DRIVE DEVICE FOR A DIAPHRAGM WALL CUTTER

Abstract

The present invention relates to a drive device for a diaphragm wall cutter (1), having a drive housing and/or gear housing (11), which encloses an interior (16) for accommodating drive and/or gear elements and comprises two housing parts (13, 14) which are rotatable relative to one another and which are sealed with respect to one another by a sealing device (15), and having a pressure equalization device (19) for pressure equalization between the interior and the surroundings. The invention also relates to a diaphragm wall cutter having such a drive device. It is proposed here not to pressurize the entire interior of the housing, but only an interspace (20) arranged upstream with respect to the surroundings, and to seal said interspace with respect to the interior on the one hand and with respect to the surroundings on the other hand. According to the invention, the pressure equalization device comprises at least one intermediate chamber (20), which is pressurized by a pressure source and is sealed with respect to the interior by an inner seal (21) and with respect to the surroundings by an outer seal (22). By virtue of such a sealed intermediate chamber between the housing interior and the surroundings that can be considerably smaller in terms of volume than the interior, the pressurization for pressure equalization between interior and surroundings is considerably simpler.

Claims

1. A drive device for a slurry wall cutter in an environment comprising: a drive case and/or transmission case that surrounds an inner space for receiving drive and/or transmission elements and that comprises two case parts, wherein the two case parts are rotatable relative to one another, wherein the two case parts are sealed with respect to one another by a seal device; a pressure equalization device for the pressure equalization between the inner space and the environment, wherein the pressure equalization device has at least one intermediate chamber, wherein the intermediate chamber has pressure applied from a pressure source, and wherein the intermediate chamber is sealed with respect to the inner space by an inner seal and with respect to the environment by an outer seal.

2. The drive device of claim 1, wherein the inner and outer seals are configured in the form of mutually different seal types.

3. The drive device of claim 2, wherein the outer seal is a dirt-resistant seal designed for relatively low pressure differences and the inner seal is a gas-tight and/or fluid-tight high pressure seal.

4. The drive device of claim 1, wherein the outer seal has a metal face seal, with the metal seal comprising two hard material sealing rings that slide off on one another and are supported by a respective elastic and/or elastomeric sealing ring at a rotating or non-rotating sealing case part.

5. The drive device of claim 1, wherein the inner seal has an elastomeric and/or elastic sealing ring that is arranged in a sealing groove in one of the case parts.

6. The drive device of claim 1, wherein the at least one intermediate chamber has an annular chamber that extends concentrically around the axis of rotation about which the two case parts are rotatable with respect to one another.

7. The drive device of claim 1, wherein the intermediate chamber extends around an outer jacket surface of one of the case parts.

8. The drive device of claim 1, wherein the at least one intermediate chamber has a volume that amounts to less than 10% of the volume of the inner space of the drive case and/or transmission case.

9. The drive device of claim 1, wherein the at least one intermediate chamber extends between a pivot bearing by which the two case parts are rotatably supported at one another and a bearing shell to which the drive case and/or transmission case is fastened.

10. The drive device of claim 9, wherein the intermediate chamber is sealed with respect to the pivot bearing by the inner seal.

11. The drive device of claim 1, wherein one of the two case parts forms a rotatingly drivable output element that has a releasable fastener for fastening a cutting wheel of the slurry wall cutter.

12. The drive device of claim 1, wherein one or more planetary gear stages are received in the inner space, with one of the two case parts rotationally fixedly connected to an annulus gear of the planetary gear stage and with the other case part being rotationally fixedly connected to a sun gear or to a planetary carrier of the at least one planetary gear stage.

13. The drive device of claim 1, wherein one of the case parts forms a cylindrical case sleeve and the other case part forms a bowl-shaped case cover that surrounds the case sleeve at the end face and engages around the case sleeve peripherally or covers the case sleeve peripherally.

14. The drive device of claim 13, wherein the at least one intermediate chamber is in the region of the peripheral covering of the case cover and of the case sleeve.

15. The drive device of claim 1, further comprising a control device for the automatic control of the chamber pressure provided by the pressure source in the intermediate chamber in dependence on the environmental pressure and/or on the cutting depth.

16. The drive device of claim 1, further comprising a flushing device for the flushing through of the at least one intermediate chamber with a flushing agent, wherein the flushing agent comprises a flushing oil, and wherein the flushing device comprising an inflow communicating with the intermediate chamber and an outflow communicating with the intermediate chamber to supply and discharge the flushing agent.

17. The drive device of claim 1, further comprising a pressure monitoring device for monitoring the chamber pressure present in the intermediate chamber.

18. The drive device of claim 17, wherein the pressure monitoring device comprises a pressure loss determiner for determining a predetermined pressure drop and/or for determining a pressure progression over time and a display device for displaying a maintenance signal on a predetermined pressure drop or a predetermined pressure progression.

19. The drive device of claim 1, wherein the inner space is filled with a lubricant having a lubricant level amount, and wherein the lubricant level amount is between 10% and 65% of the inner space volume.

20. The drive device of claim 19, further comprising a level monitoring device for monitoring the lubricant level in the inner space, wherein a display device for displaying a maintenance signal is configured to emit a wear signal for the wear of the inner seal when a predetermined pressure drop or a predetermined pressure progression of the chamber pressure in the intermediate chamber is accompanied by an increase in the lubricant level of the inner space.

21. The drive device of claim 18, further comprising a level monitoring device for monitoring the lubricant level in the inner space, wherein the display device for displaying a maintenance signal is configured to emit a wear signal for the wear of the inner seal when a predetermined pressure drop or a predetermined pressure progression of the chamber pressure in the intermediate chamber is accompanied by an increase in the lubricant level of the inner space.

22. The drive device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of intermediate chambers associated with the same seal gap between the two case parts.

23. The drive device of claim 22, wherein the plurality of intermediate chambers have pressure applied independently of one another.

24. The drive device of claim 23, wherein the plurality of intermediate chambers are connected to one another.

25. The drive device of claim 22, wherein the plurality of intermediate chambers are connected to one another.

26. A slurry wall cutter having at least one cutting wheel rotatably supported at a cutting frame and rotarily drivable by a drive device, wherein the drive device is configured in accordance with claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The invention will be explained in more detail in the following with respect to preferred embodiments and to associated drawings. There are shown in the drawings:

[0037] FIG. 1: a schematic, perspective representation of a slurry wall cutter in accordance with an advantageous embodiment of the invention;

[0038] FIG. 2: a perspective view of the drive device for the cutting wheels of the slurry wall cutter of FIG. 1, with the drive motor being supported at an upper section of a bearing shell of the drive motor and with the transmission case to which the cutting wheels of the slurry wall cutter of FIG. 1 are fastened being arranged at a lower section of the bearing shell;

[0039] FIG. 3: a cross-section through the drive device of FIG. 2 that shows the two case parts of the transmission case that are rotatable with respect to one another and the intermediate chamber for the pressure equalization;

[0040] FIG. 4: a partially sectioned side view of the drive device of FIGS. 2 and 3 that shows the pressure channels for the pressure application to the intermediate chambers;

[0041] FIG. 5: a sectional view along the line E-E in FIG. 4 that shows the arrangement of the intermediate chambers between the case parts and their pressure application via the pressure channels;

[0042] FIG. 6: a side view of a drive device in accordance with a further advantageous embodiment of the invention in a representation similar to FIG. 6, with separate pressure channels for the independent application on a plurality of intermediate chambers being shown; and

[0043] FIG. 7: a sectional view along the line A-A in FIG. 6 that shows the arrangement of the plurality of intermediate chambers connected after one another and their individual pressure supply.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] As FIG. 1 shows, the slurry wall cutter 1 can have an elongate cutting frame 2 arranged as upright that can be configured as a lattice carrier and/or can comprise two laterally arranged longitudinal guide sections. The cutting frame 2 can have at least two cutting wheels 3 at a lower end section, said cutting wheels 3 being arranged next to one another and being able to be rotarily drivable about respective horizontal axes of rotation, with the axes of rotation of the cutting wheels 3 being able to extend in parallel with one another and/or perpendicular to the flat side of the cutting frame 2.

[0045] The two cutting wheels 3 can here be drivable oppositely to one another. A cutting drive 4 can be arranged above the cutting wheels 3 at a lower end section of the cutting frame 2 and can, for example, comprise one or more drive motors 8 that can drive said cutting wheels 3 via one or more transmission stages 9.

[0046] As FIG. 1 shows, the cutting frame 2 with the cutting wheels 3 can be held raisably and lowerably by a support unit 5 or can be suspended thereat. Said carrier support unit 5 stands on the ground in which the respective trench should be cut and can advantageously be travelable. A cable excavator having a chassis, for example in the form of a tracked chassis 6, can in particular be provided as the support unit 5, with the cutting frame 2 being able to be raised and lowered by a boom 7 of the support unit 5.

[0047] As FIGS. 2 to 5 show, the drive device 4 can be arranged at a bearing shell 10 or can comprise such a bearing shell 10 by which the drive device can be fastenable to said cutting frame 2. Said bearing shell 10 can, for example, be a T-shaped beam whose upper section can be fastened to the cutting frame 2 and can support a drive case and/or transmission case 11 at its lower section in which said transmission stage 9 is at least partially received.

[0048] The drive motor 8 can, for example, be fastened to the upper end of the bearing shell 10 and can be drivingly coupled to the transmission stage 9 via a drive shaft 12 that can extend in the interior of the bearing shell 10. Said transmission stage 9 can here comprise one or more planetary transmission stages to drive one of said cutting wheels 3.

[0049] The transmission case 11 here comprises two mutually rotatable case parts 13 and 14 that are sealed toward the environment by a sealing device 15 and that surround an inner space 16 in which the transmission stage 9 is received. Said inner space 16 can be configured as at least approximately cylindrical and can extend along the axis of rotation 17 of the two case parts 13 and 14, cf. FIG. 3.

[0050] One of the case parts 13 can advantageously be configured as a sleeve-shaped connection support that can be rigidly connected to the bearing shell 10 and that extends therefrom projecting in the direction of the axis of rotation 17 toward oppositely disposed sides, cf. FIG. 3. The other case part 14 can be configured as a bowl shaped case cover that closes the connection support 13 at the end face and whose peripheral marginal web engages around it. A pivot bearing 18, for example in the form of a one-row or multirow roller element bearing supports the second case part 14 rotatably at the first case part 13, cf. FIGS. 3 and 5.

[0051] The interface or the seal gap between the two case parts 13 and 14 can run through said pivot bearing 18 and can extend along the peripheral side of the sleeve-shaped connection support and at its end face between the two case pars 13 and 14, cf. FIG. 3.

[0052] A pressure equalization device 19 comprises an intermediate chamber 20 that can have pressure applied, that is arranged between the inner space 16 and the environment, that forms a part of the seal gap or of the interface between the two case parts 13 and 14, and that seals the inner space 16 with respect to the outer environment.

[0053] As FIGS. 2 to 5 show, the sleeve-shaped case part 13 is closed at oppositely disposed end faces by a respective case cover 14 so that two sealing gaps and correspondingly two intermediate chambers 20 are provided. The extent to which the two intermediate chambers 20 are similar will only describe one of the two in the following.

[0054] As FIG. 5 shows, said intermediate chamber 20 is configured in the form of an annular chamber that extends concentrically to the axis of rotation 17 and extends peripherally between the two case parts 13 and 14. The intermediate chamber 20 in particular extends along the outer periphery of the case part 13 configured as a connection support and/or along the bearing shell 10, with the intermediate chamber 20 being able to be arranged between the pivot bearing 18 and the bearing shell 10.

[0055] As FIG. 5 further shows, the intermediate chamber 20 is sealed with respect to the inner space 16 by an inner seal 21 and with respect to the environment by an outer seal 22. The inner and outer seals 21 and 22 can be configured differently from one another, with the outer seal 22 advantageously being able to be configured in the form of a metal face seal. Independently of this, the inner seal 21 can be configured in the form of an elastomeric seal, for example in the form of a sealing ring that can be received in a groove-like sealing cutout to seal the interface between the two case parts 13 and 14. Said sealing groove in which the elastomeric inner seal 21 is received can extend in the peripheral direction or be formed at the inner periphery of the case part 14 and/or at the outer periphery of the case part 13 so that the inner seal 21 seals the peripheral interface between the two case parts 13 and 14.

[0056] The outer seal 22 configured as a metal face seal can in particular comprise two metal or hard material sealing rings whose lapped or otherwise finely worked running surfaces, in particular end faces at the axis side, can, for example, be pressed toward one another and can run off on one another. The two metal sealing rings can each be supported at the seal case by an O ring or by an elastomeric ring and/or can be sealed with respect to one another so that the one metal sealing ring is arranged at the stationary seal case part and the other metal sealing ring is arranged at the rotating seal case part, cf. FIG. 5.

[0057] The intermediate chamber 20 can have pressure fluid, for example pressure oil, applied via a pressure fluid channel 23 from a pressure source 24, with said pressure medium channel 23 advantageously being able to extend through the non-rotating case part 12. Said pressure medium channel 23 can in particular extend through the bearing shell 10 and through the case part 13 configured as a connection support to communicate with the intermediate chamber 20. The opening of the pressure medium channel 23 at the bearing shell 10 can be configured as a pressure fluid connection.

[0058] To be able to flush the intermediate chamber 20 with pressure medium, two pressure medium channels 23 can also communicate with the intermediate chamber 20, advantageously arranged at oppositely disposed sides, or can communicate with oppositely disposed sectors of the intermediate chamber 20. One of the pressure medium channels 23 here serves as an inflow and the other as an outflow to be able to flush the pressure medium through the intermediate chamber 20 and to be able to hereby flush out contaminants.

[0059] The additional lateral pressure medium channels 25 to be seen in FIG. 4 can serve as a service connection, for example to be able to supply the flushing medium during flushing and to be able to allow it to flow off. In this respect, a pressure monitoring device 26 can, however, also be connected via such a pressure medium channel 25 to be able to monitor the chamber pressure in the intermediate chamber 20, as already initially explained.

[0060] The pressure monitoring device can advantageously, alternatively or additionally, however, also be connected via the previously named pressure medium channel 23, whereby a simple assembly can be achieved.

[0061] As FIGS. 6 and 7 show, two or optionally more than two intermediate chambers 20a and 20b can be associated with an interface or with the sealing ball between two case parts 13 and 14, with said intermediate chambers 20a and 20b being connected after one another so that lubricant that wants to move outwardly out of the inner space 16 would have to force its way through both intermediate chambers 20a and 20b or, conversely, dirt would have to pass through both intermediate chambers 20a and 20b from the environment to move into the inner space 16.

[0062] As FIG. 7 shows, the two intermediate chambers 20a and 20b can each be configured as annular chambers and can have different diameters so that the two intermediate chambers 20 can advantageously be arranged nested in one another. The two intermediate chambers 20a and 20b can in particular be arranged in a common plane that extends perpendicular to the axis of rotation 17 and/or can cover one another viewed in the radial direction.

[0063] The plurality of intermediate chambers 20a and 20b can advantageously have pressure applied on them independently of one another. For this purpose, each intermediate chamber 20a and 20b can communicate with its own pressure medium channel 23a and 23b, which pressure medium channels 23a and 23b can form two separate pressure connections, cf. FIG. 6. On a pressure drop in one intermediate chamber, the pressure equalization can still be ensured via the other chamber due to the independent application of pressure.