Unbalance arrangement for a compactor roller of a soil compactor

Abstract

An unbalance arrangement for a compactor roller of a soil compacter includes a first unbalance mass unit rotatable around an unbalance axis of rotation having a first center of mass eccentric with respect to the unbalance axis of rotation, a second unbalance mass unit rotatable around the unbalance axis of rotation having a second center of mass eccentric with respect to the unbalance axis of rotation, an unbalance drive for jointly driving the first unbalance mass unit and the second unbalance mass unit to rotate around the unbalance axis of rotation, and a phase position adjustment unit for adjusting a phase position of the first center of mass with respect to the second center of mass around the unbalance axis of rotation. The phase position adjustment unit includes a spur gear arrangement in the torque transmission path between the unbalance drive and the first unbalance mass unit or the second unbalance mass unit.

Claims

1. An unbalance arrangement for a compactor roller of a soil compactor, comprising: a first unbalance mass unit rotatable around an unbalance axis of rotation and having a first center of mass eccentric with respect to the unbalance axis of rotation, a second unbalance mass unit rotatable around the unbalance axis of rotation and having a second center of mass eccentric with respect to the unbalance axis of rotation, an unbalance drive for jointly driving the first unbalance mass unit and the second unbalance mass unit to rotate around the unbalance axis of rotation, a phase position adjustment unit for adjusting a phase position of the first center of mass with respect to the second center of mass around the unbalance axis of rotation, wherein the phase position adjustment unit comprises a spur gear arrangement in a torque transmission path between the unbalance drive and the first unbalance mass unit or the second unbalance mass unit, wherein the spur gear arrangement comprises a gear input spur gear drivable by the unbalance drive to rotate around a gear axis of rotation, a gear output spur gear rotatable around the gear axis of rotation, and a group of gear adjustment spur gears in meshing engagement with the gear input spur gear and the gear output spur gear, wherein the gear adjustment spur gears are rotatably supported on an adjustment spur gear carrier, and wherein the adjustment spur gear carrier is rotatable with respect to the gear input spur gear and the gear output spur gear around the gear axis of rotation, wherein the group of adjustment spur gears comprises a first adjustment spur that is rotatable around a first adjustment spur gear axis of rotation that is parallel to the gear axis of rotation and is in meshing engagement with the gear input spur gear, and a second adjustment spur that is rotatable around a second adjustment spur gear axis of rotation that is parallel to the gear axis of rotation and is in meshing engagement with the first adjustment spur gear and the gear output spur gear.

2. The unbalance arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment spur gear carrier is assigned an adjustment spur gear carrier drive for pivoting the adjustment spur gear carrier around the gear axis of rotation.

3. The unbalance arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the gear axis of rotation corresponds to the unbalance axis of rotation.

4. The unbalance arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the gear output spur gear is coupled to the second unbalance mass unit for joint rotation.

5. The unbalance arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the gear input spur gear is drivable to rotate using the unbalance drive via the first unbalance mass unit, and/or in that the first unbalance mass unit and the second unbalance mass unit are arranged axially between the unbalance drive and the phase position adjustment unit.

6. The unbalance arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the first unbalance mass unit is coupled in a first axial end region to the unbalance drive for driving the first unbalance mass unit for rotation around the unbalance axis of rotation, and in that the first unbalance mass unit has a drive connection in a second axial end region by means of a gear transmission unit to the gear input spur gear.

7. The unbalance arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the gear transmission unit comprises: a transmission drive spur gear coupled to the second axial end region of the first unbalance mass unit for joint rotation around the unbalance axis of rotation, a first transmission idler spur gear on a transmission shaft rotatable around a gear axis of rotation parallel to the unbalance axis of rotation, wherein the first transmission idler spur gear has a drive connection to the transmission drive spur gear, a second transmission idler spur gear on the transmission shaft, wherein the second transmission spur gear has a drive connection to the transmission input spur gear.

8. The unbalance arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the first transmission idler spur gear and the second transmission idler spur gear are supported in a rotationally-fixed manner on the transmission shaft.

9. The unbalance arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the first transmission idler spur gear has a drive connection to the transmission drive spur gear by means of an endless transmission element and/or at least one connecting spur gear, and/or in that the second transmission idler spur gear is in meshing engagement with the gear input spur gear.

10. The unbalance arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the endless transmission element comprises a toothed belt or a drive chain.

11. The unbalance arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the gear input spur gear has a drive connection to a motor drive spur gear.

12. The unbalance arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the unbalance drive and the phase position adjustment unit are arranged on the same axial side with respect to the first unbalance mass unit and the second unbalance mass unit.

13. The unbalance arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the gear input spur gear is in meshing engagement with the motor drive spur gear, and/or in that the motor drive spur gear is provided on a drive shaft of the unbalance drive.

14. The unbalance arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the first unbalance mass unit has a drive connection to the motor drive spur gear by means of a gear transmission unit.

15. The unbalance arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the gear transmission unit comprises: a first transmission idler spur gear on a transmission shaft rotatable around a gear axis of rotation parallel to the unbalance axis of rotation, wherein the first transmission idler spur gear has a drive connection to the motor spur gear, a second transmission idler spur gear on the transmission shaft, a transmission output spur gear coupled to the first unbalance mass unit for joint rotation around the unbalance axis of rotation, wherein the transmission output spur gear has a drive connection to the second transmission idler spur gear.

16. The unbalance arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the first transmission idler spur gear and the second transmission idler spur gear are supported in a rotationally-fixed manner on the transmission shaft.

17. The unbalance arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the first transmission idler spur gear is in meshing engagement with the motor drive spur gear, and/or in that the second transmission idler spur gear is in meshing engagement with the transmission output spur gear.

18. A compactor roller for a soil compactor, comprising a roller shell surrounding a roller axis of rotation, wherein an unbalance arrangement according to claim 1 is provided in a roller interior.

19. The compactor roller according to claim 18, wherein the roller axis of rotation corresponds to the unbalance axis of rotation.

20. A soil compactor, comprising at least one compactor roller according to claim 18 which is rotatably supported on a compactor frame around a roller axis of rotation.

Description

(1) The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a soil compactor with two compactor rollers;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of a compactor roller of the soil compactor of FIG. 1 rotatably supported on a machine frame, having an unbalance arrangement arranged in the compactor roller;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a partially cut away perspective view shown a phase position adjustment unit of the unbalance arrangement of the compactor roller of FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 4 shows the phase position adjustment arrangement of FIG. 3 with further removed housing parts;

(6) FIG. 5 shows the phase position adjustment unit of FIG. 4, viewed from a different perspective;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a phase position adjustment unit of another design;

(8) FIG. 7 shows the phase position adjustment unit of FIG. 6, viewed from a different perspective;

(9) FIG. 8 shows the phase position adjustment unit of FIG. 8 without housing parts partially accommodating it;

(10) FIG. 9 shows the phase position adjustment unit of FIG. 8, viewed from a different perspective;

(11) FIG. 10 shows the phase position adjustment unit of FIG. 8 with further housing parts not shown.

(12) In FIG. 1, a soil compactor is generally designated with 10. The soil compactor 10 comprises a cabin 14 on a central machine frame 12 in which an operator can sit. A front machine frame 16 and a rear machine frame 18 are pivotably supported on the central machine frame 12. On the front machine frame 16 and on the rear machine frame 18, a respective compactor roller 20, 22 is rotatably supported around a roller axis of rotation. The front machine frame 16 and the rear machine frame 18 as well as the compactor rollers 20, 22 rotatably supported thereon can be essentially structurally equivalent to one another and are explained below with reference to FIG. 2 by way of example based on the rear machine frame 18 or the compactor roller 22 rotatably supported thereon around a roller axis of rotation W.

(13) It is to be noted that the soil compactor 10 can have a wide variety of designs and, for example, can also have only one such compactor roller, for example in the front region thereof, while a plurality of rubber wheels can then be provided in the rear region of the soil compactor 10. The structure of a compactor roller explained below can in principle be implemented independently of the design of the soil compactor 10.

(14) The compactor roller 22 comprises a roller jacket 24 which surrounds the roller axis of rotation W and which surrounds a roller interior 26. On side frame parts 28, 30 of the rear machine frame 18, the compactor roller 22 is rotatably supported around the roller axis of rotation W. To drive the soil compactor 10, the compactor roller 22 can be assigned a traction drive motor 23, for example a hydraulic motor.

(15) An unbalance arrangement, generally designated with 32, is provided in the roller interior 26. The unbalance arrangement 32 comprises two unbalance mass units 34, 36 rotatable around an unbalance axis of rotation U, each having a center of mass M.sub.1, M.sub.2 eccentric relative to the unbalance axis of rotation U, which corresponds to the roller axis of rotation W. The two unbalance mass units 34, 36 are arranged in relation to one another in such a way that their centers of mass M.sub.1, M.sub.2 are positioned in the same axial region, in particular an axial center region of the compactor roller 22. As can be seen in FIG. 2, for example, the first unbalance mass unit 34 can be rotatably supported in the compactor roller 22 on suspensions 38, 40 supported therein, and the second unbalance mass unit 36 can be received in the first unbalance mass unit 34 and rotatably supported thereon.

(16) The unbalance arrangement 32 is assigned an unbalance drive 42. This unbalance drive 42, designed as a hydraulic motor, for example, is coupled to a shaft section 44 extending from the first unbalance mass unit 34 for joint rotation and thus drives the first unbalance mass unit 34 directly to rotate around the unbalance axis of rotation U or the roller axis of rotation W. In this sense, direct means that no gear arrangement or the like that transmits the torque is provided between a drive shaft of the unbalance drive 42 and the shaft section 44 or the first unbalance mass unit 34.

(17) The second unbalance mass unit 36 is driven by the unbalance drive 42 via the first unbalance mass unit 34 and a phase position adjustment unit, generally designated with 46, to rotate around the unbalance axis of rotation U. The phase position adjustment unit 46 is coupled on the drive side to a hollow shaft section 48 of the first unbalance mass unit 34 and on the output side to a shaft section 50 of the second unbalance mass unit 36 penetrating the hollow shaft section 48.

(18) By means of the phase position adjustment unit 46, not only is the drive torque of the unbalance drive 42 transmitted via the first unbalance mass unit 34 to the second unbalance mass unit 36, but the phase position adjustment unit 46 can also be operated to adjust the phase position of the centers of mass M.sub.1, M.sub.2 of the two unbalance mass units 34, 36 around the unbalance axis of rotation U with respect to one another, which means that the angular distance of the two centers of mass M.sub.1, M.sub.2 around the unbalance axis of rotation U can be adjusted with respect to one another. The adjustment range is preferably 180°, so that, starting from the state shown in FIG. 2, in which the two centers of mass M.sub.1, M.sub.2 have an angular distance of 180° from one another and thus the unbalances provided by the two unbalance mass units 34, 36 compensate for one another, the angular distance can be reduced to zero, so that the two centers of mass M.sub.1, M.sub.2 have the same phase position with respect to one another and the unbalance arrangement 32 provides a maximum unbalance. Since the unbalance arrangement 32 is positioned in such a way that the unbalance mass units 34, 36 are driven by the unbalance drive 42 to rotate around the roller axis of rotation V, the rotating unbalance mass units 34, 36 basically generate a force that is essentially orthogonal to the roller axis of rotation W, so that a vibration acceleration is generated for the compactor roller 42, by means of which it is periodically accelerated accordingly in the direction of the underlying surface to be compacted or away from it.

(19) The structure of the phase position adjustment unit 46 is described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5.

(20) The phase position adjustment unit 46 has on the input side a spline section 52 which can be coupled to the hollow shaft section 48 of the first unbalance mass unit 34 for joint rotation around the unbalance axis of rotation U. A transmission drive spur gear 54 of a gear transmission unit, generally designated with 56, is connected to the spline section 52 in a rotationally-fixed manner. The gear transmission unit 56 further comprises a first transmission idler spur gear 60 and a second transmission idler spur gear 62 on a transmission shaft 58. The two transmission idler spur gears 60, 62 are each supported in a rotationally-fixed manner on the transmission shaft 58 and are rotatable with it around a gear axis of rotation Ue. It is to be noted that in the example shown, the two transmission idler spur gears 60, 62 are arranged at an axial distance from one another. Similarly, these could be designed as respective gearwheel sections of an idler spur gear that is continuously formed in the direction of the transmission shaft 58 or that provides it.

(21) The first transmission idler spur gear 60 has a drive connection to the transmission drive spur gear 54 via an endless transmission element 64, designed here as a toothed belt. The second transmission idler spur gear 62 is in meshing engagement with a gear input spur gear 66 of a spur gear arrangement, generally designated with 68, of the phase position adjustment unit 46 and is thus has a drive connection thereto. A gear output spur gear 70 of the spur gear arrangement 68 is rotationally fixed with a further spline section 72, which in turn can be coupled to the shaft section 50 of the second unbalance mass unit 36 for joint rotation. It is to be pointed out that the phase position adjustment unit 46 can be coupled to the first unbalance mass unit 34 or the second unbalance mass unit 36 on the input side as well as on the output side in a manner other than by the spline sections 52, 72.

(22) The spur gear arrangement 68 comprises a group of gear adjustment spur gears 78, 80 on a cassette-like housing 74, which is pivotably supported in a housing 76 of the phase position adjustment unit 76 around a gear axis of rotation G. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the gear axis of rotation G corresponds to the unbalance axis of rotation U and thus also to the roller axis of rotation W. To pivot the housing 74 of the housing 74 providing an adjustment spur gear carrier 82, as shown in the illustrated exemplary embodiment, a positioning lever mechanism 84 actuated, for example, by a hydraulic cylinder, a rack drive, a worm gear drive, or the like can be used, the pivot of which around the gear axis of rotation G results in a corresponding pivot of the adjustment spur gear carrier 82 around the gear axis of rotation G.

(23) The group of gear adjustment spur gears 78, 80 comprises a first gear adjustment spur gear 78 rotatably supported around a first adjustment spur gear axis of rotation V.sub.1 on the adjustment spur gear carrier 82 and comprises a second gear adjustment spur gear 80 rotatably supported on the adjustment spur gear carrier 82 around a second adjustment spur gear axis of rotation V.sub.2 The two gear adjustment spur gears 78, 80 are axially offset from one another, so that the first gear adjustment spur gear 78 is in meshing engagement with a gear teeth section thereof with the gear input spur gear 66 and is in meshing engagement with another gear teeth section thereof with the second gear adjustment spur wheel 80. The second gear adjustment spur gear 80 is in turn in meshing engagement with a further gear teeth section thereof with the gear output spur gear 70. It is to be noted that in the illustrated exemplary embodiments, the two gear adjustment spur gears 78, 80 are designed as spur gears continuously having these gear teeth sections. The gear adjustment spur gears 78, 80 could similarly also be formed by gearwheel sections axially separated from one another and supported in a rotationally-fixed manner on a respective shaft.

(24) If the unbalance arrangement 32 is to be excited during operation in order to set the compactor roller 22 into vibration, the unbalance drive 42 drives the first unbalance mass unit 34 to rotate around the unbalance axis U. The first unbalance mass unit 34 rotating around the unbalance axis of rotation U drives the second unbalance mass unit 36 to rotate around the unbalance axis of rotation U via the phase position adjustment unit. The design of the gear transmission unit 56 and the spur gear arrangement 68 ensures that the two unbalance mass units 34, 36 coupled to one another via the phase position adjustment unit 46 basically rotate in the same direction of rotation and at the same speed as one another around the unbalance axis of rotation U and thus also the roller axis of rotation W. When the adjustment spur gear carrier 82 is held in place, the phase position of the centers of mass M.sub.1, M.sub.2 does not change.

(25) If the phase position of the two centers of mass M.sub.1, M.sub.2 with respect to one another is to be changed, the positioning lever mechanism 84 and with it the adjustment spur gear carrier 82 are pivoted around the gear axis of rotation G. This forces a relative rotation between the gear input spur gear 66 and the gear output spur gear 70. Due to the dimensioning of the various spur gears of the spur gear arrangement 68, a movement translation takes place, so that a pivot of the adjustment spur gear carrier 82 around the gear axis of rotation G by an angle of 90° results in a relative rotation between the gear input spur gear 66 and the gear output spur gear 70 by 180°, so that the centers of mass M.sub.1, M.sub.2 of the two unbalance mass units 34, 36 experience a change in the phase position or the angular position in relation to one another in an angular range of 180° when the adjustment gear carrier 82 is pivoted in an angular range of 90°, so that it is possible to adjust continuously between the maximum unbalance effect and the minimum or nonexistent unbalance effect. This adjustment can be triggered by the operator who is seated in the cabin 14, depending on the underlying surface to be compacted and/or the degree of compaction of the underlying surface to be compacted by a corresponding actuating element.

(26) The embodiment of the unbalance arrangement shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 is characterized in that the unbalance drive 42 is arranged on a first axial end region 86 of the first unbalance mass unit 34, while the phase position adjustment unit 46 is arranged on a second axial end region 88 of the first unbalance mass unit 34, so that the first unbalance mass unit 34 and thus also the second unbalance mass unit 36 are arranged axially between the unbalance drive 42 and the phase position adjustment unit 46. This results in an approximately equal mass distribution in the axial direction of the various system regions of the unbalance arrangement 32 in the roller interior 26.

(27) With reference to FIGS. 6 to 10, a second embodiment of the unbalance arrangement or the phase position adjustment unit is described below, which is characterized in that all system regions of the unbalance arrangement which are used to drive or to transmit torque or also to adjust the phase position are arranged on the same axial side of the first unbalance mass unit or both unbalance mass units. This results in an axially compact structure.

(28) Components or system regions which correspond to the components or system areas described above are denoted in FIGS. 6 to 10 with the same reference signs with the addition of the suffix “a”.

(29) In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 to 10, the unbalance drive 42a, which can comprise a hydraulic motor, for example, on the one hand drives the first transmission idler wheel 60a of the gear transmission unit 56a via a motor drive spur gear 90a, which can be supported in a rotationally-fixed manner on a motor output shaft 56a, to rotate around the transmission axis of rotation Ue, and on the other hand drives the gear input spur gear 66a of the spur gear arrangement 68a to rotate around the gear axis of rotation G. For this purpose, the motor drive spur gear 90a is in meshing engagement with both the first transmission idler spur gear 60a and also the gear input spur gear 66a. The second transmission idler spur gear 62a is in meshing engagement and thus in drive connection with a transmission output spur gear 92a, which is coupled to the hollow shaft section 48a of the first unbalance mass unit 34a for joint rotation around the unbalance axis of rotation U. The unbalance drive 42 thus drives the first unbalance mass unit 34a via the gear transmission unit 56a to rotate around the unbalance axis of rotation U. The spur gear arrangement 68a comprises the first gear adjustment spur gear 78a and the second gear adjustment spur gear 80a on the adjustment spur gear carrier 82a designed as a cassette-like housing 74a. In this embodiment, each of the two gear adjustment spur gears 78a, 80a is designed with two spur gear sections formed axially separated from one another. One of these spur gear sections of the first gear adjustment gear 78a is in meshing engagement with the gear input spur gear 66a. The other spur gear section of the first gear adjustment spur gear 78a is in meshing engagement with one of the two spur gear sections of the second gear adjustment spur gear 80a. Its second spur gear section is in meshing engagement with the gear output spur gear 70a, which in turn is coupled in a rotationally-fixed manner to the shaft section 50a on which the second unbalance mass unit 36a is also supported in a rotationally-fixed manner. In this embodiment as well, the unbalance drive 42a thus drives the second unbalance mass unit 36a to rotate via the spur gear arrangement 68a.

(30) In contrast to the embodiment of FIGS. 2 to 5, the unbalance drive 42 in the embodiment of FIGS. 6 to 10 has a direct drive connection with its motor drive spur gear 90a to the input region of the spur gear arrangement 68a, namely the gear input spur gear 66a, and does not drive the first unbalance mass unit 34a directly, but rather via the gear transmission unit 56a. In this embodiment as well, the arrangement and dimensioning of the various spur gears having drive connections to one another is selected so that the two unbalance mass units 34a, 36a can basically be driven to rotate by the unbalance drive 42a around the unbalance axis of rotation U, which can also correspond here to the roller axis of rotation, in the same direction of rotation and at the same speed.

(31) By pivoting the adjustment spur gear carrier 82a around the gear axis of rotation G, due to the effect of the gear adjustment spur gears 78a, 80a in meshing engagement with one another, a relative rotation is forced between the gear input spur gear 66a and the gear output spur gear 70a and accordingly also a relative rotation between the first unbalance mass unit 34a and the second unbalance mass unit 36a, so that, starting from the relative position or phase position shown in FIGS. 6 to 10, in which the two centers of mass have the same phase position, i.e., have no angular offset with respect to one another, and thus the generated unbalance torque is maximum, these can be pivoted to a relative rotational position or phase position with respect to one another in which the two centers of mass have an angular offset or a phase position of 180° with respect to one another, so that the two unbalance mass units or the unbalances provided thereby compensate for one another and therefore do not exert vibration acceleration on the compactor roller receiving the unbalance arrangement 10a.

(32) This adjustment of the adjustment spur gear carrier 82a can be achieved in the structure shown in FIGS. 6 to 10 by an adjustment motor 94a, for example an electric motor, hydraulic motor, or the like, and a spur gear mechanism 96a. The spur gear mechanism 96a comprises a first spur gear 98a, which is supported in a rotationally-fixed manner on a motor shaft of the adjustment motor 94a, and comprises a second spur gear 100a, which is supported in a rotationally-fixed manner on the adjustment spur gear carrier 82a and thus rotates together with the latter around the gear axis of rotation G when the adjustment motor 94a is excited. In this embodiment as well, it is ensured that a rotation or a pivot of the adjustment spur gear carrier 82a around the gear axis of rotation G by 90° results in a relative rotation between the gear input spur gear 66a and the gear output spur gear 70a and thus also a relative rotation between the two unbalance mass units 34a, 36a of 180°, so that a continuous adjustment between maximum unbalance effect and minimum or nonexistent unbalance effect can also be achieved here.

(33) Since in the embodiment according to the invention of an unbalance arrangement, the transmission of the torque between a single unbalance drive and the two unbalance mass units takes place partly directly, partly via a spur gear arrangement or a phase position adjustment unit, in which a torque is exclusively transmitted by spur gears in meshing engagement or coupled to one another via endless transmission elements, a compact structure producible using standard components, which is nevertheless suitable for transmitting very high torques is achieved which, on the one hand, can operate reliably over a long service life, and, on the other hand, enables a continuous adjustment of the unbalance effect or the vibration effect caused by it between a maximum effect when there is no phase offset of the centers of mass of the two unbalance mass units and a minimum effect when there is a phase offset or an angular position of the two unbalance units of mass of 180°.