Torque limiter and transmission

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a torque limiter and a transmission. The torque limiter includes: an outer ring; an inner ring coaxially disposed within the outer ring and forming a radial gap with the outer ring, the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring having at least one protrusion along the circumferential direction; and an elastic element located within the radial gap, one end of the elastic element being fixedly connected to the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring, and the other end being in elastic contact with the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring. When the torque borne by the inner ring exceeds a preset threshold, the protrusion of the inner ring compresses the elastic element, causing the elastic element to undergo radial elastic deformation, and the inner ring and outer ring rotate relative to each other, slipping to cut off torque transmission. The torque-cutting structure is simple and effectively solves the technical problem that rigid helical gears in existing transmissions or reduction gearboxes are prone to damage under overload conditions, achieving a dynamic balance between torque transmission and overload protection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of torque limiting technology, and in particular to a torque limiter and a gearbox. Background Technology

[0002] In related technologies, the transmission gears in gearboxes or reduction gearboxes mainly use rigid helical gears. Although rigid helical gears can stably transmit torque under normal operating conditions, they lack an overload protection mechanism. When an overload torque impact occurs, if the torque borne by the transmission system is much greater than the normal torque, the overload impact will be transmitted to the entire transmission system within the gearbox or reduction gearbox, causing damage to the transmission system. Furthermore, existing technologies cannot actively cut off or buffer torque transmission when an overload impact occurs; they can only passively bear the impact of the overload torque, causing the impact of the overload torque to directly act on other transmission components within the gearbox or reduction gearbox, leading to permanent damage to the rigid helical gears or other transmission components, such as support bearings and drive shafts, increasing the maintenance costs and failure risks of the transmission system. Utility Model Content

[0003] To overcome the problems existing in the related technologies, this disclosure provides a torque limiter and a gearbox. The torque limiter provides overload protection function and solves the reliability problem of existing rigid transmission structures (rigid helical gears) under torque overload.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a torque limiter is provided, comprising: an outer ring; an inner ring coaxially disposed within the outer ring and forming a radial gap therebetween, wherein at least one protrusion is provided circumferentially on the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring; and an elastic element located within the radial gap, one end of the elastic element being fixedly connected to the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring, and the other end being in elastic contact with the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring; wherein, when the torque borne by the inner ring exceeds a preset threshold, the protrusion of the inner ring compresses the elastic element, causing the elastic element to undergo radial elastic deformation, and the inner ring and the outer ring rotate relative to each other and slip to cut off torque transmission.

[0005] In some embodiments, the elastic element is a cantilevered arc-shaped elastic plate, the middle part of which protrudes radially inward to form an arched portion, and the diameter of the arched portion maintains elastic contact with the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring.

[0006] In some embodiments, a plurality of protrusions are uniformly arranged on the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring along the circumferential direction; the number of elastic elements matches the number of protrusions, and the elastic elements are disposed circumferentially between two adjacent protrusions.

[0007] In some embodiments, the protrusion is an arc-shaped protrusion.

[0008] In some embodiments, the torque limiter further includes two limiting support plates, the inner radial end of the limiting support plate being anti-torsionally connected to the inner ring, and the outer radial end of the limiting support plate being rotatably engaged with the outer ring.

[0009] In some embodiments, the inner ring is provided with two limiting steps symmetrically along the axis, and a limiting boss is formed between the two limiting steps. The radial inner end of each limiting support plate is supported on the corresponding limiting step, and a torsional connection is achieved with the limiting boss of the inner ring through an axially penetrating fastener.

[0010] In some embodiments, the radially outer end of the limiting support plate is rotatably engaged with the outer ring via a bearing assembly.

[0011] In some embodiments, the bearing assembly is an angular contact ball bearing assembly or a tapered roller bearing assembly.

[0012] In some embodiments, the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring is provided with helical gears; the inner circumferential surface of the inner ring is provided with splines.

[0013] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, the present disclosure provides a transmission including the torque limiter described in the first aspect.

[0014] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure can include the following beneficial effects: The torque limiter of this disclosure, through the synergistic action of the elastic element and the inner ring protrusion, can cause the inner ring to rotate relative to the outer ring when the torque borne by the inner ring exceeds a preset threshold, thereby achieving torque cut-off. The torque cut-off structure is simple and requires no additional space or complex control devices, effectively solving the technical problem that rigid helical gears in existing gearboxes or reduction gearboxes are prone to damage under overload conditions, and achieving a dynamic balance between torque transmission and overload protection. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of a torque limiter according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a longitudinal sectional view of a torque limiter in the absence of overload, according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a longitudinal sectional view of a torque limiter under overload conditions, according to an exemplary embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0020] In this invention, unless otherwise stated, axial A, radial R, and circumferential W refer to the axial A, radial R, and circumferential W of the torque limiter 100, respectively; radial outer / radial outer end refers to the radially outermost point. Figure 1 On the side of the central axis O ( Figure 1 The upper side of the center axis O), the radial inner side / radial inner end refers to the side that is radially closer to the central axis O. Figure 1 (Lower side of the middle). The term "torsional connection" refers to a connection between two elements that does not rotate relative to each other, which can be achieved via a press fit (i.e., an interference fit) or by integrally forming the two parts mentioned. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention as appropriate.

[0021] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this disclosure provides a torque limiter 100, such as... Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the torque limiter 100 includes an outer ring 10, an inner ring 20, and an elastic element 30. The inner ring 20 and the outer ring 10 are arranged coaxially, and a radial gap 11 is formed between them. Through the elastic element 30, the inner ring 20 can transmit torque to the outer ring 10, and when the torque exceeds a preset threshold, the inner ring 20 can also slip relative to the outer ring 10 to limit the transmission of torque to the outer ring 10. The torque limiter 100 of this disclosure, through its simple structure, ensures the reliability of torque transmission under normal operating conditions and also realizes overload protection function.

[0022] Specifically, in this embodiment, the torque limiter 100 is preferably applied to a transmission system within a gearbox or reduction gearbox. In this application scenario, after receiving the torque input from the inner ring 20, the outer ring 10 of the torque sensor needs to further transmit the torque outward. For this purpose, the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring 10 is preferably circular, and the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring 10 is preferably provided with a helical gear to improve the efficiency of torque transmission and reduce transmission noise.

[0023] It should be understood that, in other alternative embodiments, the outer peripheral surface contour of the outer ring 10 may be adaptively adjusted according to actual assembly requirements or functional requirements, including but not limited to adopting a square, elliptical or other geometric shape, so that the torque limiter 100 can better adapt to different transmission system layouts and installation conditions, and this disclosure does not specifically limit it in this regard.

[0024] The inner circumferential surface of the inner ring 20 is provided with a spline structure (not shown in the figure), which is configured to mesh with the external spline of the drive shaft (not shown in the figure). Through the spline meshing, the inner ring 20 can receive the input torque transmitted from the drive shaft. The tooth profile parameters of the inner ring 20 spline (including but not limited to the number of teeth, module, pressure angle, etc.) can be set according to actual transmission requirements to ensure the stability of torque transmission and ease of assembly.

[0025] It should be noted that in other embodiments, the torque transmission connection between the inner ring 20 and the drive shaft can also adopt keyway fit, polygonal fit or other equivalent circumferential fixing structure, and these alternative solutions are all within the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0026] The elastic element 30 is located within the radial gap 11. One end of the elastic element 30 is fixedly connected to the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 10, and the other end is in elastic contact with the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring 20. Further, at least one protrusion 21 is provided circumferentially on the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring 20. The protrusion 21 makes the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring 20 have a non-circular profile, and the structure of the protrusion 21 makes the maximum radial dimension of the inner ring 20 larger than the envelope profile dimension defined by the radial inner side of the elastic element 30. When the structure of the protrusion 21 is subjected to torque and has a tendency to rotate, the elastic element 30 forms a resistance to the structure of the protrusion 21 in the circumferential direction. When the torque borne by the inner ring 20 does not exceed a preset threshold, the torque is transmitted sequentially through the structure of the protrusion 21 to the elastic element 30, and then transmitted from the elastic element 30 to the outer ring 10.

[0027] When the input torque on the inner ring 20 exceeds a preset threshold, the protrusion 21 on the circumference of the inner ring 20 radially compresses the elastic deformation element 30, forcing the elastic element 30 to undergo radial elastic deformation. Under this deformation, the elastic element 30 allows the protrusion 21 of the inner ring 20 to pass over the elastic element 30 in the circumferential direction, and a relative rotational motion is formed between the inner ring 20 and the outer ring 10, thereby realizing the automatic disconnection of torque transmission.

[0028] The torque limiter 100 disclosed herein utilizes the synergistic effect of the elastic element 30 and the protrusion 21 of the inner ring 20. When the torque borne by the inner ring 20 exceeds a preset threshold, the inner ring 20 can rotate relative to the outer ring 10 to cut off the torque. This limits the maximum transmitted torque and avoids irreversible damage to the rigid helical gear. The torque-cutting overload protection structure of this disclosure is simple and requires no additional space or complex control devices. It effectively solves the technical problem that rigid helical gears in existing gearboxes or reduction gears are prone to damage under overload conditions, achieving a dynamic balance between torque transmission and overload protection. Furthermore, after the overload torque is released, the elastic element 30 can still reset, and the torque limiter 100 can continue to operate normally, reducing system maintenance costs.

[0029] In an optional embodiment, the elastic element 30 may include any structure that can be radially elastically deformed, such as a spring plate, an elastic rubber block, or an elastic plate.

[0030] In this embodiment, as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the elastic element 30 is a cantilevered arc-shaped elastic plate, which includes a fixed end 32 and a cantilever end 33. The fixed end 32 is connected to the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 10 via fasteners to achieve anti-torsional connection, ensuring the stability of torque transmission. The cantilever end 33 of the elastic element 30 is located within the radial gap 11 formed between the inner ring 20 and the outer ring 10 and extends circumferentially W. This cantilever end 33 does not abut against the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 10 or the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring 20, allowing the elastic element 30 to maintain its free deformation capability when compressed.

[0031] The middle part of the elastic plate, that is, between the fixed end 32 and the cantilever end 33, is provided with an arched part 31 that protrudes radially inward, and the arched part 31 maintains elastic contact with the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring 20.

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown, when the torque borne by the inner ring 20 is lower than the torque threshold, the elastic plate maintains its initial shape under the squeezing action of the protrusion 21 and does not undergo significant elastic deformation. At this time, the protrusion 21 of the inner ring 20 and the elastic plate achieve stable torque transmission through circumferential resisting force and static friction, ensuring the normal operation of the transmission system.

[0033] like Figure 3 As shown, when the torque borne by the inner ring 20 exceeds a preset threshold, the arched portion 31 of the elastic plate undergoes radial elastic deformation under the compression of the protrusion 21 of the inner ring 20, resulting in radial R and circumferential W displacements at the cantilever end 33. During this process, the elastic plate tends to flatten, allowing the protrusion 21 of the inner ring 20 to slide circumferentially W across the arched portion 31 of the elastic plate, thereby achieving relative rotational motion between the inner ring 20 and the outer ring 10 and completing the automatic cutoff of torque transmission.

[0034] The cooperation between the elastic plate and the protrusion 21 disclosed herein ensures reliable transmission under normal operating conditions and effectively cuts off torque transmission under overload conditions, preventing damage to the transmission system within the gearbox. The torque threshold can be set by adjusting the elastic restoring force of the elastic plate. Specifically, the elastic restoring force of the elastic plate is closely related to its material properties, including but not limited to elastic modulus and yield strength, as well as structural parameters such as the radius of curvature, plate thickness, and width of the arch 31, and the initial preload state. By changing the combination of these parameters, the overload protection threshold of the torque limiter 100 can be adjusted to meet the torque protection requirements of different gearboxes.

[0035] Furthermore, in an optional embodiment, the protrusion 21 can be a wedge-shaped protrusion 21. In this embodiment, as... Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the protrusion 21 is an arc-shaped protrusion, meaning its outer circumferential surface is a curved arc. This arc-shaped structure provides a gradual contact force during the compression of the elastic element 30 by the protrusion 21, making the compression action smoother and effectively reducing the impact stress between the protrusion 21 and the elastic element 30, thus preventing damage to the elastic element 30 due to localized stress concentration. Furthermore, the arc-shaped protrusion 21 also optimizes the stress distribution on the contact surface, improving the durability and reliability of the overload protection mechanism.

[0036] In an optional embodiment, a plurality of protrusions 21 are uniformly arranged along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring 20; the number of elastic elements 30 matches the number of protrusions 21, and in the initial state, the elastic elements 30 are arranged circumferentially between two adjacent protrusions 21. Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the specific embodiment shown, the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring 20 is provided with four symmetrically arranged protrusions 21. This symmetrical arrangement ensures that when the inner ring 20 transmits torque to the outer ring 10, the circumferential force at each contact point remains evenly distributed, thereby effectively improving the stability of torque transmission and reducing local stress concentration.

[0037] In optional embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the torque limiter 100 also includes two limiting support plates 40. The radially inner ends of the limiting support plates 40 are fixedly engaged with the inner ring 20 through an anti-torsion connection structure, which preferably adopts any one of fasteners 60, splines, or pins. The radially outer ends of the limiting support plates 40 are rotatably engaged with the outer ring 10 through a rotary joint, which preferably adopts a rolling bearing or a sliding bushing structure. The limiting support plates 40 are disposed at both axial ends of the inner ring 20 and radially between the inner ring 20 and the outer ring 10, so that they can withstand radial and axial loads when the torque limiter 100 transmits torque and slips, maintain the axial relative position between the inner ring 20 and the outer ring 10 and the radial clearance 11 between the inner ring 20 and the outer ring 10, and ensure the stability of torque transmission.

[0038] Preferably, such as Figure 1As shown, the inner ring 20 is symmetrically provided with two limiting steps 22 along the axial direction, and an annular limiting boss 23 is formed between the two limiting steps 22. The protrusions 21 are circumferentially distributed on the outer peripheral surface of the limiting boss 23. The radial inner end of each limiting support plate 40 is supported on the corresponding limiting step 22, and the radial inner end face and axial inner end face of the limiting support plate 40 form a double positioning fit with the radial support surface of the limiting step 22 and the axial thrust surface of the limiting boss 23, respectively, so that a fixed axial positioning distance is formed between the two limiting support plates 40, so that the axial direction between the outer ring 10 and the inner ring 20 is kept stable.

[0039] Meanwhile, by setting a limiting step 22 on the inner ring 20 to cooperate with the limiting support plate 40, radial installation space can be effectively saved and the axial structural layout can be optimized, making the overall structure of the torque limiter 100 more compact.

[0040] Furthermore, the limiting support plates 40 on both sides of the inner ring 20 are connected to the limiting boss 23 of the inner ring 20 through axially through fasteners 60 (such as long pins) to achieve anti-torsional connection, ensuring the connection rigidity between the limiting support plates 40 and the inner ring 20.

[0041] The radial outer end of the limiting support plate 40 forms a rotatable engagement with the outer ring 10 through a rotary joint. When the torque borne by the inner ring 20 exceeds a preset threshold, the rotary joint can provide relative rotational freedom between the inner ring 20 and the outer ring 10, ensuring that the inner ring 20 can achieve overload slip rotation relative to the outer ring 10, thereby reliably cutting off the torque transmission path.

[0042] In this embodiment, as Figure 1 As shown, the radially outer end of the limiting support plate 40 is rotatably engaged with the outer ring 10 via a bearing assembly 50. Preferably, the bearing assembly 50 is an angular contact ball bearing assembly or a tapered roller bearing assembly, capable of simultaneously bearing combined radial and axial loads. This ensures the rotational flexibility between the limiting support plate 40 and the outer ring 10, effectively withstands the combined loads generated by the transmission system, and provides a stable axial positioning reference for the torque limiter 100.

[0043] Based on the same inventive concept, this disclosure provides a gearbox including the torque limiter 100 described above. The specific manner in which the functions of the gearbox in the above embodiments are implemented has been described in detail in the embodiments relating to the torque limiter 100, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0044] It is understood that in this disclosure, "multiple" refers to two or more, and other quantifiers are similar. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship. The singular forms "a" and "the" are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0045] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the utility models disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the following claims.

[0046] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A torque limiter (100) characterized by, include: Outer ring (10); The inner ring (20) is coaxially disposed inside the outer ring (10) and forms a radial gap (11) with the outer ring (10). At least one protrusion (21) is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring (20) along the circumferential direction (W). An elastic element (30) is located within the radial gap (11). One end of the elastic element (30) is fixedly connected to the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring (10), and the other end is in elastic contact with the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring (20). When the torque borne by the inner ring (20) exceeds a preset threshold, the protrusion (21) of the inner ring (20) squeezes the elastic element (30) to cause the elastic element (30) to undergo radial elastic deformation, and the inner ring (20) and the outer ring (10) rotate and slip relative to each other to cut off the torque transmission.

2. The torque limiter (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic element (30) is a cantilevered arc-shaped elastic plate. The middle part of the elastic plate protrudes radially inward to form an arch (31). The arch (31) is in elastic contact with the outer circumference of the inner ring (20).

3. The torque limiter (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer circumferential surface of the inner ring (20) is uniformly arranged with a plurality of protrusions (21) along the circumferential direction; the number of elastic elements (30) matches the number of protrusions (21), and the elastic elements (30) are arranged circumferentially (W) between two adjacent protrusions (21).

4. The torque limiter (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protrusion (21) is an arc-shaped protrusion (21).

5. The torque limiter (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The torque limiter (100) also includes two limiting support plates (40), the inner radial end of the limiting support plate (40) is torsionally connected to the inner ring (20), and the outer radial end of the limiting support plate (40) is rotatably engaged with the outer ring (10).

6. The torque limiter (100) according to claim 5, characterized in that, The inner ring (20) is symmetrically provided with two limiting steps (22) along the axis, and a limiting boss (23) is formed between the two limiting steps (22). The radial inner end of each of the limiting support plates (40) is supported on the corresponding limiting step (22), and is torsionally connected to the limiting boss (23) of the inner ring (20) by an axially penetrating fastener (60).

7. The torque limiter (100) according to claim 5, characterized in that, The radial outer end of the limiting support plate (40) is rotatably engaged with the outer ring (10) via a bearing assembly (50).

8. The torque limiter (100) according to claim 7, characterized in that, The bearing assembly (50) is an angular contact ball bearing assembly or a tapered roller bearing assembly.

9. The torque limiter (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer periphery of the outer ring (10) is provided with helical gears; the inner periphery of the inner ring (20) is provided with spline teeth.

10. A gearbox characterized in that, A torque limiter (100) comprising any one of claims 1-9.

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