Gear unit having a shaft, a flange part, and a housing part

Abstract

A gear unit includes a shaft, in particular an input shaft, a flange part and a housing part. The input shaft is supported by bearings in the housing part, and a fan is connected to the shaft in a torsion-proof manner. The housing part includes cooling fins, in particular cooling fins that extend in the axial direction, i.e. in the axis direction of the shaft, the cooling fins have an offset and/or stepped configuration, and the flange part surrounds the offset or stepped region of the cooling fins, in particular in the manner of a housing.

Claims

1. A gear unit, comprising: a shaft; a flange part; a housing part; at least one bearing provided in the housing part and supporting the shaft; and a fan connected to the shaft in a torsionally fixed manner; wherein the housing part includes stepped cooling fins, and the flange part surrounds a stepped region of the stepped cooling fins wherein the flange part includes projections projecting radially outwardly from the flange part, each of the projections corresponding to a respective one of the stepped cooling fins and being disposed at a respective same peripheral angle position as the respective one of the stepped cooling fins.

2. The gear unit according to claim 1, wherein the shaft is arranged as an input shaft.

3. The gear unit according to claim 1, wherein the stepped cooling fins extend in an axial direction and/or in an axis direction of the shaft.

4. The gear unit according to claim 1, wherein the flange part surrounds the stepped region of the stepped cooling fins to form a housing.

5. The gear unit according to claim 1, wherein the fan is adapted to supply an airflow between the flange part and the stepped cooling fins.

6. The gear unit according to claim 1, wherein an external surface of the flange part includes a recess arranged for entry of an airflow.

7. The gear unit according to claim 6, further comprising a perforated plate sealing the recess, the perforated plate connected and/or screw connected to the flange part.

8. The gear unit according to claim 1, wherein an axial region covered by the flange part overlaps with an axial region covered by the cooling fins.

9. The gear unit according to claim 1, wherein the projections are arranged as cooling fins.

10. The gear unit according to claim 1, further comprising a connection device fixed in place on the flange part, and a tube fixed in place on the housing part.

11. The gear unit according to claim 10, wherein the connection device includes a lubricating nipple.

12. The gear unit according to claim 1, wherein the flange part is arranged on the stepped region.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a gear unit according to an example embodiment of the present invention including flange part 4 in an oblique view.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a cross-section through flange part 4.

(3) FIG. 3 shows an enlarged cutaway of a longitudinal section through flange part 4.

(4) FIG. 4 shows an oblique view onto the exploded gear unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) As illustrated in the Figures, the gear unit according to an example embodiment of the present invention has a housing part 10, which is connected to flange part 4 with the aid of screws.

(6) Flange part 4 is generally arranged in the form of a hollow cylinder and surrounds input shaft 7 and a fan 6 that is connected to it in a torsionally fixed manner.

(7) At the first axial end of flange part 4, i.e. viewed in the axis direction of input shaft 7, flange part 4 is connected to housing part 10. At the other axial end of flange part 4, an adapter or an electric motor may be connected by screws. Flange part 4 includes bores 5 for such a screwed connection, which are set apart from one another at regular intervals in the circumferential direction and are situated at the same radial clearance in each case.

(8) Housing part 10 includes cooling fins, which extend in the axial direction and are arranged at an offset, meaning that the extension of the greatest radial clearance of cooling fins 8 has a stepped form in the axial direction.

(9) Via its first axial end, flange part 4 sits on the step formed in this way or on the offset region formed in this manner.

(10) Allocated to each axially extending cooling fin 8 of housing part 10 that is disposed in the radial clearance region covered by flange part 4 or overlaps therewith is an individual projection 9, which is situated at the same peripheral angle position as the cooling fin 8 allocated in each case. The radial clearance region covered by respective projection 9 overlaps with or is encompassed by the radial clearance region covered by the respectively allocated cooling fin 8.

(11) Projections 9 also extend in the axial direction, or in other words, are aligned in parallel or even coaxially with the respective cooling fins 8.

(12) On its external surface, flange part 4 includes a recess that is covered by a perforated plate 3. The fan is therefore able to be arranged as an axial fan, which aspirates the air arriving from the radial direction and then supplies it in an axial direction into the interspaces between cooling fins 8.

(13) Thus, the air is aspirated laterally and carried in the axial direction, parallel to the extension direction of cooling fins 8, thereby allowing effective cooling of housing part 10. However, flange part 4 is also cooled by projections 9.

(14) Input shaft 7 is supported in housing part 10 by bearings 30 and sealed with the aid of a contact-free seal 31, in particular a labyrinth seal. However, this seal 31 requires lubrication, in particular using lubricating grease.

(15) As illustrated in FIG. 4, a tube, which leads to seal 31, is fixed in place on housing part 10 for this purpose.

(16) A connection device 1, in particular a lubricating nipple, is disposed at a radially projecting section of flange part 4.

(17) Prior to the installation of the gear unit, connection device 1 is therefore disposed on flange part 4 in preassembled form and is connected to flange part 4; tube 2 is preassembled with housing part 10 and connected thereto.

(18) During the installation of the gear unit, flange part 4 is placed on top of housing part 10 and may come to lie against the step of the cooling fins in the process. Connection device 1 is also sealingly connected to the tube during this placement.

(19) As a result, it is possible to supply the lubricating grease for the contact-free seal at flange part 4 even though tube 2 is fixed in place on housing part 10.

(20) After flange part 4 has been placed on the step of cooling fins 8, flange part 4 surrounds the stepped region of cooling fins 8. The airflow supplied by the fan flows between and through cooling fins 8 and flange part 4. The axial region covered by flange part 4 overlaps with the axial region covered by cooling fins 8. The overlap region has a wider extension in an axial direction than a human finger. This prevents people from touching rotating parts from the outside.

(21) The airflow exiting from the intermediate space between flange part 4 and cooling fins 8 is guided further along housing part 10, in particular between cooling fins 8 in the axial direction. This makes it possible to carry out effective cooling of housing part 10.

(22) Additional shafts, in particular also the output shaft, are mounted in housing part 10. Input shaft 7 is connected to a toothed part in a torsionally fixed manner. In the same manner, the additional shafts are also connected to at least one toothed part in a torsionally fixed manner in each case. Lubricating oil lubricates the toothed parts that are in engagement.

(23) Perforated plate 3 is provided with holes that are so small that no human finger can fit through them.

(24) After the adapter and/or the motor has/have been mounted by installing screws in bores 5, the recess of flange part 4, which is upwardly open in FIG. 1, is sealed.

(25) A human finger here always denotes a finger having standard measurements.

(26) Tube 2 may be produced from a bendable material such as copper or steel.

(27) Perforated plate 3 may be produced from steel sheet in the form of a punched and bent part.

(28) Flange part 4, in particular a lantern flange, may be made from steel.

(29) Housing part 10 may be produced from steel or cast steel. Here, a multipart configuration may also be provided in that the respective individual parts are tightly connected to one another. As an alternative, housing part 10 is produced as a single piece so that the expenditure for seals is reduced. However, the form of housing 10 must then be less complex.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(30) 1 connection device, in particular lubricating nipple

(31) 2 tube

(32) 3 perforated plate

(33) 4 flange part, in particular lantern flange

(34) 5 bores

(35) 6 fan

(36) 7 input shaft

(37) 8 cooling fins

(38) 9 projections, in particular cooling fins

(39) 10 housing part

(40) 30 bearing

(41) 31 contactless seal, in particular labyrinth seal