Planetary transmission

• US 10,400,880 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2016
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flender GmbH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Flender GmbH (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Meyer, Thomas, Reimers, Jan-Dirk
• Primary Examiner(s): Hansen, Colby M
• Application Number:
  US15/566,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20180128365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2057/012 of gearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/01 Monitoring wear or stress of gearing elements, e.g. for triggering maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/082 Planet carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/02 Automatically-operated arrangements

Abstract

A planetary transmission includes a planetary stage and a FOFW system having an interrogation unit, a locally fixed antenna electrically connected to the interrogation unit and arranged within a housing of the planetary stage, and a plurality of FOFW sensors fastened to planet gear pins of the planetary stage such that at least two of the FOFW sensors are fastened to each of the planet gear pins. A plurality of co-rotating antennae are fastened to the planet gear carrier at a number corresponding to a number of the planet gear pins. The co-rotating antennae are each electrically connected to at least one of the FOFW sensors and arranged and configured such as to transfer measurement data detected by the FOFW sensors to the locally fixed antenna.

Claims

1. A planetary transmission, comprising:

a housing;

a planetary stage including a sun gear shaft rotatably mounted on the housing, a sun gear operably connected to the sun gear shaft, a planet gear carrier rotatably mounted on the housing, at least two planet gear pins fastened to the planet gear carrier, planet gears rotatably held on the planet gear pins, respectively, and a ring gear fastened non-rotationally within the housing and having an internal toothing, said ring gear being in engagement with the planet gears; and

a FOFW system including an interrogation unit, a locally fixed antenna electrically connected to the interrogation unit and arranged within the housing, a plurality of FOFW sensors fastened to the planet gear pins such that at least two of the FOFW sensors are fastened to each of the planet gear pins, and a plurality of co-rotating antennae fastened to the planet gear carrier at a number corresponding to a number of the planet gear pins, said co-rotating antennae each being electrically connected to at least one of the FOFW sensors and arranged and configured such as to transfer measurement data detected by the FOFW sensors to the locally fixed antenna.

2. The planetary transmission of claim 1, wherein the measurement data detected by the FOFW sensors during intended operation of the planetary transmission include a force component acting upon the planet gear pins and/or a stretching of the planet gear pins caused in the region of the FOFW sensors and/or a temperature prevailing in a region of the FOFW sensors and/or a bending of the planet gear pins in a region of the FOFW sensors and/or a rotary speed of the planet gear carrier.

3. The planetary transmission of claim 1, wherein the at least two FOFW sensors are positioned within a recess on the associated one of the planet gear pins, and further comprising a bearing provided on the associated one of the planet gear pins and sized to cover the at least two FOFW sensors, said bearing supporting the associated one of the planet gears.

4. The planetary transmission of claim 1, wherein the plurality of FOFW sensors are fastened along a longitudinal extent of the planet gear pins such that more than two of the FOFW sensors are fastened to each of the planet gear pins.

5. The planetary transmission of claim 4, wherein the more than two of the FOFW sensors are jointly connected to the associated one of the co-rotating antennae.

6. The planetary transmission of claim 1, wherein a signal emitted by each of the FOFW sensors has a unique frequency signature.

7. The planetary transmission of claim 1, wherein the locally fixed antenna is configured and arranged such that the co-rotating antennae are moved sequentially in and out of a receiving range of the locally fixed antenna during a rotation movement of the planet gear carrier.

8. The planetary transmission of claim 7, wherein a transmitting range and the receiving range of the locally fixed antenna and the co-rotating antennae are less than a shortest spacing between the co-rotating antennae.

9. The planetary transmission of the claim 8, wherein the FOFW system includes a further locally fixed antenna which extends in substantially annular form at a constant defined spacing from the co-rotating antennae.

10. The planetary transmission of claim 1, wherein the FOFW system includes an evaluation unit which is linked by data connection to the interrogation unit and which carries out calculations on the basis of the measurement data detected by the FOFW sensors and transferred to the interrogation unit to indicate a remaining service life of the planet gear pins and/or of the planet gears and/or of the planet gear carrier.

11. The planetary transmission of claim 10, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine maintenance time points on the basis of the calculations.

12. The planetary transmission of claim 1, wherein the FOFW system has further FOFW sensors with associated co-rotating antennae and locally fixed antennae, said further FOFW sensors being arranged in a region of bearings of the planet gear carrier and/or the sun gear shaft.

13. The planetary transmission of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two FOFW sensors is a torque-sensing reference sensor.

14. The planetary transmission of claim 13, wherein the torque-sensing sensor is arranged on the sun gear shaft.

15. A FOFW system, comprising:

an interrogation unit;

a locally fixed antenna electrically connected to the interrogation unit;

a FOFW sensor configured to detect measurement data;

a rotating antenna electrically connected to FOFW sensor for transfer of the measurement data to the interrogation unit via the locally fixed antenna and the rotating antenna, and

an evaluation unit linked by data connection to the interrogation unit and configured to carry out calculations on the basis of the measurement data detected by the FOFW sensors to indicate a remaining service life of planet gear pins and/or of the planet gears and/or of a planet gear carrier of a planetary transmission.