STEERING AXLE FOR A STEERABLE VEHICLE, AND INDUSTRIAL TRUCK

Abstract

A steering axle for a steerable vehicle has an axle housing and a steering drive with an electric motor and motor shaft. A first planetary stage includes a first sun gear, first planet gears, and a first planet carrier. A last planetary stage includes a last sun gear, last planet gears, a last planet carrier, and a ring gear. A force flux from the motor shaft runs via the first sun gear and the first planet gears to the first planet carrier. The force flux furthermore runs via the last sun gear to the last planet gears. The force flux furthermore runs from the last planet gears to the ring gear. In relation to the axle housing, the ring gear is pivotably mounted about a pivot axis. The last planet carrier is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the axle housing. Also disclosed is a corresponding industrial truck.

Claims

1. A steering axle (1) for a steerable vehicle, comprising: an axle housing (18); a steering drive (24) having an electric motor (2) and a motor shaft (3); a first planetary stage (20) comprising a first sun gear (4), first planet gears (5), and a first planet carrier (6); and a last planetary stage (22) comprising a last sun gear (9), last planet gears (10), a last planet carrier (16), and a ring gear (11), wherein the ring gear (11) in relation to the axle housing (18) is mounted so as to be rotatable about a pivot axis (19), and the last planet carrier (16) is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the axle housing (18); wherein the steering drive (24) is configured such that a force flux from the motor shaft (3) runs by way of the first sun gear (4) and the first planet gears (5) to the first planet carrier (6), and such that the force flux furthermore runs by way of the last sun gear (9) to the last planet gears (10), and wherein the force flux furthermore runs from the last planet gears (10) to the ring gear (11).

2. The steering axle (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the steering drive (24) furthermore comprises at least one intermediary planetary stage (21) which in turn comprises an intermediary sun gear (7), intermediary planet gears (8), and an intermediary planet carrier (17), the force flux from the first planet carrier (5) running by way of the intermediary sun gear (7) and the intermediary planet gears (8) to the intermediary planet carrier (17), and the force flux furthermore running from the intermediary planet carrier (17) to the last sun gear (9).

3. The steering axle (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the steering drive comprises a housing (25) and wherein the ring gear (11) is rotatably mounted on the housing (25).

4. The steering axle (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ring gear (11) is composed of a multiplicity of individual ring gears (11′, 11″) which are concentrically disposed.

5. The steering axle (1) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the multiplicity of individual ring gears (11′, 11″) includes a ring gear (11) on an external side and wherein the ring gear (11) on the external side has at least one steering arm (12).

6. The steering axle (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ring gear (11) has a hub carrier for a steerable wheel of the steering axle (1).

7. The steering axle (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electric motor (2) is disposed so as to be coaxial with the pivot axis (19).

8. The steering axle (1) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the motor shaft (3) is connected to the first sun gear (4) in a rotationally fixed manner.

9. The steering axle (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electric motor (2) is disposed so as to be parallel to the pivot axis (19).

10. The steering axle (1) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the motor shaft (3) and the first sun gear (4) are operatively connected by way of a belt drive, a chain drive, or a spur wheel mechanism.

11. An industrial truck comprising the steering axle (1) as claimed in claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0036] In the FIGURES:

[0037] FIG. 1 shows in an exemplary and schematic manner a potential embodiment of a steering axle according to the invention for a steerable vehicle.

[0038] Identical items, functional units and equivalent components are provided with the same reference signs in all the figures. These items, functional units and equivalent components in terms of the technical features are of identical embodiment, unless otherwise derived explicitly or implicitly from the description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] FIG. 1 shows in an exemplary and schematic manner a potential embodiment of a steering axle 1 according to the invention (illustrated only in fragments) for a steerable vehicle, for example for an industrial truck. The steering axle 1 comprises an axle housing 18 and a steering drive 24. The steering drive 24 in turn comprises an electric motor 2 having a motor shaft 3. According to the example, the steering drive 19 furthermore comprises a first planetary stage 20 having a first sun gear 4, first planet gears 5 and a first planet carrier 6. The first planet carrier 6 is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the intermediary sun gear 7, which meshes with the intermediary planet gears 8, the latter in turn driving the intermediary planet carrier 17. The intermediary planet carrier 17 is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the last sun gear 9, the latter in turn meshing with the last planet gears 10 and driving the latter. The last planet gears 10 are held by the last planet carrier 16. However, the last planet carrier 16 is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the axle housing 18 and is thus prevented from performing a rotating movement. However, the last planet gears 10 also mesh with the ring gear 11 which is composed of three concentrically disposed individual ring gears 11′, 11″, 11′″, for example. The ring gear 11 is mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis 19. The steering drive 24 of FIG. 1 is thus configured such that a force flux from the motor shaft 3 runs by way of the first sun gear 4 and the first planet gears 5 to the first planet carrier 6, and that the force flux furthermore runs by way of the intermediary sun gear 7 to the intermediary planet gears 8 and from the latter to the intermediary planet carrier 17. The force flux from the intermediary planet carrier 17 furthermore runs to the last sun gear 9, onward to the last planet gears 10, and finally to the ring gear 11. As can be seen, the motor shaft 3 is mounted by way of the mounting 23, and the ring gear is mounted by way of the mounting 13, in an upper housing part 14 of the housing 25 of the steering drive 24. Moreover, the ring gear 11 by way of the mounting 15 is mounted on the last planet carrier 16. A steering arm 12 enables a steering link, not illustrated in FIG. 1, to be actuated by way of a rotating movement of the ring gear 11. Likewise, the steering arm 12 can be configured as a hub carrier having at least one cylindrical region for receiving a hub mounting. In this way, a steerable wheel of the steering axle 1 can be articulated directly by way of the ring gear 11. The pivot axis 19 of the ring gear 11 in this case is at the same time the steering axis of the axle-pivot steering system. In this instance, wheel forces can be transmitted to the axle housing 18 by way of the mountings 13 and 14.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0040] 1 Steering axle [0041] 2 Electric motor [0042] 3 Motor shaft [0043] 4 First sun gear [0044] 5 First planet gears [0045] 6 First planet carrier [0046] 7 Intermediary sun gear [0047] 8 Intermediary planet gears [0048] 9 Last sun gear [0049] 10 Last planet gears [0050] 11 Ring gear [0051] 11′, 11″, 11′″ Individual ring gear [0052] 12 Steering arm [0053] 13 Mounting [0054] 14 Upper housing part [0055] 15 Mounting [0056] 16 Last planet carrier [0057] 17 Intermediary planet carrier [0058] 18 Axle housing [0059] 19 Pivot axis of the ring gear [0060] 20 First planetary stage [0061] 21 Intermediary planetary stage [0062] 22 Last planetary stage [0063] 23 Mounting [0064] 24 Steering drive [0065] 25 Housing of the steering drive