VARIANT-REDUCED INJECTION LUBRICATION

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a transmission according to the preamble of claim 1. Such a transmission is known from WO 2019 / 141383.

[0002] It is known from the prior art to implement so-called injection lubrication via pipelines. Pipes are disadvantageous because they compete with other parts of the transmission for limited installation space. If a series with multiple transmission variants is to be implemented, a separate pipeline design is required for each variant.

[0003] The invention is based on the object of improving the lubrication of a transmission. This object is achieved by a transmission according to claim 1. Preferred developments are contained in the subclaims and result from the following description and the Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment.

[0004] The transmission according to the invention has at least one rotatable component. The rotatable component is mounted so as to be rotatable relative to a reference system fixed to the housing, such as the transmission housing itself. For example, the component can be a shaft, a hub, or a gear.

[0005] The transmission further comprises at least one oil line. An oil line is a means for conducting oil. The oil line is preferably in the form of a channel. A channel is characterized by an elongated cavity with an inlet opening and at least one outlet opening. The cavity conducts the oil from the inlet opening to the at least one outlet opening. The oil enters the cavity at the inlet opening and exits it through the at least one outlet opening.

[0006] The oil line of the transmission according to the invention has a first and a second outlet opening. The first and second outlet openings each form an outlet opening of the oil line.

[0007] According to the invention, at least one closure element is provided for the outlet openings. The closure element can be used to close either the first or the second outlet opening in an oil-tight manner. The first and second outlet openings are thus designed such that the closure element can be inserted into the respective opening. In particular, it is possible to remove the closure element from the first outlet opening and insert it into the second outlet opening. The closure element can, in turn, be removed from the second outlet opening in order to insert it into the first outlet opening. This implies that the first outlet opening and the second outlet opening are structurally identical. The first outlet opening and the second outlet opening differ only in terms of their positioning within the oil line.

[0008] Since the first and second outlet openings can be closed with the closure element, the two outlet openings each have at least one means for securing the closure element. The at least one means of the first outlet opening and the at least one means of the second outlet opening are structurally identical. The means is, for example, a thread.

[0009] The closure element has a corresponding means that can be brought into interaction with the means of the first outlet opening or with the means of the second outlet opening such that the closure element is fixed in the first outlet opening or in the second outlet opening and closes the respective outlet opening in an oil-tight manner. The means of the closure element can, in particular, be a thread that can be screwed to the thread of the first outlet opening or the second outlet opening. The closure element can then be screwed selectively into the first outlet opening or the second outlet opening.

[0010] In addition to the described means for fixing the closure element in the first outlet opening or the second outlet opening, at least one sealing element is preferably provided which seals the closure element against the respective outlet opening in an oil-tight manner. A conventional O-ring is suitable as a sealing element. Conical sealing surfaces can also be provided to seal the closure element against the respective outlet opening. Exactly one of the two outlet openings, i.e. either the first outlet opening or the second outlet opening, is closed in the present case with the closure element. The other outlet opening is unlocked. Therefore, if the first outlet opening is closed with the closure element, the second outlet opening is unlocked. Conversely, if the second outlet opening is closed with the closure element, the first outlet opening is unlocked.

[0011] An unsealed outlet opening is permeable to oil. Oil supplied by the oil line therefore exits the unsealed outlet opening. Accordingly, the unsealed outlet opening serves to supply oil to lubrication points within the gearbox. In particular, the rotating component can be supplied with oil via the unsealed outlet opening.

[0012] The invention is advantageous because the oil supply can be adapted to the respective transmission without any structural changes. To supply oil to the lubrication points of the respective transmission, which may be located in different positions, it is only necessary to close unused outlet openings using at least one closure element.

[0013] According to the invention, the rotatable component has at least one lubrication point. A lubrication point is a point that must be supplied with oil. For example, gears or bearings must be supplied with oil and therefore represent lubrication points. In particular, the rotatable component can have a lubrication point in the form of a gear or bearing that must be supplied with oil.

[0014] The unsealed outlet opening is directed toward the lubrication point according to the design. This means that the unsealed outlet opening is positioned and aligned in such a way that the oil exiting the outlet opening reaches at least part of the lubrication point, thus supplying the lubrication point with oil.

[0015] The component is mounted for rotation about a rotation axis. According to the invention, the outlet openings are arranged at different distances from each other. This means that the distance of the first outlet opening from the central axis and the distance of the second outlet opening from the central axis differ from each other.

[0016] The distance between the openings refers to the distance from the central axis of any reference point selected for both openings according to the same criteria. The reference points can be, for example, the center points of the openings. Another possible reference point is the point of the respective opening whose distance from the central axis is smaller than the distances of the other points of the respective opening. In this case, the reference point is a point of the respective opening whose distance from the rotation axis is minimal.

[0017] The different distances of the outlet openings from the rotation axis allow for simplified adaptation to rotating lubrication points. Depending on the distance of the rotating lubrication point from the rotation axis, the first outlet opening is closed while the second outlet opening remains open, or the second outlet opening is closed while the first outlet opening remains open.

[0018] Preferably, the oil line is further developed as an annular channel. An annular channel has a rotationally symmetrical basic shape. The basic shape of a body refers to the shape of an original body from which the first-mentioned body was created by eliminating individual regions, for example by inserting recesses, and / or by adding individual regions.

[0019] The rotationally symmetrical basic shape of the annular channel results in a rotationally symmetrical basic shape of the oil-conducting cavity. Analogous to the basic shape of a body, the basic shape of a cavity refers to the shape of an original cavity from which the first-mentioned cavity was created by eliminating individual regions, for example, by adding individual regions to the body forming the cavity, and / or by adding individual regions, for example, by inserting recesses into the body forming the cavity.

[0020] A central axis or axis of symmetry of the annular channel coincides with the axis of rotation of the rotatable component.

[0021] This refinement is advantageous because it ensures the oil supply regardless of the angular position of the oil line relative to the rotational axis of the rotating component. If the oil line is designed as an annular channel, the distance of the first outlet opening from the rotational axis and the distance of the second outlet opening from the rotational axis remain constant regardless of the angular position of the oil line. This reduces the risk of insufficient lubrication due to incorrect installation of the oil line.

[0022] Preferably, the gear mechanism is further developed with at least one groove and at least one plate. A groove is an elongated depression in a surface. It is distinguished from other depressions in a surface by a cross-section that remains constant along the course of the groove. The cross-section is thus invariant with respect to a cutting plane oriented orthogonally to a curve describing the course of the groove.

[0023] A plate is a component for which the following applies: Every dimension or extension of the component parallel to a reference plane is greater than every dimension of the component orthogonal to that plane. It is therefore a component whose spatial extension along the reference plane always exceeds the spatial extension of the component orthogonal to it, i.e., in all combinations of comparable dimensions.

[0024] According to the further development, the plate has the first outlet opening and the second outlet opening. Furthermore, the plate covers the groove. In particular, the plate covers the groove in an oil-tight manner. This means that no oil can leak between the edges of the groove and the plate. A connection between the plate and the edges of the groove is therefore oil-tight.

[0025] The plate forms a cavity with the groove. This cavity preferably has a rotationally symmetrical basic shape, as described above. The first outlet opening and the second outlet opening are connected to the cavity in an oil-conducting manner. This is precisely the case when the two outlet openings are located between the edges of the groove.

[0026] In a further preferred embodiment, the gear mechanism has a base body that forms the groove. The plate is fixed to the base body as described above. The base body is preferably fixed in a housing of the gear mechanism or in a component fixed to the housing. In particular, the housing itself can form the base body.

[0027] A separate design of the base body and the housing is preferred, such that the base body and the housing are separate, physically distinct pieces. This means, in particular, that the housing and the base body are not integrally connected to one another. A separate design of the base body and the housing facilitates assembly.

[0028] The transmission according to the invention or a preferred embodiment is preferably part of a transmission series. A transmission series is a combination of at least two transmissions. It is therefore an arrangement comprising a first transmission and a second transmission. The first transmission and the second transmission are transmissions according to the invention or preferred embodiments.

[0029] The oil lines of the first transmission and the second transmission are identical in construction. The closure elements of the first transmission and the second transmission are also identical in construction. Two components, in this case the oil lines and closure elements, are identical in construction if they match in their physical parameters—particularly with regard to their material and geometric properties—within the scope of the manufacturing tolerances that occur.

[0030] The first outlet opening of the oil line of the first transmission and the second outlet opening of the oil line of the second transmission are closed with the closure element of the respective transmission. This implies that the second outlet opening of the oil line of the first transmission and the first outlet opening of the oil line of the second transmission are not closed.

[0031] A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 1 In detail: Fig. 1a section of a gearbox.

[0032] In Fig. 1 A sun shaft 101 is shown, which forms a sun gear 103. The sun gear 103 is provided with external teeth that mesh with the teeth of planet gears 105. The planet gears 105 are rotatably mounted on a planet carrier 107. The sun shaft 101 rotates about an axis of rotation that is identical to a central axis 109.

[0033] An oil line 111 is provided to supply the sun gear 103 with oil. The oil line 111 has the shape of an annular cavity that is rotationally symmetrical to the central axis 109. It is formed by a base body 113 and a plate 115 screwed onto the base body 113. The plate 115 covers a groove 117 in the base body 113 that runs rotationally symmetrically around the central axis 109. In this way, the plate 115, together with the groove 117, forms the oil line 111.

[0034] The plate 115 has three holes 119a, 119b, and 119c running parallel to the central axis 109. The holes 119a, 119b, and 119c are designed as through holes and open into the oil line 111.

[0035] A first bore 119a is sealed oil-tight with a first plug 121a. A nozzle 123 is located in a second bore 119b. A third bore 119c is sealed oil-tight with a second plug 121b.

[0036] When oil is introduced into the oil line 111 and pressurized, the oil exits from the nozzle 123. The nozzle 123 is positioned in the second bore 119b so that the escaping oil sprays onto the teeth of the sun gear 103.

[0037] The base body 113 is screwed into a housing-fixed structure 125. The housing-fixed structure 125 also forms a bearing seat for a bearing 127. This bearing is supplied with oil via a bore 129 in the base body 113. The bore 129 runs parallel to the central axis 109. The central axis 109 is oriented vertically. Therefore, oil exiting from the oil line 111 through the bore 129 flows into the bearing 127. Reference symbol

[0038] 101 Sun shaft 103 Sun gear 105 Planetary gear 107 Planetary carrier 109 Center axis 111 Oil line 113 Base body 115 Plate 117 Groove 119a First hole 119b Second hole 119c Third hole 121a First plug 121b Second plug 123 Nozzle 125 Housing-mounted structure 127 Bearing 129 Bore

Claims

1. Transmission having at least one rotatable component (101, 103), having at least one oil line (111), and having at least one closure element (121a) by which selectively a first and a second outlet opening (119a, 119b) of the oil line (111) is able to be closed off; wherein one of the outlet openings (119a) is closed off by the closure element (121a) and one of the outlet openings (119b) is not closed off; wherein the component (101, 103) has at least one lubrication point (103); wherein the outlet opening (119b) that is not closed off is directed towards the lubrication point (103); characterized in that the outlet openings (119a, 119b) are arranged at a different distance from an axis of rotation of the component.

2. Transmission according to Claim 1; characterized in that the oil line (111) is in the form of an annular channel whose central axis (109) coincides with an axis of rotation of the component (101, 103).

3. Transmission according to either of the preceding claims; characterized by at least one groove (117) and at least one plate (115); wherein the plate (115) has the outlet openings (119a, 119b) and covers the groove (117).

4. Transmission according to the preceding claim; characterized by a base body (113) which has the groove (117) and on which the plate (115) is fixed.

5. Transmission series; characterized by a first transmission according to one of the preceding claims and a second transmission according to one of the preceding claims; wherein in each case the oil lines (111) and the closure elements (121a) of the first transmission and of the second transmission are structurally identical; wherein the first outlet opening (119a) of the oil line (111) of the first transmission and the second outlet opening (119b) of the oil line (111) of the second transmission are closed off.