant material.

5. The planetary gear heat treatment pad assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The mounting groove is provided with two symmetrically spaced elastic pads. The two elastic pads are respectively arranged near the two ends of the upper pad and form point contact with the bottom surface of the upper pad. The elastic pads have an upwardly convex arc-shaped structure, and their bottom surfaces are fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the mounting groove. The elastic pads are integrally formed of heat-resistant elastic steel. When the compensation mechanism drives the upper pad to swing, the elastic pads at both ends can deform accordingly with the tilt direction of the upper pad.

6. The planetary gear heat treatment pad assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The compensation mechanism includes a universal rod and a spherical groove. The universal rod is installed in the mounting groove of the lower pad. The universal rod includes an integrally formed universal ball and a rod body. The rod body is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the mounting groove of the lower pad by bolts. The spherical groove is formed on the bottom surface of the upper pad for mating with the universal ball. The universal ball fits into the spherical groove, and the opening diameter of the spherical groove is smaller than the diameter of the universal ball to achieve rotatable mating of the universal ball within the spherical groove. The upper pad, through its spherical mating structure, can perform multi-angle omnidirectional oscillation with the center of the omnidirectional ball as a fixed oscillation fulcrum.

7. The planetary gear heat treatment pad assembly according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that: The top surface of the upper pad has several raised ribs arranged in a crisscross pattern.

8. The planetary gear heat treatment pad assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that: The bottom surface of the lower pad is provided with a recessed groove that is recessed towards the mounting groove.

9. The planetary gear heat treatment pad assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that: The three pads are symmetrically and evenly distributed around the axis of the planetary gear, and the center angle between adjacent pads and the axis is 120°.

Images