PIVOTABLE TRANSMISSION

Abstract

A transmission (101) with a rotatable structure (119), a first shaft (103) and a second shaft (105). The first shaft (103) and the second shaft (105) can be, respectively, an input shaft or an output shaft of the transmission (101). The first shaft (103) and the second shaft (105) are mounted to rotate in the rotatable structure (119). A rotational axis of the first shaft (103) and a rotational axis of the rotatable structure (119) are identical, and a rotational axis of the second shaft (105) and the rotational axis of the rotatable structure (119) are spaced apart from one another.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A transmission (101) comprising: a rotatable structure (119), a first shaft (103), a second shaft (105); the first shaft (103) and the second shaft (105) respectively being either an input shaft or an output shaft of the transmission (101); the first shaft (103) and the second shaft (105) being mounted in and rotatable relative to the rotatable structure (119); a rotational axis of the first shaft (102) and a rotational axis of the rotatable structure (119) being identical; a rotational axis of the second shaft (105) and the rotational axis of the rotatable structure (119) being spaced apart from one another; two ring gears (129) being screwed to a body (117) of a housing (115) of the transmission (101), a pinion engages in each of the ring gears (129), and the pinions are driven by a motor which is incorporated in the rotatable structure (119) of the housing (115), and, in that way, the rotatable structure (119) being rotatable such that when the rotatable structure (119) is rotated, the rotational axis of the second shaft (105) moves along a circular path about the axis of the rotatable structure (119).

12. The transmission (101) according to claim 11, further comprising a first gearwheel (109) and a second gearwheel (111), the first gearwheel (109) and the second gearwheel (111) mesh with one another; the first gearwheel (109) is rotationally fixedly connected to the first shaft (103); and the second gearwheel (111) is rotationally fixedly connected to the second shaft (105).

13. The transmission (101) according to claim 11, further comprising a third shaft (107); the third shaft (107) is either an input shaft or an output shaft of the transmission (101); the third shaft (107) is mounted to rotate in the rotatable structure (119); and a rotational axis of the third shaft (107) and the rotational axis of the rotatable structure (119) are spaced apart from one another.

14. The transmission (101) according to claim 13, further comprising a first gearwheel (109) and a second gearwheel (111), the first gearwheel (109) and the second gearwheel (111) mesh with one another; the first gearwheel (109) is rotationally fixedly connected to the first shaft (103); the second gearwheel (111) is rotationally fixedly connected to the second shaft (105); a third gearwheel (113) meshes with either the first gearwheel (109) or with the second gearwheel (111); and the third gearwheel (113) is rotationally fixedly connected to the third shaft (107).

15. The transmission (101) according to claim 11, wherein the housing (115) has a first part (119) and a second part (117); the first part (119) is mounted to rotate in the second part (117); and the first part (119) constitutes the rotatable structure.

16. An arrangement for testing a first transmission unit to be tested, the arrangement comprises: a first transmission (101) having a rotatable structure (119); a first shaft (103); a second shaft (105); the first shaft (103) and the second shaft (105) being respectively either an input shaft or an output shaft of the first transmission (101); the first shaft (103) and the second shaft (105) being mounted in and rotatable relative to the rotatable structure (119); a rotational axis of the first shaft (102) and a rotational axis of the rotatable structure (119) being identical; a rotational axis of the second shaft (105) and the rotational axis of the rotatable structure (119) being spaced apart from one another; two ring gears (129) being screwed to a body (117) of a housing (115) of the first transmission (101), a pinion engaging in each of the ring gears (129), the pinions being driven by a motor which is incorporated in the rotatable structure (119) of the housing (115), and, in that way, the rotatable structure (119) being rotatable such that when the rotatable structure (119) is rotated, the rotational axis of the second shaft (105) moves along a circular path about the axis of the rotatable structure (119); and an input or an output shaft of the first transmission unit to be tested is connectable, in a rotationally fixed manner, to at least one of the second shaft (105) and to a third shaft (107) of the first transmission (101).

17. The arrangement according to claim 16, further comprising at least one of a drive unit (205) with a drive input shaft (207) and a drive output with a drive output shaft; and the drive input shaft (207) or the drive output shaft is rotationally fixedly connected to the first shaft (103) of the first transmission (101).

18. The arrangement according to claim 16, further comprising at least one horizontally movable platform (203); and at least one of the first transmission (101) and the drive unit (205) and the drive output are fixed on the platform (203).

19. The arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the input shaft of the first transmission unit to be tested and an input shaft of a second transmission unit to be tested are rotationally fixedly connected to one another; and the first transmission unit to be tested and the second transmission unit to be tested have identical structures.

20. The arrangement according the claim 19, further comprising a second transmission, an output shaft of the second transmission unit to be tested is rotationally fixedly connected to at least one of a second shaft and a third shaft of the second transmission; the drive input shaft (207) of the drive unit (205) is rotationally fixedly connected to the first shaft (103) of the first transmission (101); and the drive output shaft of the drive output is rotationally fixedly connected to a first shaft of the second transmission.

21. A testing arrangement for testing at least one transmission unit, the testing arrangement comprising: at least a first transmission having a transmission housing including a housing body and a rotatable structure; first and second shafts, one of the first and the second shafts being an input shaft of the first transmission and the other one of the first and the second shafts being an output shaft of the first transmission; the first and the second shafts being mounted in the rotatable structure such that the first and the second shafts are rotatable relative to one another and relative to the rotatable structure; the first shaft defining a first rotational axis, the second shaft defining a second rotational axis, and the rotatable structure defining a further rotational axis; the first and the further rotational axes being coaxially aligned with one another; the second rotational axis being parallel to but radially offset from the first and the further rotational axes; and first and second ring gears being fixed to the housing body of the transmission housing, a first pinion engaging with the first ring gear, and a second pinion engaging with the second ring gear, the first and the second pinions being driven by a motor which is incorporated in the rotatable structure of the transmission housing such that when the first and the second pinions are driven by the motor, the rotatable structure rotates about the further rotational axis and the second rotational axis of the second shaft moves along a circular path about the further rotational axis of the rotatable structure.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Preferred example embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the figures, in which the same indexes denote the same or functionally identical features. In detail, the figures show:

[0030] FIG. 1: A transmission;

[0031] FIG. 2: A drive input of a test rig;

[0032] FIG. 3: The range of movement of an output shaft of the transmission; and

[0033] FIG. 4: A positioning mechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0034] A transmission 101 according to FIG. 1 comprises a first shaft 103, a second shaft 105 and a third shaft 107. In addition three gearwheels are present—a first gearwheel 109, a second gearwheel 111 and a third gearwheel 113. The first gearwheel 109 is mounted on the first shaft 103 in a rotationally fixed manner, the second gearwheel 111 on the second shaft 105 and the third gearwheel 113 on the third shaft 107. The second gearwheel 111 meshes with both the first gearwheel 109 and the third gearwheel 113.

[0035] A housing 115 of the transmission 101 is a multi-component structure. It comprises a body 117 and a rotatable part 119. The first shaft 103, the second shaft 105 and the third shaft 107 are rotatably mounted in the rotatable part 119. For that purpose roller bearings 121 are set into the rotatable part 119.

[0036] In turn, the rotatable part 119 of the housing 115 is mounted in the body 117 and can be rotated by virtue of two roller bearings 123. The rotatable part 119 and the first shaft 103 are arranged concentrically so that their rotation axes coincide. In contrast, a rotational axis of the second shaft 105 and a rotational axis of the third shaft 107 in each case are located a distance away from the rotational axis of the first shaft 103. As a result, when the rotatable part 119 of the housing 115 is rotated the second shaft 105 and the third shaft 107 move along a circular orbit around the first shaft 103 or its rotational axis.

[0037] The rotatable part 119 of the housing 115 has two disk-shaped sidepieces 125. The sidepieces 125 are connected to one another by means of axially extending transverse struts 127. The roller bearings 121 in which the shafts 103, 105 and 107 are mounted are set into the sidepieces 125.

[0038] Screwed into the body 117 of the housing 115 are two ring gears 129. Respective pinions—not shown in FIG. 1—engage in each of the ring gears 129. The pinions are driven by a motor which is accommodated in the rotatable part 119 of the housing 115. That is how the rotatable part 119 can be rotated.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows part of a test rig 201 which comprises the transmission 101 shown in FIG. 1. The body 117 of the housing 115 of the transmission 101 is fixed on a platform 203. Likewise, a motor 205 is fixed on the platform 203. An output shaft 207 of the motor 205 is connected rotationally fixed to the first shaft 103 of the transmission 101.

[0040] The test rig 201 comprises a mechanism with which the platform 203 can be displaced horizontally along two axes.

[0041] Instead of the motor 205, the arrangement in FIG. 2 can comprise a generator, whose input shaft is connected rotationally fixed to the first shaft 103 of the transmission 101. In a back-to-back test rig, an arrangement according to FIG. 2 and an arrangement with a generator are positioned opposite one another.

[0042] A positioning range 301 of one of the two eccentrically arranged shafts 105, 107 is illustrated in FIG. 3. The positioning range 301 is covered by superimposing a horizontal displacement path of the platform 203 and rotation of the rotatable part 119.

[0043] A mechanism for rotating the rotatable part 119 is shown in FIG. 4. The mechanism comprises two worm gears 401, which engage in a worm gearwheel 403 and thus form a worm gear system. The worm gearwheel 403 and the rotatable part 119 of the housing 115 are connected to one another in a rotationally fixed manner. A central axis of the worm gearwheel 403 coincides with the rotational axis of the rotatable part 119. By rotating the worm gears 401, the worm gearwheel 403 and hence the rotatable part 119 are now rotated about the rotational axis.

INDEXES

[0044] 101 Transmission [0045] 103 First shaft [0046] 105 Second shaft [0047] 107 Third shaft [0048] 109 First gearwheel [0049] 111 Second gearwheel [0050] 113 Third gearwheel [0051] 115 Housing [0052] 117 Body [0053] 119 Rotating part [0054] 121 Roller bearings [0055] 123 Roller bearings [0056] 125 Sidepiece [0057] 127 Transverse strut [0058] 201 Test rig [0059] 203 Platform [0060] 205 Motor [0061] 207 Driveshaft 103 [0062] 301 Positioning range [0063] 401 Worm gear [0064] 403 Worm gearwheel