Tracked vehicle transmission, tracked vehicle drive train and tracked vehicle

Abstract

Tracked vehicle transmission (20), comprising a left output side (23) and a right output side (24), both of which are coupled to two connection points (21, 22), so that the left output side (23) is coupled to a first connection point (21) and the right output side (24) is coupled to a second connection point (22), and wherein the connection points (21, 22) each serve to connect a respective drive unit (8, 9), characterized in that the connection points (21, 22) are each formed at a respective first transmission input (29, 30) of an input transmission unit (25, 26), the respective transmission output (44) of which is coupled to one of the output sides (23, 24), and in that the input transmission units (25, 26) are connected to one another at second transmission inputs (31, 32), in that the second Gearbox inputs (31, 32) of the input gear units (25, 26) are connected to one another in a rotationally fixed manner via a central shaft (33),and that the respective transmission output (44) of the individual input transmission unit (25, 26) is coupled to the respective output side (24, 23) via an intermediate summing transmission unit (27, 28), wherein a steering drive (48) is also connected to the respective summing transmission unit (27, 28) in addition to the respective input transmission unit (25, 26).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a tracked vehicle transmission comprising a left output side and a right output side, both of which are coupled to two connection points, each of which serves to connect a drive unit. Furthermore, the invention relates to a tracked vehicle drive train with the aforementioned tracked vehicle transmission, as well as to a tracked vehicle.

[0002] Tracked vehicles have tracked or crawler undercarriages, whereby a tracked or crawler undercarriage usually consists of at least one left and at least one right tracked or crawler undercarriage. In the individual undercarriage, the drive movement of the respective drive chain is usually realized via a chain drive wheel. If at least one left track is operated at the same speed as at least one right track, the respective tracked vehicle travels straight ahead. If, on the other hand, the tracks are operated at different speeds, the respective tracked vehicle can corner by driving the track on the inside of the curve more slowly than the track on the outside. If the drive chains rotate in opposite directions at the same speed, the tracked vehicle can also turn on the spot.

[0003] Tracked vehicle transmissions are often designed as superimposed steering gears, in which a driving rotary movement is superimposed on a steering rotary movement at summing stages assigned to the respective output sides. In this case, there is usually a mechanical coupling between the at least one left and the at least one right drive unit. In addition to a combination of such a transmission with drive units in the form of internal combustion engines, a respective tracked vehicle drive train sometimes also combines an internal combustion engine with an electric motor in order to design the respective tracked vehicle as a hybrid vehicle. Such a hybrid vehicle is sometimes also designed as a parallel hybrid, in which drive power from an internal combustion engine and an electric motor can be fed to the drive chains individually or in combination with one another.

[0004] DE 10 2005 035 824 A1 discloses a tracked vehicle drive train which, in addition to an internal combustion engine, also includes several electric motors, thus creating a tracked vehicle designed as a hybrid vehicle. The internal combustion engine can be connected on the output side to a first connection point of a tracked vehicle transmission via an intermediate clutch, wherein this first connection point is rotationally fixedly connected to a ring gear of a planetary stage of the tracked vehicle transmission. A second connection point is also provided on a sun gear of the planetary stage and is provided for rotationally fixed connection to one of the electric motors. Furthermore, a planetary carrier of the planetary stage can be rotationally fixedly connected to the ring gear via a clutch, thus locking the planetary stage.The planetary gear also connects to another electric motor and a gearshift gearbox of the tracked vehicle transmission, which distributes the drive motion to a left and right output side of the tracked vehicle transmission. Chain drive wheels of the tracked vehicle's drive chains are connected to the output sides in a rotationally fixed manner.

[0005] DE 10 2013 204 672 A1 discloses a drive device for a tracked vehicle with an electric traction motor for providing driving power and an electric steering motor for providing steering power. Furthermore, the drive device comprises an electric assist motor that can selectively assist the traction motor or the steering motor. The drive device comprises a central shaft driven by the traction motor and a neutral shaft driven by the steering motor. The power flows via the central shaft and the neutral shaft are combined on each drive side in a summation gear.

[0006] Finally, DE 10 2005 010 516 A1 discloses an electric drive system for a vehicle, which comprises two electric drive motors and a transmission, each with a summing unit assigned to a wheel. The summing units are each designed as planetary gears. The ring gears of the two planetary gears are connected to one another in a rotationally fixed manner via a first connecting shaft drivingly connected to the first drive motor, and the sun gears of the two planetary gears are connected to one another in a rotationally fixed manner via a second connecting shaft drivingly connected to the second drive motor.

[0007] Based on the prior art described above, it is the object of the present invention to provide a tracked vehicle transmission via which several drive units can be integrated in an advantageous manner.

[0008] This object is achieved based on the preamble of claim 1 in conjunction with its characterizing features. The dependent claims that follow each of these claims provide advantageous developments of the invention. A tracked vehicle drive train is further subject matter of claims 6 and 7. Finally, claim 8 relates to a tracked vehicle.

[0009] According to the invention, a tracked vehicle transmission comprises a left output side and a right output side, both of which are coupled to two connection points. The connection points each serve to connect a drive unit. The output sides are preferably each provided for connecting a respective drive of a tracked vehicle, with a track drive wheel preferably being coupled to the respective output side. Thus, the left output side is designed for the output to a track located on the left in the front direction of the tracked vehicle, and the right output side is designed for the output to a track located on the right in the front direction of the tracked vehicle.

[0010] The tracked vehicle transmission according to the invention has two connection points, at each of which the transmission, when installed in a tracked vehicle drive train, is connected to a drive unit. The tracked vehicle transmission couples the individual output side to both connection points and thus also to the drive units connected there.

[0011] The invention now comprises the technical teaching that the connection points are each formed at a first transmission input of an input transmission unit, the respective transmission output of which is coupled to one of the output sides. In addition, the input transmission units are connected to one another at second transmission inputs. In other words, the two connection points are each formed at a first input of an input transmission unit. In addition to the respective first transmission input, the individual input transmission unit also has a second transmission input and a transmission output, of which a coupling to one of the two output sides is established at the respective transmission output, while a connection to the respective other input transmission unit is established at the respective second transmission input.

[0012] Such a design of a tracked vehicle transmission has the advantage that drive units can be connected to both output sides via the two input transmission units. Because the input transmission units are individually coupled to one of the output sides and are also interconnected, the drive units connected in the installed state of the tracked vehicle transmission can transmit drive movement to the output sides individually and independently of one another, or both drive units can be used jointly to transmit drive movements to the output sides. In this respect, the drive units can be dimensioned smaller, as they can be combined with one another to achieve high drive power.On the other hand, if one of the drive units fails, the design of the tracked vehicle transmission means that drive movement can still be transmitted to the output sides via the other drive unit.

[0013] Although DE 10 2005 035 824 A1 also allows for the integration of one or more drive units in order to utilize either the drive power of one of the drive units or the drive power of several drive units jointly, this distribution to the output sides only occurs very late in the tracked vehicle transmission, so that a failure of one of the upstream components of the transmission makes the transmission of drive movement to the output sides completely impossible.

[0014] Within the tracked vehicle transmission, the input gear units are preferably designed to transmit drive rotational movements to the output sides, i.e., to distribute the respective drive power evenly and in the same direction to both output sides. Furthermore, these drive rotational movements can then be selectively superimposed with steering rotational movements to the output sides. The tracked vehicle transmission is preferably designed as a superposition steering gear.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the invention, the individual input gear unit comprises two spur gear stages, wherein a first spur gear of a first spur gear stage of the individual input gear unit is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the respective first gear input and meshes with a second spur gear, which is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the respective second gear input and with a first spur gear of a second spur gear stage of the individual input gear unit. In addition, the first spur gear of the second spur gear stage meshes with a second spur gear of the second spur gear stage, which is coupled to the respective gear output. This makes it possible to implement a suitable structure for the individual input gear unit, via which the coupling to the output side, the associated connection point and the other input gear unit can take place.The second spur gear of the second spur gear stage can either be connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the respective gearbox output or can mesh with another spur gear, which is then connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the gearbox output.

[0016] In a further development of the aforementioned embodiment, one of the spur gear stages is designed as a bevel gear stage, so that, in particular, the respective connection point can be oriented transversely to the remaining components of the tracked vehicle transmission. Particularly preferably, the respective first spur gear stage of the individual input transmission unit is designed as a bevel gear stage, so that the two spur gears of this spur gear stage are also bevel gears.

[0017] According to the invention, the second transmission inputs are connected to one another in a rotationally fixed manner via a central shaft. This central shaft allows a rotationally fixed connection of the input transmission units to be achieved in a simple and reliable manner. In a further development of this design option and in combination with the aforementioned embodiment, the central shaft supports the second spur gears of the first spur gear stages and the first spur gears of the second spur gear stages of the input transmission units in a rotationally fixed manner. In addition to a rotationally fixed connection of the input transmission units, the central shaft is then also used in this case for the rotationally fixed arrangement of the corresponding spur gears, so that further separate shafts and corresponding connection points can be omitted.Alternatively, it is also conceivable within the scope of the invention that the spur gears are arranged on separate shafts, each of which is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the central shaft.

[0018] According to the invention, the respective transmission output of the individual input transmission unit is coupled to the respective output side via an intermediate summing transmission unit, wherein, in addition to the respective input transmission unit, a steering drive is also connected to the respective summing transmission unit. At the individual summing transmission unit, a respective drive rotational movement can be superimposed on a respective steering rotational movement initiated via the steering drive.

[0019] The summation gear units are preferably each designed as a planetary stage, each with a first element, a second element, and a third element, each in the form of a sun gear, a planetary carrier, and a ring gear. The respective first element is coupled to the steering drive for supplying a steering rotational movement, the respective second element is coupled to the respective output side, and the respective third element is coupled to the respective transmission output of the respective upstream input gear unit. Particularly preferably, the respective planetary stage is in the form of a minus planetary set, in which the respective planetary carrier rotatably supports at least one planetary gear, which meshes with both the sun gear and the ring gear. In this case, the first element is in particular the sun gear, the second element is in particular the planetary carrier, and the third element is in particular the ring gear.

[0020] Alternatively, the respective planetary stage could, in principle, also be designed as a plus planetary gear set, with the respective planetary carrier in this case rotatably supporting at least one pair of planetary gears, one of which meshes with the sun gear and one with the ring gear. Furthermore, the planetary gears of the at least one planetary gear pair mesh with one another. Furthermore, the first element is then preferably the sun gear, the second element the ring gear, and the third element, in particular, the planetary carrier.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the invention, the output sides are each formed with a side reduction gear. This allows for an additional transmission ratio to be achieved for the respective output side.

[0022] A tracked vehicle transmission configured according to one or more of the aforementioned variants is preferably the subject of a tracked vehicle drive train, wherein, in particular, a chain drive wheel of a tracked drive unit is attached to each output side of the transmission. Furthermore, a drive unit is connected to each connection point of the tracked vehicle transmission.

[0023] According to one embodiment of a tracked vehicle drive train, a first drive unit is designed as an electric drive unit and a second drive unit as an internal combustion engine drive unit. Thus, a tracked vehicle drive train is realized in the manner of a parallel hybrid. Alternatively, it is also conceivable to realize both drive units as electric drive units or both drive units as internal combustion engine drive units. Particularly preferably, a control unit is also provided in the tracked vehicle drive train, via which the operation of the two drive units is regulated at a higher level.

[0024] The invention also relates to a tracked vehicle comprising a tracked vehicle drive train configured according to one or more of the aforementioned variants. Preferably, the tracked vehicle is a hybrid vehicle, and the tracked vehicle may be a work or military vehicle.

[0025] The invention is not limited to the specified combination of features of the main claim or the dependent claims. Furthermore, possibilities arise for combining individual features with one another, even if they emerge from the claims, the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, or directly from the drawings. The reference of the claims to the drawings by the use of reference symbols is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the claims.

[0026] An advantageous embodiment of the invention, which is explained below, is illustrated in the drawings. It shows: Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a tracked vehicle with a tracked vehicle drive train according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; and Fig. 2 a schematic representation of a part of a tracked vehicle transmission of the tracked vehicle drive train from Fig. 1.

[0027] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a tracked vehicle 1, which may be a work vehicle or a military vehicle. The tracked vehicle 1 comprises a vehicle body 2 and two tracked drives 3 and 4, of which the tracked drive 3 is provided on a right-hand side in the front direction of the tracked vehicle 1, and the tracked drive 4 is provided on a left-hand side of the tracked vehicle 1. The two tracked drives 3 and 4 each comprise a drive chain 5 and 6, respectively—only indicated here.

[0028] The drive chains 5 and 6, and thus also the tracked vehicle 1, are driven via a tracked vehicle drive train 7 of the tracked vehicle 1, which is designed according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Two drive units 8 and 9 in the form of drive modules are provided in the tracked vehicle drive train 7, of which the drive unit 8 is located in the area of the right-hand tracked unit 3 and the drive unit 9 is located in the area of the left-hand tracked unit 4 in the vehicle body 2. The drive unit 8 has an internal combustion engine 10, which is connected to a fuel tank 11 within the drive unit 8 and to which an electric motor 12 and a multi-speed transmission 13 are connected on the output side. The electric motor 12 is also assigned a power electronics unit 14, which is connected to an electrical energy storage unit 15. The latter is provided on the side of the drive unit 9.

[0029] The drive unit 9 comprises an electric machine 16, which is also connected to the electrical energy storage device 15 via an intermediate power electronics unit 17 and which is followed by a multi-speed transmission 18. The electric machine 16 can, on the one hand, be operated as an electric motor when supplied from the energy storage device 15 via the intermediate power electronics unit 17, while the electric machine 16 can, on the other hand, also operate as a generator and then charge the energy storage device 15 accordingly.

[0030] Due to the design of the two drive units 8 and 9 with an internal combustion engine 10 on the one hand and an electric motor 16 on the other, the tracked vehicle 1 in the present case is designed as a hybrid vehicle, with the two drive units 8 and 9 being integrated in the manner of a parallel hybrid. The tracked vehicle 1 can be driven via the drive unit 8 or via the drive unit 9 or jointly via both drive units 8 and 9. When the tracked vehicle 1 is driven via the drive unit 8, electrical energy can also be generated by the drive unit 9 by operating the electric motor 16 as a generator. The latter is also possible when the tracked vehicle 1 needs to be braked and, in the process, energy is recuperated via the electric motor 16.In this case, operation of the two drive units 8 and 9 is controlled by a higher-level control unit 19, which is connected, among other things, to the multi-speed transmission 13 and also to the two power electronics units 14 and 17.

[0031] The drive units 8 and 9 are coupled to the chains 5 and 6 via an intermediate tracked vehicle transmission 20, which is designed according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The drive units 8 and 9 are connected to respective connection points 21 and 22 of the tracked vehicle transmission 20, respectively. The tracked vehicle transmission 20 transmits drive movements initiated at the connection points 21 and 22 to a left output side 23 and a right output side 24 of the tracked vehicle transmission 20, to which the respective drive chains 6 and 5 are connected.

[0032] As in Fig. 1, the tracked vehicle transmission 20 comprises two input transmission units 25 and 26 and two summing transmission units 27 and 28. The input transmission units 25 and 26 each have a first transmission input 29 and 30, respectively, a second transmission input 31 and 32, respectively, and a - in Fig. 1 - transmission output, not shown, at which they are each coupled to the respective output side 24 or 23 via the adjoining summing transmission unit 27 or 28. The respective connection point 21 or 22 is then formed at the respective first transmission input 29 or 30 of the individual input transmission unit 25 or 26, at which connection a connection to the respective drive unit 8 or 9 is established. Furthermore, the input transmission units 25 and 26 are connected to one another at their second transmission inputs 31 and 32 via a central shaft 33, so that ultimately the input transmission unit 25 is also indirectly coupled to the drive unit 9 via the input transmission unit 26, and the input transmission unit 26 is indirectly coupled to the drive unit 8 via the input transmission unit 25.

[0033] In Fig. 2, the tracked vehicle transmission 20 is shown in the area of the input transmission unit 26 and the summing transmission unit 28, wherein the input transmission unit 25 and the summing transmission unit 27 have a mirror-image, but otherwise identical, structure. As in Fig. 2, the input gear unit 26 is composed of two spur gear stages 34 and 35, of which the first spur gear stage 34 is formed by two bevel gears 36 and 37. The bevel gear 36 is arranged in a rotationally fixed manner on a shaft 38, which furthermore forms the connection to the first gear input 30 and thus also to the connection point 22 in Fig. 1. In contrast, the bevel gear 37, which is permanently meshed with the bevel gear 36, is mounted in a rotationally fixed manner on the central shaft 33, on which the second gear input 32 of the input gear unit 26 is formed. The central shaft 33 also carries a first spur gear 39 of the second spur gear stage 35, wherein the first spur gear 39 permanently meshes with a second spur gear 40, which is rotatably mounted on a zero shaft 41. In this case, the second spur gear 40, in addition to the first spur gear 39, is also meshed with another spur gear 42, which is rotationally fixedly connected to a third element 43 in the form of a ring gear of the summing gear unit 28. In this respect, the additional spur gear 42 forms a gear output 44 of the input gear unit 26.

[0034] The summing gear unit 28 comprises, in addition to the third element 43, a first element 45 in the form of a sun gear and a second element 46 in the form of a planetary gear, the latter rotatably supporting several planetary gears which mesh with both the radially inner sun gear and the surrounding ring gear. The sun gear forming the first element 45 serves in the summing gear unit 28 to initiate steering rotational movements which are transmitted in the tracked vehicle drive train 7 in Fig. 1 can be triggered via a left steering motor 47 of a steering drive 48. Within the tracked vehicle drive train 7, this left steering motor 47 is located, as in Fig. 1, is connected via the zero shaft 41 to a right steering motor 49, via which corresponding steering rotational movements can be initiated by the summing gear unit 27.

[0035] The planetary web, which forms the second element 46 of the summing gear unit 28, is further coupled to the left output side 23, which in the tracked vehicle drive train 7 in Fig. 1 is formed on a side gear 50. Analogously, the right output side 24 is defined on a side gear 51.

[0036] The summing gear unit 28 superimposes a drive rotational movement supplied via the input gear unit 26 with a steering rotational movement, possibly initiated via the steering drive 48, which is opposite to the steering rotational movement initiated at the summing gear unit 27. This allows different speeds to be achieved between the drive chains 5 and 6, thus enabling the tracked vehicle 1 to corner.

[0037] Due to the coupling of the input gear units 25 and 26 to one another, drive rotational movements from one of the drive units 8 and 9 or from both drive units 8 and 9 together can be transmitted to the summing gear units 27 and 28 and thus also to the output sides 23 and 24. In this respect, an advantageous integration of the drive units 8 and 9 is achieved. Reference symbol 1 tracked vehicle 2 Vehicle body 3 crawler tracks 4 crawler tracks 5 drive chain 6 drive chain 7 Tracked vehicle drive train 8 Drive unit 9 Drive unit 10 internal combustion engines 11 Fuel tank 12 electric machine 13 multi-speed transmissions 14 Power electronics 15 energy storage 16 Electric machine 17 Power electronics 18 multi-speed transmissions 19 Control unit 20 tracked vehicle transmissions 21 Junction 22 Junction 23 Output side 24 output sides 25 Input gear unit 26 Input gear unit 27 summing gear unit 28 summing gear units 29 first gearbox input 30 first transmission input 31 second transmission input 32 second transmission input 33 Central shaft 34 first spur gear stage 35 second spur gear stage 36 bevel gear 37 Bevel gear 38 Wave 39 first spur gear 40 second spur gear 41 Zero wave 42 additional spur gear 43 third element 44 Gearbox output 45 first element 46 second element 47 Steering motor 48 Steering drive 49 Steering motor 50 side gears 51 side gears

Claims

[1] Tracked vehicle transmission (20), comprising a left output side (23) and a right output side (24), both of which are coupled to two connection points (21, 22), so that the left output side (23) is coupled to a first connection point (21) and the right output side (24) is coupled to a second connection point (22), and wherein the connection points (21, 22) each serve to connect a respective drive unit (8, 9), characterized bythat the connection points (21, 22) are each formed at a first transmission input (29, 30) of an input transmission unit (25, 26), the respective transmission output (44) of which is coupled to one of the output sides (23, 24), and that the input transmission units (25, 26) are connected to one another at second transmission inputs (31, 32), that the second transmission inputs (31, 32) of the input transmission units (25, 26) are connected to one another in a rotationally fixed manner via a central shaft (33), and that the respective transmission output (44) of the individual input transmission unit (25, 26) is coupled to the respective output side (24, 23) via an intermediate summing transmission unit (27, 28), wherein on the respective summing transmission unit (27, 28) in addition to the respective input transmission unit (25, 26) there is also a Steering drive (48) is connected. [2] Tracked vehicle transmission (20) according to claim 1, characterized bythat the individual input gear unit (26) comprises two spur gear stages (34, 35) in each case, wherein a first spur gear of a first spur gear stage (34) of the individual input gear unit (26) is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the respective first gear input (30) and is in tooth engagement with a second spur gear, which is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the respective second gear input (32) and to a first spur gear (39) of a second spur gear stage (35) of the individual input gear unit (26), and wherein the first spur gear (39) of the second spur gear stage (35) meshes with a second spur gear (40) of the second spur gear stage (35), which is coupled to the respective gear output (44). [3] Tracked vehicle transmission (20) according to claim 2, characterized by that one of the spur gear stages (34, 35) of the individual input gear unit (26) is designed as a bevel gear stage. [4] Tracked vehicle transmission (20) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized bythat the central shaft (33) supports the second spur gears of the first spur gear stages (34) and the first spur gears (39) of the second spur gear stages (35) of the input gear units (26) in a rotationally fixed manner. [5] Tracked vehicle transmission (20) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the output sides (23, 24) are each formed on a side gear (50, 51). [6] Tracked vehicle drive train (7), comprising a tracked vehicle transmission (20) according to one or more of claims 1 to 5, wherein a respective drive unit (8, 9) is connected to the connection points (21, 22) of the tracked vehicle transmission (20). [7] Tracked vehicle drive train (7) according to claim 6, characterized by that a first drive unit (9) is designed as an electric drive unit and a second drive unit (8) is designed as an internal combustion engine drive unit. [8] Tracked vehicle (1) comprising a tracked vehicle drive train (7) according to claim 6 or 7.

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