Trench cutter drive with decoupled inner wheel / integrated bearing

Abstract

The invention relates to a drive device for a construction machine, in particular for a trench cutter, comprising a connection support and a wheel support, which is rotatably supported on the connection support via at least one rolling bearing and which can be rotationally driven relative to the connection support by a drive motor via at least one gear stage, wherein the gear wheel of the gear stage, said wheel being arranged within the connection support and meshing or being in rolling engagement with at least one other gear wheel, is movably and / or tiltably supported in the radial direction relative to the connection support by a flexible and / or movable bearing element so as to be rotationally fixed to the connection support and / or to a bearing shield rigidly connected thereto.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a drive device for a construction machine, in particular in the form of a trench cutter, comprising a connecting support and a wheel carrier which is rotatably mounted on the connecting support via at least one rolling bearing and can be driven rotationally relative to the connecting support by a drive motor via at least one gear stage. The invention further relates to a trench cutter with such a drive device.

[0002] Such drive devices for a diaphragm wall cutter are known, for example, from the documents EP 2 597 205 B1, DE 195 39 248 A1, DE 195 39 249 A1, EP 0 243 608 A1 and EP 1 666 671 B1.

[0003] In underground or open-pit mining machines, the rotary-driven working tools are regularly subjected to high forces and impact loads. These must be absorbed by sufficiently stable bearings and, at the same time, must not damage the drive train of the drive units that rotate the working tools. The rotary working tools of such construction machines, such as the milling wheels of a trench cutter or the milling drum of a surface miner, are typically driven by a drive motor via one or more gear stages to provide the required torque at the desired tool speed. At least one gear stage can be located, at least partially, inside a mounting bracket to drive a rotatably mounted wheel carrier with a working tool attached to it. To achieve high over- or under-drive loads in a small installation space,To enable reduction ratios and the transmission of high power, the gearbox can include at least one planetary gear stage, which can be housed in the aforementioned wheel carrier.

[0004] Such a gear stage inside the wheel carrier or the connecting bracket that allows it to rotate is, on the one hand, very limited in the available installation space. On the other hand, it creates the problem that impact loads from the working tool, for example when it hits a rock or stone during earthmoving, are transferred to the gear stage and can damage it.

[0005] With diaphragm wall milling machines, the additional problem arises that a large number of different milling wheels, varying geometrically in width and diameter, must be attached to the milling wheel drive. To accommodate this, the gearbox must fit within the installation space for the smallest milling wheel, while simultaneously being designed to withstand the loads of the widest, largest milling wheel. This further exacerbates the problem of limited installation space and ensuring sufficient impact resistance of the gearbox.

[0006] Diaphragm wall cutters are typically used in specialist foundation engineering to mill slots in soil, rock, or subsoil. These slots are then filled with a slurry containing, for example, concrete to form a diaphragm wall. Diaphragm walls are generally underground wall structures made of materials such as concrete, reinforced concrete, and the like. To construct such a diaphragm wall, a diaphragm wall cutter mills a substantially vertical, upward-facing slot. The cutter head is lowered into the ground from above and guided by a carrier vehicle, preferably a crawler excavator, which is supported on the ground and is preferably mobile. The diaphragm wall cutter usually comprises an elongated, upright milling frame that is suspended vertically from the carrier vehicle and typically carries several milling wheels at its lower end. These wheels can be driven in opposite directions around their respective axes.The drive for the rotary operation of the milling wheels can also be mounted on a lower section of the milling frame and may, for example, include one or more hydraulic motors that can drive the milling wheels via a chain drive and / or one or more gear stages.

[0007] The milling wheels of such a diaphragm wall cutter need to be changed regularly and relatively frequently. Firstly, the milling tools, which are arranged around the circumference of the milling wheels, are subject to considerable wear. To avoid having to replace the many milling tools individually, the entire milling wheel is usually removed and replaced with another milling wheel with fresh milling tools. Secondly, different milling wheels, each optimized for different soil conditions, are used. Since the soil conditions can vary depending on the milling depth, the milling wheels are often changed even when milling a single trench, as the soil conditions change with increasing depth. Furthermore, different milling wheels are used for different trench widths and depths, so overall, the milling wheels of a diaphragm wall cutter need to be changed quite frequently.

[0008] To provide sufficient drive power even for wide, large milling wheels, the gearbox must be designed accordingly, which usually requires a correspondingly large installation space, since the performance of a planetary gearbox is defined by the available installation space, especially the diameter. Conversely, since the installation space must also be small enough to allow the mounting of smaller milling wheels, the available installation space must be utilized as efficiently as possible.

[0009] At the same time, however, care must be taken to ensure that the high forces and shock loads occurring during operation do not lead to premature wear of the gearbox. If the forces or shocks are transmitted directly to the gear teeth of the gear stage, the service life will be reduced or premature failure will occur. This can also lead to gear jamming and consequently gearbox failure if the high operating forces excessively deform the structural components surrounding or adjacent to the gearbox. Jamming can be caused, for example, by ovalization of the ring gear teeth of a planetary gear stage if a structural component surrounding the ring gear teeth is excessively deformed, or by axial displacement of the planet carrier or another gearbox element that can no longer be compensated for by backlash.

[0010] If the surrounding or adjacent structural components are sufficiently robust or have increased wall thicknesses, such deformations can be limited; however, this leads to a corresponding reduction in the internal installation space, especially if the external dimensions are limited, for example, by the requirement to be able to mount narrow, small milling wheels. Such a reduction in internal installation space, in turn, limits the performance of the gearbox.

[0011] A drive device for the milling wheels of a slot wall cutter is shown, for example, in the publication EP 1 666 671 B1, in which the wheel carriers supporting the milling wheels are rotatably mounted on the stationary connecting support via two roller bearings. The wheel carriers can be driven by a drive shaft via gear stages located inside the connecting support. This drive shaft extends from above through the bearing plate, to which the connecting support is rigidly attached, to the gear stages.

[0012] A similar drive device for the milling wheels of a slot wall cutter is shown in the publication EP 2 597 205 B1, wherein a type of bayonet fitting is provided between the wheel carrier and the milling wheel, which further reduces the installation space available for the gear stage.

[0013] The present invention therefore aims to provide an improved drive unit and an improved slot wall cutter of the type mentioned above, which avoid the disadvantages of the prior art and advantageously further develop the latter. In particular, loads acting on the rotatable wheel carrier from the working tools should be reliably absorbed, and the gear stage should be protected from premature wear or even failure, without compromising the size of the installation space for the gear stage and the associated loss in the performance of the gear stage.

[0014] According to the invention, the aforementioned problem is solved by a drive device according to claim 1 and a slot wall milling machine according to claim 21. Preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0015] One aspect of the present invention proposes decoupling the gear stage driving the wheel carrier from significant shock loads and deformations of the adjacent structural components. Instead of attempting to prevent deformations of the adjacent structural components, such deformations are permitted, and their negative effects on the gear stage are merely mitigated by decoupling the gear stage. This avoids oversizing and the associated loss of installation space, and renders special materials or measures for increasing strength unnecessary.For this purpose, it is provided that a gear wheel of the gear stage, which is arranged within the aforementioned connecting support and is in rolling and / or serration engagement with at least one other gear wheel, is fixed to the connecting support and / or a bearing plate rigidly connected thereto in a rotationally fixed manner, but is mounted radially movable and / or tiltable relative to the connecting support by means of a flexible and / or movable bearing element. The rotationally fixed mounting of the gear wheel allows the drive power to be transmitted, while the radially flexible and / or tiltable bearing element can compensate for deformations and / or shock loads of the connecting support and keep them away from the gear wheel.

[0016] In particular, a gap can be provided between the outer circumference of the aforementioned, stationary gear wheel and the inner circumference of the connecting carrier, allowing the connecting carrier to deform, for example, by becoming ovalized, or to absorb impact loads from the wheel carrier without such deformations and / or impact loads of the connecting carrier being transmitted to the gear wheel. The radial spacing of the gear wheel's outer circumference from the connecting carrier's inner circumference also prevents deformation of the gear wheel if there is an axial displacement of the gear wheel in rolling or serration engagement, or of a related bearing element, such as the planet carrier, since the gear wheel can accommodate this axial displacement without being restricted by the connecting carrier.

[0017] The aforementioned stationary gear wheel can, in particular, be the ring gear of a planetary gear set, which engages with the planet gears mounted on a planet carrier via rolling and / or tooth meshing. In a multi-stage planetary gear set, the aforementioned ring gear can engage with the planet gear sets of several planetary stages simultaneously, although several separate ring gears can also be provided for separate planetary gear stages.

[0018] The radially flexible and / or elastic bearing element, which allows tilting movements, can be designed in various ways, for example, as a separate bearing element that is rotationally fixed to the gear wheel. Alternatively, the bearing element can also be integrally molded onto the gear wheel in one piece with a homogeneous material.

[0019] In particular, the aforementioned gear wheel can be held at one end face by the aforementioned bearing element and cantilever freely towards the other, opposite end face. Such a cantilever-like mounting of the stationary gear wheel allows radial and / or tilting relative movements with minimal gap dimensions and / or minimal installation space, thus achieving decoupling without impacting the available installation space.

[0020] For example, the bearing element in question can form a bearing flange projecting radially from the body of the gear wheel, projecting outwards or, if necessary, inwards from the end face of the gear wheel. One end face of the bearing flange can be attached to the connecting bracket and / or a bearing shield rigidly connected to it.

[0021] Such a protruding bearing flange can, for example, be integrally formed in one piece, homogeneous in material, on the gear wheel and form a bearing shoulder that can be rigidly attached to a counter surface on the connecting carrier and / or the bearing shield.

[0022] The desired compliance or elasticity of the bearing element can be achieved by a sufficiently thin dimensioning or a soft setting of the material, so that the bearing element deforms in on itself when deformations of the connecting support or impact loads have to be compensated for.

[0023] Alternatively or in addition to such a flexible bearing flange, the gear wheel mentioned can also be mounted in a rotationally fixed manner relative to the connecting carrier by means of a drive toothing that allows axial offset, for example a shaft-hub connection with involute teeth.

[0024] Such a drive toothing can be provided between the gear wheel and the connecting carrier and / or between the gear wheel and the bearing shield.

[0025] Advantageously, it can be provided that the aforementioned drive teeth are not provided over the entire length of the gear wheel, but only at a face end section of the gear wheel. In particular, even when such drive teeth are provided at a face end section of the gear wheel, a gap can be provided between the outer circumference of the adjoining gear wheel body and the inner circumference of the connecting support to allow the aforementioned compensating movements.

[0026] An axial locking mechanism can prevent unwanted axial movement of the gear wheel along the tooth flanks of the drive teeth.

[0027] Advantageously, the gear wheel is held by the flexible bearing element at its inner end section, which faces the bearing plate to which the connecting bracket is rigidly attached. This reduces the deformation effects due to external forces from the wheel carrier and shortens the corresponding lever arm. The flexible and / or movable bearing element can be provided on the end face of the stationary gear wheel facing the bearing plate.

[0028] Significant advantages can be achieved by decoupling the gear wheel's mounting: First, external influences on the gear components of the transmission stage, such as shock loads and component deformation, can be reduced, thereby decreasing the risk of premature transmission failure due to gear damage and extending the transmission's service life. Simultaneously, component jamming due to elastic deformation of adjacent structural components, such as the connecting bracket, can be prevented. Furthermore, axial displacements in other transmission elements of the transmission stage can be compensated for by the yielding action of the flexibly or decoupledly mounted gear wheel.

[0029] On the other hand, the reduced external influences and load balancing also allow for a smaller gearbox, reducing the installation space and lowering costs.

[0030] Furthermore, the stationary gear wheel can be replaced independently of the mounting bracket, thus avoiding the costly replacement of the mounting bracket when the gear wheel is worn. Additionally, manufacturing costs can be reduced, as only one heat treatment of the gear wheel may be sufficient.

[0031] To nevertheless make the best possible use of, or even maximize, the available installation space inside the connecting and wheel carriers without increasing the external dimensions of the wheel carrier, a further aspect of the present invention proposes integrating at least one rolling bearing, by which the wheel carrier is rotatably mounted on the connecting carrier, at least partially into the wheel carrier and / or the axle carrier. To save the radial installation space of separate bearing rings, a bearing raceway on which the rolling elements of the rolling bearing roll can be integrated into the wheel carrier and / or a raceway can be integrated into the connecting carrier. The raceway can be formed directly from, or incorporated into, the surface of the wheel carrier and / or the surface of the connecting carrier. The raceway can be integrally formed in one piece, homogeneously from the material of the connecting carrier and / or the rotatably mounted wheel carrier.

[0032] In particular, the otherwise usually provided bearing ring can be formed integrally as a single piece, homogeneous from the material of the wheel carrier and / or the connecting support, as described above. Any raceway coatings or, depending on the bearing design, raceway wires or raceway inserts can still be provided, but are advantageously embedded directly in the material of the wheel carrier and / or the connecting support or applied to it as a coating.

[0033] A raceway hardening can be formed by a hardened layer of the wheel carrier and / or axle carrier material.

[0034] To enable easy assembly despite the integrated design of the raceways, the wheel carrier can be designed in two or more parts, and / or the connecting carrier can be designed in two or more parts. Advantageously, a division plane can run or be arranged adjacent to a row of rolling elements.

[0035] If multiple bearing rows or multiple rolling bearings are provided, it is advantageous to integrate the multiple raceways into a single section of the wheel carrier and / or the connecting carrier. This avoids positional variations between the raceways and thus between the rolling element rows, and ensures a uniform distribution of the bearing forces.

[0036] At least one rolling bearing can have different configurations with regard to the design and arrangement of the rolling elements. To transmit high forces in small dimensions, the rolling elements can be designed as cylindrical or tapered rollers, although at least one row of ball bearings can also be provided. Alternatively or additionally, spherical roller bearings, barrel bearings, or needle roller bearings can also be used.

[0037] With more than one bearing row, mixed configurations are also possible, for example a ball bearing row and a roller bearing row.

[0038] Advantageously, inclined rows of rolling bearings can be provided, the main wear directions of which can be arranged at acute angles to each other. In particular, the main wear directions can converge radially outwards, so that the effective support width increases inwards. Specifically, the inclination of the rolling bearing rows can be configured such that the support width becomes smaller towards the wheel carrier and larger towards the connecting carrier.

[0039] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the arrangement of the at least one rolling bearing can be shifted towards a projecting end section of the connecting beam and / or shifted towards the end section of the connecting beam furthest from the bearing shield. The rolling bearings are therefore not arranged centrally or symmetrically around the center of the connecting beam, but rather eccentrically shifted towards its end section spaced away from the bearing shield.

[0040] The integrated rolling bearings in the structural components not only free up installation space for the gear stage, but also reduce costs and potentially achieve higher load ratings. In particular, the integrated design of the rolling element raceways allows for a compact design of the wheel carrier bearings, as the otherwise separate bearing rings can be eliminated. At the same time, this enables stiffer structural components and / or larger gear teeth within the same installation space, since the eliminated bearing rings allow for increased wall thicknesses of the structural components, and the connecting support requires less clearance from the wheel carrier, thus allowing it to be made larger.

[0041] Furthermore, there are cost advantages, since rolling bearings in the required dimensions are very expensive, and the integrated solution of the bearing raceways saves on the costs of the bearing rings.

[0042] Generally, higher load ratings can also be achieved compared to standard rolling bearings.

[0043] To make the best possible use of the available installation space and to be able to transmit high power, at least one gear stage can be a planetary gear stage of a planetary gearbox, which can be arranged in an interior space enclosed by the mounting bracket and / or wheel carrier. Such a planetary gearbox can be single-stage or multi-stage, whereby in a multi-stage design the several planetary gear sets can mesh with a common ring gear.

[0044] The rotatable wheel carrier can be driven by the planet carrier or be non-rotatably connected to it, which planet carrier carries a planet gear set.

[0045] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings. The drawings show: Fig. 1: A schematic, perspective view of a diaphragm wall cutter according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2: A perspective, partially cutaway view of a milling wheel, the wheel carrier supporting the milling wheel, and the connecting support supporting the wheel carrier, wherein the partial sectional view shows the aforementioned components in the assembled state. Fig. 3: A perspective, partially cutaway view of the milling wheel, the wheel carrier, and the connecting support, wherein the milling wheel and the wheel carrier are shown in the disassembled state. Fig. 4: A perspective view of the drive unit of the diaphragm wall cutter. Fig. 1 , which shows the two wheel carriers each mounted on connecting supports, the bearing plate supporting them, and the drive motor on an upper end section of the bearing plate, Fig. 5: a sectional view through the drive unit made of Fig. 4, which shows the gear stages accommodated in the connecting carriers and the internal or hollow gears of the gear stages which are flexibly fixed to the respective connecting carrier, Fig. 6: a partially enlarged sectional view of the arrangement and flexible mounting of the aforementioned hollow gear of a gear stage inside the connecting carrier, Fig. 7: a sectional view through the drive unit made of Fig. 4 in a representation similar Fig. 5, wherein the gear stages inside the connecting supports are omitted and the rolling bearings for rotatably mounting the wheel carriers on the connecting supports are shown, Fig. 8: a partially enlarged sectional view through the rows of rolling bearings for rotatably mounting a wheel carrier according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, in which the raceways of the rolling elements designed as rollers are integrated into the wheel carrier and into the connecting support, and Fig. 9: a partially sectional view of the rows of rolling bearings similarly Fig. 8 , wherein the rolling elements in this embodiment are designed as a sphere.

[0046] How Figure 1As shown, an example of a trench cutter 1 for a civil engineering machine can have an elongated, upright milling frame 2, which can be designed as a truss girder and / or include two laterally arranged longitudinal guide profiles. At a lower end section, the milling frame 2 can have at least two milling wheels 3, which are arranged side by side and can be driven rotationally about respective axes of rotation, wherein the axes of rotation of the milling wheels 3 can extend parallel to each other, in particular perpendicular to the flat side of the milling frame 2.

[0047] The two milling wheels 3 can be driven in opposite directions. A milling drive 4 can be arranged at a lower end section of the milling frame 2 above the milling wheels 3 and may, for example, comprise one or more hydraulic motors that can drive the aforementioned milling wheels 3 via one or more gear stages.

[0048] How Figure 1As shown, the milling frame 2 with the milling wheels 3 can be raised and lowered by or suspended from a carrier unit 5. The carrier unit 5 rests on the ground in which the respective slot is to be milled and can advantageously be designed to be movable. In particular, a cable excavator with a chassis, for example a tracked chassis 6, can be provided as the carrier unit 5, wherein the milling frame 2 can be raised and lowered by a boom 7 of the carrier unit 5.

[0049] As the Figures 2 to 5As shown, each milling wheel 3 is attached to a milling hub 8, which is rotatably mounted on the milling frame 2 and can be driven by the milling drive 4. The milling hub 8 can be formed by the output element of the milling drive 4 or by an intermediate gear stage. In particular, the aforementioned gear stage can be designed as a planetary gear, with the milling hub 8, for example, being formed by a planet carrier of the planetary gear.

[0050] The milling hub 8 mentioned above includes a wheel carrier 9, for example in a cup shape, which is rotatably mounted on a connecting carrier 20 and has an end face 10 against which the respective milling wheel 3 can be clamped.

[0051] The milling wheel 3 can be constructed in the manner of a rim and, independently thereof, have a circumferential wall 11 on the outer side of which one or more rows of milling tools 12, for example in the form of milling chisels, can be arranged. This circumferential wall 11 is rigidly connected to a mounting flange 13, which can be designed as a disc or ring and, independently thereof, has an end face 14 that can be positioned against the end face 10 of the milling hub 8. This mounting flange 13 can extend approximately in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation and have a flat end face 14 that faces the milling hub 8.

[0052] Advantageously, the aforementioned mounting flange 13 is detachably attached to the rest of the milling wheel body 3 so that it can be replaced when worn. For example, the mounting flange 13 can be attached to the body of the milling wheel 3 by means of several screws 15.

[0053] How Figure 3 As shown, the mating end faces 10 and 14 of the milling hub 8 and the milling wheel 3 are each provided with face teeth 16 and 17, respectively, which are designed and arranged to fit together in a form-fitting manner, so that the two face teeth 16 and 17 engage with each other when the end faces 10 and 14 of the milling hub 8 and the milling wheel 3 are placed together. The face teeth 16 and 17 are designed such that they engage with each other by simply sliding the milling wheel 3 and the milling hub 8 axially parallel to the axis of rotation. When the two face teeth 16 and 17 are in contact, as shown, the milling wheel 3 and the milling hub 8 are aligned. Figure 5 As shown, the milling wheel 3 is positively locked and rotationally fixed to the milling hub 8.

[0054] The milling wheel 3 can be clamped axially against the milling hub 8 by means of axial clamping devices, which advantageously may include several screw bolts, in order to secure the milling wheel 3 on the milling hub 8 and to keep the face teeth 16 and 17 positively engaged. How Figure 3 As shown, several screw bolts can be arranged distributed in the circumferential direction, in particular in the area of ​​the face teeth 16 and 17, in order to fix the face teeth 16 and 17 evenly in the engagement position.

[0055] How Figure 3 As shown, the face teeth 16 and 17 can each have several groups of teeth – 6 in the illustrated embodiment – ​​which can be spaced apart from each other circumferentially and evenly distributed, or optionally unevenly distributed. In particular, the groups of teeth can be arranged on a common pitch circle and separated from each other by non-toothed surfaces.

[0056] How Figure 3 As shown, each tooth group can have a plurality of teeth, each of which can have straight tooth flanks, whereby all tooth flanks of a tooth group can be arranged parallel to each other, while the tooth groups can be rotated relative to each other or oriented in different directions. In particular, a central tooth of each tooth group can extend radially with respect to the axis of rotation and be flanked on the right and left by teeth arranged parallel to it.

[0057] How Figure 4As shown, two wheel carriers 9 can be arranged on opposite sides of a bearing plate 19, which bearing plate 19 can comprise a substantially plate-shaped, upright plate section, at the lower end of which the wheel carriers 9 are rotatably mounted. At the upper end of the bearing plate 19, a drive motor 18, for example in the form of a hydraulic motor, can be arranged to drive the wheel carriers 9 rotationally, as will be explained below.

[0058] How Figure 5 As shown, connecting supports 20 are rigidly attached to opposite sides of the bearing shield 19; these can be essentially sleeve-shaped or cylindrical. The aforementioned wheel carriers 9, which can be cup-shaped, can be fitted over the aforementioned connecting supports 20, as shown. Figure 5 shows.

[0059] The aforementioned wheel carrier 9 is rotatable by means of two rolling bearings 21, 22 and axially fixed to the connecting carrier 20, as will be explained in more detail below.

[0060] Within the interior space bounded by the connecting carrier 20 and the wheel carrier 9, and bounded at the front by the bearing shield 19 on one side and the base of the cup-shaped wheel carrier on the other, a gearbox 24 is arranged, via which the wheel carrier 9 is driven rotaryally by the drive motor 18. The gearbox 24 is driven at its input by a drive shaft that can extend through the bearing shield 19 and connects the drive motor 18 to the gearbox 24.

[0061] The aforementioned transmission 24 can, in particular, be designed as a planetary gear set, which, as the figure shows, can be multi-stage. The drive motor 18 can drive a sun gear of the first planetary stage via the aforementioned drive shaft. The planet gears meshing with the aforementioned sun gear, which are rotatably mounted on a planet carrier, can mesh with a ring gear 25, which is fixed to the connecting carrier 20 and / or the bearing plate 19 in a rotationally fixed manner, but is radially and tiltably flexibly mounted, as will be explained below.

[0062] The aforementioned ring gear 25 can simultaneously form the ring gear of the second planetary stage and mesh with its planet gears. The planet gear carrier of the second planetary stage can be rotationally fixed to the wheel carrier 9, for example, rigidly connected to the base of the cup-shaped wheel carrier 9, cf. Fig. 5 .

[0063] In order to decouple the gearbox 24, in particular its ring gear 25, from shock loads and deformations of the connecting carrier 20, although the said ring gear 25 is fixed to the connecting carrier 20 in a rotationally fixed manner, a flexible and / or elastic bearing element 26 is provided, which holds the said ring gear 25 fixedly to the connecting carrier 20 or, if necessary, can also hold it to the bearing shield 19, but allows radial compensating movements and / or tilting movements and / or deformations of the connecting carrier 20 without transmitting these to the ring gear 25.

[0064] How Fig. 6 As shown, the bearing element 26 can be firmly connected to the ring gear 25 at an end section of the ring gear 25, for example integrally and homogeneously formed on it in one piece.

[0065] The bearing element 26 can independently form a radially projecting bearing flange which can be attached to and / or fastened to counter surfaces on the connecting carrier 20 on its end face and / or circumferential side and / or to suitable counter surfaces on the bearing shield 19.

[0066] How Fig. 6As shown, the flange-like bearing element 26 can be seated on a shoulder of the connecting carrier 20 and, for example, fixed to it in a rotationally fixed or rigid manner using clamping devices, which can be designed as screws. The connection between the bearing element 26 and the connecting carrier 20 can itself be rigid if the bearing element 26 is inherently flexible and / or elastic and / or the connection of the bearing element 26 to the ring gear 25 is designed to be flexible and / or elastic. Such sufficient flexibility and / or elasticity can be achieved, for example, by ensuring that the bearing element 26 and / or the connecting section to the ring gear 25 is sufficiently thin and / or that the material of the bearing element 26 is sufficiently soft.

[0067] How Fig. 6As shown, a gap 27 can be provided between the outer circumference of the ring gear 25 and the inner circumference of the connecting carrier 20, allowing radial relative movements and / or tilting movements between the ring gear 25 and the connecting carrier 20. The connecting carrier 20 can also deform, for example, ovalize under external loads, without this being transmitted to the ring gear 25, since such deformations can be compensated by the gap 27.

[0068] The gap 27 can advantageously extend substantially along the entire axial length of the ring gear 25 and / or along the entire radial overlap - i.e. in the area where the ring gear 25 and the connecting carrier 20 overlap in the radial direction - for example over more than 75% or more than 90% of the said axial length.

[0069] The gap dimension of gap 27 can be measured in various ways, for example in the range of a few millimeters or tenths of millimeters.

[0070] Advantageously, the ring gear 25 can be supported at only one axial end section and / or attached to the connecting carrier 20 or the bearing shield 19, and can project freely towards the opposite end face, similar to cantilever suspensions. By providing support at only one end section, the ring gear 25 can perform radial and / or tilting compensating movements relative to the connecting carrier.

[0071] Advantageously, an inner end section of the ring gear 25 can be supported by the bearing element 26, with the inner end section facing the bearing shield 19. This shortens relevant lever arms and reduces the effect of externally acting loads. In particular, shock loads introduced by the cup-shaped wheel carriers 9 via the connected planet carrier can be effectively absorbed by the ring gear 25 or compensated for by the described balancing movements.

[0072] To gain installation space with limited external dimensions of the wheel carrier 9 and to maximize the aforementioned interior space 23 within the connecting support 20, it is possible, as a further consideration, to integrate the rolling bearings 21 and 22, by means of which the wheel carriers 9 are rotatably mounted on the connecting support 20, into the respective wheel carrier 9 and / or the respective connecting support 20. In particular, the bearing rings of conventional rolling bearings can be omitted, and the rolling elements 28 can run on raceways 29 and 30 that are integrated into the wheel carrier 9 and the connecting support 20. It may also be advantageous if only one of the raceways is integrated into the wheel carrier 9 or the connecting support 20. To create as much installation space as possible, it is advantageous to integrate both raceways 29 and 30, i.e. the inner and outer raceway of a rolling bearing row, into the wheel carrier 9 and the connecting carrier 20, cf. Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 .

[0073] The aforementioned raceways 29 and 30 are at least partially formed by the surface of the wheel carrier 9 and the connecting carrier 20, respectively, whereby a specially hardened raceway coating may be applied and / or a special raceway element such as a raceway wire may be incorporated. Alternatively or additionally, the surface of the wheel carrier 9 and / or the connecting carrier 20, which forms the aforementioned raceway 29 and 30, may be surface-hardened, for example, nitrided or subjected to a hardening process in another way.

[0074] How Fig. 8 As shown, the rolling elements can be 28 rollers, for example cylindrical rollers. Alternatively, ball bearings can also be provided, whose groove-shaped raceways can be integrated into the wheel and connecting carriers 9 and 20 respectively, as shown here. Fig. 9 shows.

[0075] Advantageously, the raceways 29 and 30 can be inclined in order to transmit not only radial bearing forces, but also axial bearing forces.

[0076] In particular, two X-shaped or O-shaped inclined bearing rows can be provided, the main bearing direction of which is inclined at an acute angle to the radial direction. For example, an opposing inclination of the main bearing direction can be provided, which reduces the support width on the outside at the wheel carrier 9 and widens it on the inside at the connecting carrier 20, cf. Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 .

[0077] As the Figs. 8 and 9 As shown, the rolling elements 28 can be guided by rolling element cages 31 in the circumferential direction and / or transversely thereto.

[0078] The wheel carrier 9 can be designed in two parts or in more parts, with a parting plane 32 being arranged adjacent to the rolling bearings 21 and 22, cf. Figs. 7 to 9Advantageously, the parting plane 32 can be arranged on an outer side of the two rolling bearings 21 and 22, so that both rolling bearings 21 and 22 or their raceways 29 are arranged on a one-piece formed section of the wheel carrier 9, cf. Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 The parting line 32 could optionally be located on the inside of the two rolling bearings 21 and 22. Advantageously, however, the parting line 32 is located on the outside, i.e., on the side of the two rolling bearings 21 and 22 facing away from the bearing shield 19, so that the outer part of the wheel carrier 9 can be formed by the planet carrier of the gearbox 24, or the aforementioned planet carrier and the wheel carrier part formed by it can be removed externally. This considerably simplifies the assembly of the gearbox.

[0079] How Fig. 7As shown, the two rolling bearings 21 and 22 can be displaced eccentrically from an axial center of the connecting support 20 and / or arranged closer to one end section of the connecting support 20 than to the opposite axial end section. In particular, the rolling bearings 21 and 22 can be displaced towards an outer end section of the connecting support 20, facing away from the bearing shield 19, as shown. Fig. 7 shows.

Claims

1. A drive device for a construction machine, in particular for a trench cutter (1), comprising a connection support (20) and a wheel support (9), which is rotatably supported on the connection support (20) via at least one rolling bearing (21, 22) and which can be rotationally driven relative to the connection support (20) by a drive motor (18) via at least one gear stage (24), characterized in that the gear wheel (25) of the gear stage (24), said wheel being arranged within the connection support (20) and meshing or being in rolling engagement with at least one other gear wheel, is movably and / or tiltably supported in the radial direction relative to the connection support (20) by a flexible and / or movable bearing element (26) so as to be rotationally fixed to the connection support (20) and / or to a bearing shield (19) rigidly connected thereto.

2. The drive device according to the foregoing claim, wherein a gap (27) is provided between an outer periphery of the gear wheel (25) and an inner periphery of the connection support (20), which gap extends over more than 75% or more than 90% of the axial length of the gear wheel (25).

3. The drive device according to any of the foregoing claims, wherein the gear wheel (25) is held at one end face section by the bearing element (26) and is configured to project freely towards the opposite end face section.

4. The drive device according to any of the foregoing claims, wherein the bearing element (26) is rigidly fixed to the connection support (20) and / or the bearing shield (19), wherein the bearing element (26) and / or a connecting portion between the bearing element (26) and the gear wheel (25) is configured to be flexible and / or elastic.

5. The drive device according to any of the foregoing claims, wherein the bearing element (26) is integrally formed in a single piece, material-homogeneously on the gear wheel (25).

6. The drive device according to any of the foregoing claims, wherein the bearing element (26) forms a bearing flange projecting radially from the body of the gear wheel (25), which bearing flange abuts with an end face and / or circumferential side against an opposing surface on the connection support (20) and / or on the bearing shield (19) and is attached thereto.

7. The drive device according to any of the foregoing claims, wherein the gear wheel (25) is supported only at its inner end portion facing the bearing shield (19) and / or is fixed by the bearing element (26).

8. The drive device according to any of the foregoing claims, wherein said gear wheel (25) is formed as a ring gear and is in mesh with planetary gears of a planetary gear stage, wherein the ring gear is in mesh with the planet gears of a plurality of planetary gear stages connected in series and the wheel support (9) is fixedly connected to a planet carrier of the / a last planetary gear stage, wherein preferably the planet carrier is formed by a bottom of the pot-shaped wheel support (9).

9. The drive device according to any of the foregoing claims, wherein the wheel support (9) is formed in two or more parts and comprises a wheel support part connected to the gear stage (24) and a wheel support part rotatably supported on the connection support (20) by the at least one rolling bearing (21, 22), wherein the two wheel support parts are connected to one another in a rotationally fixed manner.

10. The drive device according to any of the foregoing claims, wherein the at least one rolling bearing (21, 22) comprises at least one raceway (29, 30) integrated in the wheel support (9) or in the connection support (20), wherein the inner and outer raceways (29, 30) of the at least one rolling bearing (21, 22) are integrated in said wheel and connection supports (9, 20), and are formed by the surfaces of said wheel and connection supports (9, 20), wherein the wheel support (9) is provided with a surface hardening in the region of the raceway (29) integrated therein and / or the connection support (20) is provided with a raceway coating in the region of the two integrated raceways (30).

11. The drive device according to one of the foregoing claims, wherein the wheel support (9) is rotatably mounted on the connection support (20) by two rolling bearings (21, 22), which rolling bearings (21, 22) have obliquely set raceways (29, 30) with main wear directions inclined at an acute angle to the radial direction in an X or O arrangement, wherein the obliquely set rolling bearings (21, 22) are obliquely set such that a center width on the wheel support (9) is smaller than a center width on the connection support (20).

12. The drive device according to the foregoing claim, wherein the rolling bearings (21) are arranged displaced with respect to an axial center of the connection support (20) towards a front end portion of the connection support (20), in particular towards an outer end portion of the connection support (20) facing away from the bearing shield (19).

13. The drive device according to the foregoing claim, wherein the rolling elements (28) of the at least one rolling bearing (21) are configured as rollers and / or as cones and / or as balls.

14. A trench cutter with a drive device, which is configured according to any of the foregoing claims, for driving at least one cutter wheel (3).

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