Abstract:
A planetary gear train having planetary gears ( 8 ) which are rotatably mounted on a planet carrier ( 18 ) and are in toothed contact with an internally toothed ring gear ( 14 ) and a sun gear ( 4 ). For a simplified, process-safe and inexpensive backlash of the planetary gears ( 8 ) without axial displacement of the sun gear ( 4 ), the ring gear ( 14 ) and the planetary gears ( 8 ) are conically designed so that planetary gear axles ( 16 ) are retained in the planetary gear carrier ( 18 ) at an inclined angle (α) and that the planetary gears ( 8 ) are axially movably disposed upon and coordinated with the planetary gear axles ( 16 ) and the position of the planetary gears ( 8 ) can be adjusted within the planetary train by adjusting mechanisms for adjusting a backlash.

Description:
[0001]     This application is a national stage completion of PCT/EP2005/000358 filed Jan. 15, 2005 which claims priority from German Application Serial No. 10 2004 006 723.6 filed Feb. 11, 2004.  
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The invention relates to a planetary gear train.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The technological problem of economically producing planetary gear trains of poor play design with the usual methods of manufacture is generally known. A solution has been proposed to provide, for example, a combination of limited manufacture tolerances with a classification of planets, ring gears and sun gears divided into several play classes. The play is measured and the adequate matching parts are determined hereafter each intermediate step of assembly. Those assembly methods are no longer economical for specific play requirements due to the number of matching parts to be furnished, to the measuring controls the assembly by reduced measuring controls have not proved process-safe, since an increased reassembly quote of planetary gear trains lying outside the tolerances had to be tabulated.  
         [0004]     From EP 1 188 002 B1, a high-geared Wolfrom planetary train having one sun gear, two internally toothed ring gears and planetary gears of bi-conical design is known. The train is driven via the sun gear upon the planetary gears, which mesh with both ring gears. The output takes place via one of the two ring gears, while the other ring gear remains stationary.  
         [0005]     Considering this background, the problem on which the invention is based is to offer a planetary gear train which easily makes a process safe, economical and reproducible backlash possible.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The invention is accordingly based on a planetary gear train with planetary gears supported on a planet carrier and in tooth contact with an internally toothed ring gear and a sun gear. Moreover, the ring gear and the planetary gears are of conical design in this planetary train; the planetary gear axles are retained in the planetary gear carrier at an inclined angle α; the planetary gears are disposed axially movably upon the planetary gear axles coordinated therewith, and the position of the planetary gears in the planetary train are adjustable by adjusting means for a backlash.  
         [0007]     This construction has the designed advantage that, depending on the adjusting means used, the planetary gears are axially displacable on their planetary gear axle to the extent that, by virtue of the conical ring gear internal toothing the desired backlash adjusts itself.  
         [0008]     In an advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that the sun gear has an approximately cylindrical external toothing. In addition, it is considered very important that the cone angle β of the tooth flanks of the planetary gears are adapted to the inclined angle α of the planetary gear axles so that the tooth flanks of the sun gear and the tooth flanks of the planetary gears meet each other over the whole tooth width.  
         [0009]     At the same time, it is advantageous in this connection that the inclined angle α of the planetary gear axles correspond at least approximately to the angle β of the tooth flanks of the planetary gears. According to another development of the invention, it is also provided that the inclined angle α of the planetary gear axles correspond at least approximately to half the cone angle of the tooth flanks of the ring gear.  
         [0010]     Another alternative provides that the planet carrier is rotatably supported on the ring gear. For this purpose, it can be provided that two bearings are situated on both sides of the toothing plane of the planetary gears which are preferably positioned between the ring gear and the planet carrier and designed as slanted bearings in O-arrangement.  
         [0011]     Another feature of the inventively designed planetary train consists in that the planet carrier is connected with one output shaft of this train while the ring gear is fastened upon an input shaft of a prime mover.  
         [0012]     Regarding the play adjusting means, it is considered advantageous that the adjusting means is adjustingly situated between the planetary gear carrier and the planetary gears.  
         [0013]     According to one alternative, it can be provided in this connection that the adjusting means between the planetary gear carrier and the ring gear comprise operative fitting discs and/or spacer discs that determine their axial position relative to each other.  
         [0014]     According to another alternative, the adjusting means is operatively placed between the planet gear carrier and the planetary gears are designed as spacer pieces disposed coaxially to the planetary gear axles. The spacer pieces can be designed as adjusting springs such as a coil or plate springs, situated coaxially to the planetary gear axles.  
         [0015]     According to another alternative, it can be provided that the adjusting means operatively situated between the planetary gear carrier and the planetary gears are designed as continuously feedable grub screws which makes a particularly fine adjustment possible and, in addition, can be adjusted with no disassembly expense.  
         [0016]     By this step, the elastic deformation characteristic can be purposefully influenced. It can thus be obtained, for example, that the medium center distances of the planetary gear axles are mutually slightly enlarged so that when the planetary gears are axially fed, the tooth contact between ring gear internal toothing and planetary gear external toothing are first adjusted while thereafter, by further axial feeding without narrowing the tooth contact, the further tooth contact between the planets and the ring gear are adjusted.  
         [0017]     In further advantageous development, it can be provided for increased play requirements that additional adjusting means are disposed which determine the axial position of ring gear and planetary gear carrier relative to each other. In an advantageous easy way, this can result, for example, by fitting discs selected by their adequate dimensions which are inserted in an incision of the planetary gear carrier. The play of the train is then adjusted in two steps.  
         [0018]     As a first step, preferably with the above mentioned adjusting means operative between planets and carriers, the play between planets and sun is adjusted, while in the second step, the play between ring gear and planets are adjusted. Hereby a separate, exact play adjustment of both tooth contacts can result.  
         [0019]     The preferably cylindrical sun gear toothing is in the operating state axially movable without hindrance so that it can be connected directly and without axial step bearings or compensation means with a driving engine shaft, which is typically subject in the operation to thermal changes of length and other axial motions determined by input. All parts decisive for play can be produced with usual, process safe and economical manufacturing tolerances.  
         [0020]     In the two-step play adjustment, the material free places can also be advantageously used, since periodical errors typical in manufacture of the parts involved clearly result more rarely in clamping phenomena or other damages.  
         [0021]     In further advantageous development, especially in trains having an increased number of planets, a single adjusting means can be provided that is operative between planets and the carriers and acts jointly upon all planets.  
         [0022]     It is finally provided that the value of the reduction ratio of the train is less than or equal to twelve.  
         [0023]     The invention advantageously makes possible omitting the expensive matching of classified train parts mentioned above. After assembling the train, the tooth flank play is determined without adjusting means and subsequently the desired play is adjusted, via adequate selection of the thickness, for example, of said thrust washers. The inclined planetary gear arrangement results in that with increasing thickness, the planetary gear is shifted on its axle diminishing the tooth face play.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0024]     The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0025]      FIG. 1  is a first embodiment of an inventively designed planetary train;  
         [0026]      FIG. 2  is a detailed view, according to  FIG. 1 , of the second embodiment, and  
         [0027]      FIG. 3  is a section similar to  FIG. 2  of a third embodiment. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0028]     According to  FIG. 1 , the inventively designed planetary gear train is constructed as follows. One shaft  2  carries one sun gear  4  with an outer toothing  6 . In the outer toothing  6 , several planetary gears engage of which only one planetary gear  8  is shown horizontally in the drawing. An outer toothing  10  of the planetary gear  8  meshes both with the outer toothing  6  of the sun gear  4  and with an inner toothing  12  of a ring gear  14 .  
         [0029]     The planetary gear  8  is rotatably mounted on a planetary gear axle  16  which is non-rotatably inserted in a planetary gear carrier  18 . The planetary gear axle  16  grippingly engages by its end, lying to the left in  FIG. 1 , in a blind hole  20  of the planetary gear carrier  18  while the end correspondingly lying to the right supports itself in a through aperture  22 .  
         [0030]     The ring gear  14  supports itself with intercalation of diagonally adjusted ball bearings  24  on a shoulder  26  of the planetary gear carrier  18 . The ring gear  14  is axially secured, relative to the planetary gear carrier  18 , by way of contact of the ball bearing  24 , lying to the left in  FIG. 1 , on an axial collar  28  and a fitting disc  32  which is inserted in an incision  30  of the planetary gear carrier  18  and for its part directly abuts on the ball bearing  24  shown to the right with intercalation of a disc  34 .  
         [0031]     The planetary gear carrier  18  supports a flange  36  in which peripherally distributed threaded holes  38  are made. A radial shaft seal ring  44  is sealingly situated between an external peripheral surface  40  of the flange  36  and a sleeve collar  42  of the ring gear  14 .  
         [0032]     Moreover, material free places in the form of incisions  46 ,  48  are inserted in the planetary gear  8  and the ring gear  14 . The material free places, coordinated with the planetary gear  8 , are designed as the incision  46  revolving with rotational symmetry, but they can also be disposed as several peripherally spaced incisions  46 .  
         [0033]     The material free place, coordinated with the ring gear  14 , is designed as the incision  48  slantingly extending in outer direction with rotational symmetry starting from the ball bearing  24 , shown to the right. The ring gear  14  carries an annular flange  52  on its external side having prolonged apertures  50 .  
         [0034]     The outer toothing  6  of the sun gear  4  is also cylindrically designed in relation to the shaft  2 . The planetary gear axles  16  are inclined at an angle α to the shaft  2  and the outer toothing  10  of the planetary gears  8  is conically designed and inclined at a cone angle β to the planetary gear axle  16 . In addition to the angles α and β, a total cone angle δ of the internal toothing  12  to the shaft  2  is comparatively large. The cone angle β is adapted to the inclined angle α of the planetary gear axles  16  so that the tooth flanks of the sun gear  4  and the planetary gear  8  meet over their whole tooth width.  
         [0035]     Between an inner surface  54  of the planet carrier  18  facing the planetary gear  8  and a front surface  56  of the planetary gear  8  facing it, is situated an adjusting means for backlash of the planetary gear  8  designed as a disc-like spacer piece  58 , said spacer piece  58  coming into contact on the planetary gear  8  side on an integrally formed collar  60 .  
         [0036]     In case of relatively small to medium requirements on the tooth flank play prevalent between the gear wheel pairs outer toothing  6 /outer toothing  10  and inner toothing  12 /outer toothing  10 , the whole train play can be adjusted as follows.  
         [0037]     Depending on the desired play, the spacer pieces  58 , such as thrust discs of different thickness measure, are inserted. These can be designed as ring-shaped situated coaxially with the planetary gear axle  16  or as the slotted ring which, by way of the slots (not shown), are moved over the planetary gear axle  16 .  
         [0038]     The axial movability of the planetary gear  8  compared to the planetary gear axle  16  results in that, depending on the thickness of the thrust disc, the tooth plays in both above described gear wheel engagements change in substantially the same way. Both engagements can thus change with one adjusting means.  
         [0039]     The incisions  46  and  48  improve the elastic characteristic of the planetary gear train. Shape and cross-sectional surfaces of the incisions  46 ,  48  are dimensioned so that they purposefully adjust the desired plays for both gear wheel engagements. The incision  46  is dimensioned so that the medium center distance between the planetary gear axles  16  is slightly enlarged compared to an unloaded state. During axial feeding of the planetary gear  8 , the tooth contact between inner toothing  12  and outer toothing  10  is here obtained somewhat earlier than in the engagement matching between planetary gear  8  and sun gear  4 . When the planetary gear  8  is further axially fed, with calculated elastic deformation of the parts involved in the elastic axial added path, the desired narrow toothing contact between the planetary gear  8  and the sun gear  4  is also achieved.  
         [0040]     In case of increased requirements placed on the total train play, separate adjusting means are provided for both tooth engagements. The tooth flank play, between the sun gear  4  and the planetary gear  8 , is adjusted in the way described above by way of the spacer piece  58 .  
         [0041]     The tooth flank play between the planetary gear  8  and ring gear  14  results by adjustment of the relative axial position of the ring gear  14  to the planetary gear carrier  18 . To this end, fitting discs  32  and/or discs  34  of dimensions corresponding to the desired tooth flank play are used.  
         [0042]      FIG. 2  shows in a detailed view, according to  FIG. 1 , a second embodiment of the adjusting means. A plate spring-like adjusting spring  62  is operative between the collar  60  and the inner surface  54 . The spring rate is here selected so that a compressive force, sufficient for the desired tooth flank play, acts upon the planetary gear  8 . Otherwise the same steps as in  FIG. 1  can be carried out and the same effects obtained with this embodiment.  
         [0043]      FIG. 3  shows a third embodiment of the adjusting means in the form of a continuously feedable set screw  64 . The latter is inserted via a hole  66  made in the flange  36  in a corresponding thread. By tapping the set screw  64 , it makes contact with the collar  60  of the planetary gear  8  and moves the latter in the axial way already described above. This embodiment also makes the adjustment of both gearwheel pairs possible, jointly or separately, in relation to the fitting disc  32 , as described above in relation to  FIG. 1 .  
         [0044]     Independently of the kind of adjusting means, the planetary gear train is driven via the shaft  2 ; thus the sun gear  4  transmits the introduced power to the planetary gear  8 . To this end, the shaft  2  can be brought to engagement, for example, with an electric motor (not shown).  
         [0045]     The ring gear  14  is stationarily retained in a manner (not shown in detail) by fastening means that penetrate the aperture  50 . The planetary gear carrier  18  functions here as an output; the input shaft of a machine (not shown) is situated on the threaded holes  38 .  
         [0046]     For expedience, the planetary gear carrier  18  is alternatively set stationarily by way of the threaded holes  38 . The ring gear  14  acting then as an output correspondingly drives a machine.  
       REFERENCE NUMERALS  
       [0000]    
       
           2  shaft  
           4  sun gear  
           6  outer toothing  
           8  planetary gear  
           10  outer toothing  
           12  inner toothing  
           14  ring gear  
           16  planetary gear axle  
           18  planetary gear carrier  
           20  blind hole  
           22  through aperture  
           24  ball bearing  
           26  shoulder  
           28  axial collar  
           30  incision  
           32  fitting disc  
           34  disc  
           36  flange  
           38  threaded pole  
           40  external peripheral surface  
           42  sleeve collar  
           44  radial shaft seal ring  
           46  incision  
           48  incision  
           50  aperture  
           52  annular flange  
           54  inner surface  
           56  front surface  
           58  spacer piece  
           60  collar  
           62  adjusting spring  
           64  set screw  
           66  hole  
          α axle inclined angle  
          β cone angle  
          δ total cone angle