Method for connecting two components, in particular a motor to a gearbox, and assembly with a connection between motor and gearbox

Abstract

A form- and/or force-fit connection between the motor and the gearbox is established by screwing together a motor- or gearbox-side first component and the respective motor- or gearbox-side second component. Alternately, an interference fit can be established between these two components by way of an axial lock that includes a lug, which formed on the first component, that is deformed by a caulking tool into a recess formed on the second component.

Claims

1. A method for connecting a motor to a gearbox, wherein, first, a form- and/or force-fit connection between the motor and the gearbox is established by screwing together a motor- or gearbox-side first component and the respective motor- or gearbox-side second component to be connected thereto, or by establishing an interference fit between these two components, and wherein, additionally, an axial lock between the two components is then established by caulking, in that a lug formed on the first component is deformed by a caulking tool into a recess formed on the second component.

2. A method for connecting a first component to a second component, with an axial lock between these two components being established by caulking and the method being executed according to claim 1, wherein the axial lock between the two components is established by deforming, by the caulking tool, a lug formed on the first component into the recess formed on the second component, wherein the second component is provided with teeth, and wherein also the caulking tool is provided with teeth interacting with the teeth of the second component in the manner of a linear guide during caulking.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the caulking tool has a wedge-shaped end portion by which the lug of the first component is deformed into the recess of the second component.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a front portion of the second component located closer to the axial end of the second component, which axial end is provided for establishing a connection to the first component, than the recess of the second component, is provided with a profile at least on an end adjoining the recess, wherein the material of the lug is deformed into the profile during caulking, so that a form fit acting in a circumferential direction and serving as an anti-rotation lock is additionally established between the two components.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the profile of the front portion consists of teeth.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the second component is a ring gear with internal teeth, the teeth of the front portion being a continuation of the internal teeth of the ring gear.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the teeth of the front portion are produced together with the internal teeth of the ring gear in that the inner diameter in the area of the front portion is chosen to be smaller than the diameter of a tip circle of the internal teeth of the ring gear.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the caulking tool has a conical end portion provided with external teeth matching the teeth of the front portion, the caulking tool being axially inserted into the ring gear for the purpose of caulking, and the material of the lug being deformed by the conical end portion radially outwards into the teeth of the front portion during caulking, so that a circumferentially acting form fit is established between the two components.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein prior to caulking, the first component is screwed to the second component, and wherein a thread of the second component, which thread serves the purpose of screw-fastening, is located closer to the axial end of the second component, which axial end is provided for establishing a connection to the first component, than the front portion of the second component, the inner diameter of the thread of the second component being larger than the inner diameter of the front portion.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recess of the second component is an undercut.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the lug is a hollow-cylindrical projection of the first component, this hollow-cylindrical projection being deformed preferably over the entire circumference into the recess of the second component during caulking.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein, prior to caulking, the first component is screwed to the second component.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein caulking is executed by a force/displacement monitored press.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the form- and/or force-fit connection and the axial lock are established between a motor flange of the motor and a ring gear of the gearbox, so that the motor flange defines the first component and the ring gear of the gearbox the second component.

15. An assembly comprising a motor and a gearbox connected to the motor, wherein the connection between the motor and the gearbox is established in accordance with the method set forth in claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) An embodiment of the present disclosure will be explained in more detail hereinafter making reference to drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through a motor flange and a ring gear of a gearbox to be connected thereto, before the two components are joined,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section through the motor flange and the ring gear according to FIG. 1, after the two components have been screwed together,

(4) FIG. 3 shows the view according to FIG. 2 with a caulking tool to be inserted through the ring gear,

(5) FIG. 4 shows the view according to FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively, with the caulking tool inserted, and

(6) FIG. 5 shows the view according to FIG. 4 with the caulking tool inserted even further.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) In the statements following hereinbelow, like components are designated by like reference numerals. If a figure contains reference numerals that are not explained in detail in the associated description of the figures, reference is made to preceding or subsequent descriptions of the figures.

(8) FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through two components to be connected to each other, viz. a first component 1 and a second component 2. The first component 1 is the motor flange of an electric motor. The second component 2 is the ring gear of a gearbox to be attached thereto. It has internal teeth 6, as is usually the case.

(9) The two components are substantially rotationally symmetrical and have a geometric axis 7 in common. In a first step of the method according to the present disclosure, the two components are screwed together. To this end, the motor flange 1 has an external thread 13, and the ring gear 2 of the gearbox has a complementary internal thread 12 at its left end.

(10) FIG. 2 shows the assembly after the two components 1 and 2 have been screwed together.

(11) In a second step, the screw connection is secured by means of caulking. For this purpose, the motor flange 1 has a lug in the form of a hollow-cylindrical projection 3, which is deformed into a complementary recess 5 configured in the form of an undercut on the inner circumference of the ring gear 2.

(12) For the purpose of caulking, the caulking tool 4 shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 is used. The caulking tool 4 essentially consists of a simple shaft having external teeth 8 along its entire length. It can be inserted into the ring gear 2 from the right. In the course of this process, the external teeth 8 of the caulking tool 4 interact with the internal teeth 6 of the ring gear in the manner of a linear guide.

(13) The caulking tool 4 has a conical end portion 9 at its left end. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the material of the lug 3 is deformed radially outwards into the undercut 5 by the conical end portion 9 during caulking, thus establishing an axial lock.

(14) As can especially be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, a front portion 10 of the ring gear 2, which front portion is arranged directly in front of the undercut 5 and thus closer to the motor flange 1 than the undercut 5, is provided with a profile in the form of internal teeth 11. The internal teeth 11 are preferably produced together with the internal teeth 6 of the ring gear and are thus a continuation of the internal teeth 6. If the caulking tool 4 is inserted even further to the left than shown in FIG. 4, the material of the lug 3 will, as shown in FIG. 5, be deformed by the conical end portion 9 of the caulking tool 4 into the internal teeth 11 of the front portion 10, so that a form fit acting in a circumferential direction will be established between the two components, this form fit serving as an additional anti-rotation lock. In this context, it is particularly advantageous that the external teeth 8 of the caulking tool 4, which match the internal teeth 11 of the front portion 10, also exist on the conical end portion 9.

(15) For carrying out the method precisely and with repeat accuracy, the caulking tool is preferably guided by means of a force/displacement monitored press.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

(16) 1 first component/motor flange 2 second component/ring gear 3 lug 4 caulking tool 5 recess/undercut 6 teeth of the second component 7 axis 8 teeth of the caulking tool 9 wedge-shaped/conical end portion 10 front portion 11 teeth of the front portion 12 thread of the second component 13 thread of the first component