Drive device for a trolley or similar

• US 10,293,847 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2015
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Moteurs Leroy Somer (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Moteurs Leroy Somer (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Calmettes, Didier, Coupart, Eric, Sourisseau, Francis, Pato, Ago-Tchalim
• Primary Examiner(s): Rocca, Joseph M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stabley, Michael R
• Application Number:
  US15/533,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20180154928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/046 with planetary gearing having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/303 with a gearwheel on the steering knuckle or kingpin axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0038 the motor moving together with the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0092 the motor axle being coaxial to the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/45 Vehicles having steerable wheels mounted on a vertically moving column
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/62 Conveyors, floor conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0418 Electric motor acting on road wheel carriers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 7/023 Steering turntables
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 9/14 Trolley or crane travel drives rope, cable, or chain drives for loads or trolleys B66C11/16; control B66C13/18

Abstract

A drive device for a handling trolley, including: a chassis; a wheel carrier; a drive wheel; a steering motor for rotating the wheel carrier relative to the chassis; a reduction gear connecting the steering motor to the wheel carrier, the reduction gear including a planetary gear set including an internal sun gear, at least one planet gear, and a planet carrier on which the planet gear is mounted, a ring gear surrounding the internal sun gear and the planet gear. The shaft of the steering motor is fixed relative to the internal sun gear, the wheel carrier is fixed relative to either the planet carrier or the ring gear, and the chassis is fixed relative to the other one of the two components.

Claims

1. A drive device for a handling trolley, including

a frame,

a wheel support movable relative to the frame about a turning axis,

a driving wheel carried by the wheel support, and movable relative to the wheel support about an axis of rotation,

a steering motor for rotating the wheel support relative to the frame, having a rotor rotating about an axis of rotation which is coincident with the turning axis,

a reduction gear connecting the steering motor to the wheel support, the reduction gear including an epicyclic train including:

an inner sun gear rotated by the shaft of the steering motor,

at least one planet gear rotated about a physical axle by the inner sun gear, and

a planet gear carrier on which the planet gear is rotatably mounted,

a ring gear surrounding the inner sun gear and the planet gear,

the shaft of the steering motor being fixed relative to the inner sun gear, the wheel support being fixed relative to one element from the planet gear carrier and from the ring gear and the frame being fixed relative to the other element from the planet gear carrier and from the ring gear, the wheel support being fixed relative to the ring gear and including an opening for connecting the planet gear carrier to the frame, the planet gear carrier including at least one bearing to allow the rotation of the wheel support about the planet gear carrier.

2. The drive device as claimed in claim 1, the turning axis of the wheel support being perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the wheel.

3. The drive device as claimed in claim 1, the turning axis of the wheel support intersecting the axis of rotation of the wheel.

4. The drive device as claimed in claim 1, the epicyclic train including at least two planet gears spread about the inner sun gear.

5. The drive device as claimed in claim 1, the end of the shaft of the steering motor being machined to form the inner sun gear.

6. The drive device as claimed in claim 1, the wheel support being fixed relative to the planet gear carrier.

7. The drive device as claimed in claim 1, the epicyclic train having two reduction stages and including:

an inner sun gear rotated by the shaft of the steering motor,

at least a first planet gear meshing with the inner sun gear and rotated about a first planet gear physical axle,

an intermediate stage planet gear carrier supporting the first planet gear and rotated about the turning axis,

at least a second planet gear meshing with the intermediate stage planet gear carrier and rotated about a second planet gear physical axle,

a ring gear meshing with the first and second planet gears,

one element from the second planet gear axle and from the ring gear being fixed relative to the wheel support and the other element from the second planet gear axle or from the ring gear being fixed relative to the frame.

8. The drive device as claimed in claim 7, the epicyclic train including several first planet gears and several second planet gears.

9. The drive device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the epicyclic train includes an output stage planet gear carrier supporting the second planet gear physical axle or axles and rotated about the turning axis.

10. The drive device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the end of the shaft of the steering motor is machined to form the inner sun gear.

11. The drive device as claimed in claim 7, the wheel support being fixed relative to the second planet gear axle or axles.

12. The drive device as claimed in claim 7, the wheel support being fixed relative to the ring gear.

13. The drive device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the end of the shaft of the steering motor is machined to form the inner sun gear, the wheel support including an opening for connecting the output stage planet gear carrier to the frame.

14. The drive device as claimed in claim 1, including a bearing arranged between the frame and the wheel support to allow the rotation of the latter on the frame, the bearing being fixed relative to the frame or to the wheel support.