Arrangement of an electromagnet coupling gear

• US 5,030,181 A
• Filed: 09/20/1989
• Issued: 07/09/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen AG
• Inventors: Keller, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Herrmann, Allan D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MASSEY, RYAN
• Application Number:
  US07/411,481
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 475/150, 475/231, 475/241, 192/84 A, 192/84 R, 192/84 AA, 192/84 PM
• US Class Current: 475/150
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/20 in which the differential movement is limited
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 27/118 with interengaging jaws or gear teeth
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2048/346 using a linear motor
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 48/22 using friction clutches or brakes
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 48/24 using positive clutches or brakes
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 48/30 using externally-actuatable means
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 48/34 using electromagnetic or electric actuators

Abstract

The electromagnetic clutch that serves for positive-locking assembly of concentric transmission shafts is inserted in a transmission housing (2) concentrically in relation to a shaft (1) and with a bushing (10) which externally encloses it, there resulting outside the bushing (10), in the area of the annular magnet (16), a free space that reduces the leakage, and the sliding sleeve (18) and the armature plate (19) together with the magnet (16) and eventual additionally provided bearings (25) can be preassembled, ready for operation and protected against damage. On the outer end of the bushing (10) can be provided at the same time a roller bearing (25) for the clutch part (24) that carries the counter gear (22) on the other shaft. Due to the design that reduces the leakage and the arrangement in the area of a seal gap also existing in the transmission housing (2), it is possible to work with clutches of small dimensions and a transmission housing (2) of equal size can be used optionally with and without inserted clutches.

Claims

1. An arrangement of an electromagnet gear coupling

which has a bushing (10) inserted in a housing (2) with a flange (3),

said bushing having a ring magnet (16) preassembled therein for actuating an engaging gear (21) surrounding a shaft (1), and

a coupling wheel (24 and 28) with a counter gear (22) being situated adjacent said engaging gear (21), characterized in that

(a) said bushing (10) in addition to the ring magnet (16) is joined together with an axially movable sliding sleeve (18) supporting said engaging gear (21) adjacent one end thereof and carrying an armature disc (19) adjacent the opposite end of said sliding sleeve remote from the contact of the gears (21, 22) and thereby forms an operatively preassembled assembly,

(b) said assembly being inserted in said bushing (10) concentrically with said shaft (1) to be coupled in the area of a bearing (25) of said coupling wheel (24),

(c) and said engaging gear (21) being engageable, upon activation of said ring magnet (16), with said counter gear (22) mounted outside said bushing (10) on a hub (23) of said coupling wheel (24) which encloses said shaft (1).

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that said bushing (10) supported in said housing (2) can be preloaded, via the external ring of said bearing (25) that guides the hub (23) into said housing (2), against the internal ring of said bearing lodged in said hub (23) in a manner such that adjustments of the housing flange connections (3, 4) leave unaffected the axial spacings between said armature (19), said engaging gear (21) and said ring magnet (16).

3. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that said bushing (10) is connected, via a ring collar (11), with an inner flange (6) of said housing (2) and the ring collar (11), once installed, comes to lie substantially radially over said bearing (25).

4. An arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that said inner flange (6) has a radial groove (9) for said ring collar (11) of said bushing (10) so that the latter is situated axially snugly relative to the front face on the contact side of said inner flange (6) of said housing (2).

5. An arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that between said bushing (10) and the inner wall of said housing (2) there are provided oil ducts (7) extending substantially co-parallel with said shaft (1) and penetrating said inner flange (6) outside said bushing (10).

6. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that said ring magnet (16) is inserted in said bushing and is situated substantially radially beneath the flange (3) of said housing (2) into which is worked a cable duct (8) for connecting cables (29, 30) of said ring magnet (16).

7. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that said housing (2) is an axle housing and said hub (23) or said gear (28) that carries said counter gear (22) is supported on a differential transmission concentric with said shaft (1), and said hub (23) acts as crown gear and said gear (28) as axle bevel gear and carries the inner ring of said bearing (25).

8. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that said sliding sleeve (18) is non-torsionally guided on said shaft (1) by an internal gearing engaging an external gearing of said shaft (1) and said hub (23) is part of a friction connection (28A) which interacts with another non-torsional collar (28) on said shaft (1), and means are provided to connect said electromagnet gear coupling (16) periodically after activation of said friction connection (28A).

9. An arrangement according to claim 8, characterized in that said sliding sleeve (18) has an external gearing which meshes in an internal gearing of said hub (23).

10. An arrangement according to claim 8, characterized in that said sliding sleeve (18) has, on an integrally formed ring collar (18A) radially projecting axially between the ring magnet (16) and the bearing (25), a stop in the disengaged direction of said gear coupling (21, 22) opposite an end face of said hub (23) or of an internal ring of said bearing (25) fastened thereon and projecting on the contact side.

11. An arrangement according to claim 10, characterized in that said stop consists of said ring collar (18A) interacting with expansion bolts (33) axially threaded in the end of said hub (23) on the contact side and inserted during preassembly.

12. An arrangement according to claim 10, characterized in that an axial air gap (17) remains between said ring magnet (16) and said ring collar (18A) of said sliding sleeve (18) in the disengaged position.

13. An arrangement according to claim 10, characterized in that at least one recoil spring (26) is supported axially between said ring collar (18A) of said sliding sleeve (18) and a gear-free end face of one of said hubs (23, 28).

14. An arrangement according to claim 13, characterized in that said gear (21) is situated radially outside said recoil spring (26) on the end face on the contact side of said ring collar (18A) of said sliding sleeve (18).

15. An arrangement according to claim 8, characterized in that a disc-like bottom (13) axially closes said bushing (10) and said sliding sleeve (18) axially abuts against the dics-like bottom when said gear coupling (21, 22) is disengaged.

16. An arrangement according to claim 15, characterized in that said disc-like bottom (13) is detachably fastened in said bushing (10) and consists of non-magnetic material.

17. An arrangement according to claim 15, characterized in that said armature disc (19) consists of a ring disc (19A) which tapers in diameter in the direction of said ring magnet (16) and which in a currentless state is located, while keeping a conical air gap (32), radially outside a pole ring (31) which tapers in diameter at substantially the same angle in the direction of said ring magnet (16) and which is axially clamped on the inner side of said bushing (10) between said ring magnet (16) and the dics-like bottom (13).