Housing with two aligned housing parts for a unit of a vehicle drive train

Abstract

A housing (1) for an assembly in a vehicle drive-train having a first housing component (1A) and a second housing component (1B). The first and second housing components (1A, 1B) are aligned with and coupled to one another. A shaft (6) for supporting a structural element (7) of the assembly is arranged inside the housing. The shaft (6) is supported respectively in the first and the second housing components (1A, 1B). The shaft (6) serves to align the first and second housing components (1A, 1B) relative to one another. A transmission having such a housing (1) is described as is a method for producing such a housing (1).

Claims

1. A housing for an assembly of a vehicle drive-train comprising: a first housing component, a second housing component, the first and the second housing components being aligned with and coupled to one another, and a shaft being arranged inside the housing and supporting a structural element of the assembly within the housing, and the shaft is either a locking bolt or a parking brake bolt, the shaft being respectively supported in the first and in the second housing components, and the shaft being configured to align the first and the second housing components with one another, wherein one of the first and the second housing components comprises a centering collar and the other of the first and the second housing component has a shoulder that mates with the centering collar for aligning the first and the second housing components with one another, and the shaft ensures a rotationally correctly positioned alignment of the first and the second housing components with one another.

2. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the centering collar radially abuts the shoulder and is rotationally fixed relative to the one of the first and the second housing components.

3. The housing according to claim 1, wherein at least one of: the shaft has a larger axial extension than the centering collar, the shaft extends beyond the centering collar, and the shaft is axially fixed inside the housing when the first and the second housing components are coupled to one another.

4. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the centering collar and the shoulder are arranged on opposite end faces of the first and the second housing components, and, in each case, either an opening or a recess is provided in each of the end faces such that a respective end of the shaft is inserted into each of the respective openings or recesses.

5. The housing according to claim 1, wherein one of the first and the second housing components has an opening for passing a driveshaft of the assembly through the one of the first and the second housing components concerned, and the shaft is arranged radially a distance away from the opening.

6. The housing according to claim 1, wherein one of the first and the second housing components is a housing cover which closes off an end of the housing.

7. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the housing is a transmission housing.

8. A transmission for a vehicle drive-train, comprising: at least one transmission stage, a housing for accommodating structural elements of the transmission stage on an inside of the housing, the housing having a first housing component and a second housing component, the first and the second housing components being aligned with and coupled to one another, a shaft being arranged inside the housing and supporting a structural element of the assembly arranged inside the housing, and the shaft is either a locking bolt or a parking brake bolt, the shaft being respectively supported in the first and in the second housing components, the shaft being configured to align the first and the second housing components with one another, and the second housing component comprises a centering collar and the first housing component has a shoulder, the centering collar is received within and radially abuts the shoulder to align the first and the second housing components with one another, and the shaft ensures a rotationally correctly positioned alignment of the first and the second housing components with one another.

9. A method for producing a housing having a first housing component and a second housing component, the first and the second housing components are aligned with and coupled to one another, and a shaft is arranged inside the housing for supporting a structural element of the assembly arranged inside the housing, the shaft is either a locking bolt or a parking brake bolt, the shaft is supported respectively in the first and in the second housing components, the shaft being configured to align the first and the second housing components with one another, the method comprising: producing the first housing component; producing the shaft; producing the second housing component; inserting one end of the shaft into an opening or recess in an end face of the first housing component such that an other end of the shaft projects beyond the end face; bringing together the first and the second housing components so that the other end of the shaft is inserted into an opening or recess in an end face of the second housing component, such that a first alignment stage of the housing components with one another occurs; and bringing the first and the second housing components closer together such that a centering collar on one of the end faces is received within and mates with a corresponding shoulder on the other end face, such that a further alignment stage of the housing components with one another occurs.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Below, the invention is explained in greater detail with reference to figures from which further preferred design features emerge. The figures show, represented schematically:

(2) FIG. 1: A vehicle drive-train with an assembly,

(3) FIG. 2: A housing of an assembly, shown in a three-dimensional and partially sectioned, exploded representation,

(4) FIG. 3: A housing component of an assembly, represented in three dimensions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(5) In the figures, the same or at least functionally equivalent components are denoted by the same indexes.

(6) The assembly in FIG. 1, shown as an example, is a motor-transmission assembly. The assembly has a housing 1 with the housing components 1A and 1B. The assembly also comprises a drive motor 2, specifically an electric machine, and a transmission 3. The housing component 1B is in the form of a housing cover which closes off the housing 1 at one end.

(7) In FIG. 1, as an example a vehicle wheel 8 is shown, which can be driven by the assembly.

(8) In the first housing component 1A there extends a driveshaft 4 that comes from the drive motor 2. The driveshaft can also be called an input shaft. A further driveshaft 5 passes through a housing opening of the housing 1 and out from the inside of the housing. This driveshaft 5 can also be called an output shaft. The driveshafts 4, 5 can be arranged coaxially with one another. They are drive-coupled to one another by way of structural elements of the assembly. The structural elements form in particular a transmission stage of the transmission. Accordingly, the driveshafts 4, 5 must be exactly aligned with one another. Since the driveshafts 4, 5 are in turn supported rotatably by the housing 1, the housing components 1A, 1B must correspondingly be exactly aligned with one another.

(9) To align the housing components 1A, 1B, one of the housing components (in this case for example the housing component 1B) has a centering collar 1C at one end. The centering collar 1C co-operates with a corresponding shoulder on the opposite end of the other housing component (in this case for example the housing component 1A). The centering collar is circular. The centering collar 1C is positioned coaxially with the driveshaft 4.

(10) In addition, to align the housing components 1A, 1B a shaft 6 is provided. The shaft 6 serves primarily to support a structural element 7 of the assembly. In the present case, for example, the structural element 7 is a parking lock pawl. This is designed to engage in teeth positioned rotationally fixed on the driveshaft 5, in order when necessary to hold the driveshaft 5 rotationally fixed. In that way the vehicle drive-train is blocked and a motor vehicle so equipped is secured by interlocking means against inadvertent rolling away. Thus, the shaft 6 is designed as a parking lock bolt.

(11) To align the housing components 1A, 1B by means of the shaft 6, one end of the shaft 6 is inserted into a recess or opening of the first housing component 1A, and therefore supported therein. Between this shaft end and the recess or opening a correspondingly exact fit is provided. Furthermore, to align the housing components 1A, 1B the other end of the shaft 6 is inserted into a recess or opening of the second housing component 1B, i.e. supported therein. Between that shaft end and that recess or opening a correspondingly exact fit is also provided.

(12) The shaft 6 is arranged radially a distance away from the driveshafts 5 and 6 and is positioned radially outside the shoulder 1C. By virtue of this distance the shaft 6, besides ensuring the radial alignment of the housing components 1A, 1B, also aligns the housing components 1A, 1B in a polar, i.e. rotationally correctly positioned manner. Thus, there is no need for cylindrical pins or other alignment means.

(13) The shaft 6 projects out of the centering collar 1C. It also has a larger axial extension than the centering collar 1C. Thus, during the assembling of the transmission housing 1 and the assembly, one end of the shaft 6 is first inserted into a corresponding opening or recess in one of the housing components 1A, 1B. Then, the housing components 1A, 1B with their corresponding end faces are brought closer together so that the other end of the shaft 6 is inserted into the corresponding opening or recess in the other housing component 1A, 1B. This constitutes a first alignment stage of the housing components 1A, 1B. Finally, a further approach of the housing components 1A, 1B to one another brings the centering collar 1C into contact with the corresponding shoulder, which brings about the definitive alignment of the housing components 1A, 1B relative to one another. The housing components 1A, 1B can thereafter be firmly coupled to one another.

(14) FIG. 2 shows a specific embodiment of a housing 1 for an assembly, in particular for the motor-transmission assembly shown in FIG. 1. For greater clarity the housing components 1A, 1B are shown separated from one another in FIG. 2. The housing component 1B forms a housing cover for closing off the housing 1 axially. The shaft 6 is arranged between the housing components 1A, 1B. The shaft serves primarily for the support of a parking lock pawl. It also serves to align the housing components 1A, 1B. As already explained in connection with FIG. 1 the shaft 6, with its shaft ends, is inserted into the respective associated recesses 1D in the housing components 1A, 1B. To ensure the correct alignment correspondingly exact fits are provided for the ends of the shaft 6 in the recesses 1D.

(15) A further alignment is brought about by the centering collar 1C on the end face of the housing component 1B. When the housing components 1A, 1B are fitted together, the collar comes into contact with a corresponding shoulder 1E on the end of the other housing component 1A facing toward it. The centering collar 1C and the shoulder 1E are designed to be complementary.

(16) FIG. 3 shows a different perspective of the housing component 1B in FIG. 2. In FIG. 3 the centering collar 1C can be seen particularly clearly as well as the recess 1D located radially outside relative thereto for the insertion of the shaft 6. Furthermore, an opening 1F in the housing component 1B for passing a driveshaft through can be seen. This can be the driveshaft 5 shown in FIG. 1. The centering collar 1C is circular and is located coaxially with the opening 1F. The recess 1D and hence also the shaft 6 are radially a distance away from the opening 1F.

(17) Close to the recess 1D, the centering collar 1C has a cutout through which the parking brake pawl arranged on the shaft 6 can engage in the space radially inside the centering collar 1C. There, a set of teeth corresponding to the pawl are located. The teeth can be arranged rotationally fixed on the driveshaft which passes through the housing opening 1F, in particular on a parking brake wheel.