CN114542690A - Housing assembly and vehicle comprising the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a housing assembly of a vehicle, in particular of a vehicle which can be operated by muscle force and/or motor force, comprising a housing (2) and a sleeve (3) which is arranged in an opening (25) of the housing (2), wherein the sleeve (3) has a pressing section (31), a knurling (32) and a sleeve flange (33), wherein a press fit is formed between the pressing section (31) and the opening (25), wherein the knurling (32) is positively engaged with the housing (2) in order to prevent the sleeve (3) from twisting relative to the housing (2), and wherein the sleeve flange (33) bears against the housing (2). The invention also relates to a vehicle comprising a housing assembly.

Description

Housing assembly and vehicle comprising the same

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a housing assembly and a vehicle comprising a housing assembly.

Background

Housing assemblies with screws that are screwed directly into the housing are known, for example, in applications on the drive unit of a vehicle. Here, a housing made of magnesium is generally used. In this case, however, only low holding forces can generally be transmitted via the thread in the housing, so that there is a risk of tearing in the case of high tightening torques or high screwing forces.

Disclosure of Invention

In contrast, the invention proposes a housing assembly of a vehicle, in particular of a vehicle which can be operated by means of muscle force and/or motor force, comprising: the sleeve is arranged in an opening of the housing, the sleeve has a pressing section, a knurling and a sleeve flange, a press fit is configured between the pressing section and the opening, the knurling and the housing are in a form-locking engagement for preventing the sleeve from twisting relative to the housing, and the sleeve flange abuts against the housing.

The housing arrangement according to the invention is distinguished by the fact that a particularly stable arrangement can be provided which is suitable for transmitting particularly high forces to the housing. This is achieved by a housing assembly comprising a housing and a sleeve. The sleeve is disposed in the opening of the housing. The sleeve has a pressing section, a knurling and a sleeve flange. A press fit is formed between the pressing section and the opening. In other words, the pressing section and the housing, in particular the inner side of the housing wall in the opening, are designed in such a way that a press fit exists between the pressing section and the inner side of the housing wall. Preferably, the press fit corresponds to an interference fit, preferably in the range of H7/p6 fit up to H7/s6 fit.

The knurling of the sleeve is in form-locking engagement with the housing. The structure in the outer surface of the sleeve having ridges and/or recesses is considered as knurling. In particular, the teeth that can mesh with the inside of the housing wall within the opening are considered as knurls. Preferably, a form-locking engagement, in particular in the form of a toothing, is created between the knurl and the housing by: the knurls, in particular the elevations of the knurls which project relative to the surface of the pressing section, plastically deform the housing in the region inside the opening. The knurling thereby causes the sleeve to be anti-twisted relative to the housing. In particular, the plastic deformation caused in the housing by the knurling enables, in addition to the torsion resistance, an additional holding force in any direction, which additionally contributes to a secure holding of the sleeve relative to the housing.

In addition, the sleeve flange abuts against the housing, whereby the sleeve is prevented in particular from moving within the opening. Preferably, the sleeve flange and the housing therefore cause a form-fit in at least one direction, so that the sleeve cannot move in this direction. Preferably, the sleeve is of substantially cylindrical design, wherein in particular the sleeve flange projects beyond the pressing section and the knurling in the radial direction.

Preferably, the opening is a through-opening which in particular penetrates completely through a housing wall of the housing. By means of the through-opening, a particularly simple and cost-effective housing structure can be provided. Preferably, the sleeve can be introduced into the through-opening from one side until the sleeve flange rests against the housing.

In other words, the housing arrangement has three different connection elements which, in a co-operating manner, enable a particularly stable and load-technically advantageous connection of the sleeve and the housing. Here, the sleeve offers the following advantages: by means of the sleeve, further components, for example a retaining plate, can be connected particularly stably and securely to the housing. For example, screws can be screwed into the sleeves. Since the housing and the sleeve can be designed and provided as separate components, different materials can be used for the housing and the sleeve in order to provide application-specifically optimized housing assembly performance. Thus, for example, in the case of a particularly light housing assembly, the housing can be composed of a material having a low density and a relatively high toughness. In order to be able to connect the further component to the housing in a stable manner without the connecting element breaking free from the housing wall, a sleeve made of another material having a higher strength can be provided. In order to be able to achieve a reliable connection between the sleeve and the housing which allows high mechanical forces to be transmitted, three connecting elements are provided, namely a pressing section, a knurling and a sleeve flange. In this case, the advantage of such a configuration is, in particular, that each of the three connection elements can individually bring about a certain holding force for the sleeve in the housing. The sum of all holding forces of the individual fastening elements here forms the total holding force for the sleeve in the housing, as a result of which a particularly high force transmission via the sleeve to the housing or vice versa can be achieved.

The contents of the preferred embodiments are preferred embodiments of the invention.

Preferably, the sleeve extends along a longitudinal axis. The pressing section, the knurls and the sleeve flange extend over the entire axial length of the sleeve. The entire axial length can thereby be used for force transmission to the housing, in order to be able to transmit mechanical forces from the sleeve to the housing or vice versa in a particularly evenly distributed manner and thereby avoid damage to the housing, for example due to too high a tightening torque of the screw.

Particularly preferably, the pressing section extends over at least 25%, preferably at least 40%, particularly preferably at most 70%, of the entire axial length of the sleeve. This ensures that the main part of the force transmission between the sleeve and the housing is achieved via the press fit. A further advantage of having a press fit of sufficient length in the axial direction is that a reliable sealing effect between the housing and the sleeve is achieved, for example in order to prevent fluid from passing between the inner wall of the opening of the housing and the sleeve.

Preferably, the sleeve flange is arranged on the first axial end of the sleeve. The pressing section is arranged on a second axial end of the sleeve opposite the sleeve flange. The knurling is therefore particularly located between the sleeve flange and the pressing section. In this way, a particularly advantageous uniform force distribution can be achieved, since, for example, axial forces acting on the housing from the sleeve are present predominantly in the region of the pressing section and in the region of the sleeve flange, which are spaced apart from one another by the knurling. In other words, the highest axial forces are introduced into the housing at a distance from one another in the direction of the longitudinal axis, thereby avoiding the possibility of deformation or damage to the housing, for example, as a result of higher forces being concentrated at precisely one point of the housing wall.

Particularly preferably, the knurling has a longitudinal knurling with a projection parallel to the axis. In particular, a plurality of such projections parallel to the axis are present here around the entire circumference of the sleeve, between which recesses are arranged in each case. The longitudinal knurling is particularly advantageous with regard to simple manufacturability in order to provide a twist protection with regard to rotation about the longitudinal axis of the sleeve. Alternatively or additionally, the knurls have helical knurls with lobes extending helically along the longitudinal axis. In particular, in the case of helical knurling, there are likewise a plurality of elevations around the entire circumference of the sleeve, wherein recesses are formed between the elevations in each case. In particular, what can be regarded as helical knurling is a knurling having straight projections and preferably recesses between these projections, which projections and recesses each extend along a straight line which is inclined at an angle of, for example, from 20 ° to 80 ° relative to the longitudinal axis. In particular, the helical knurling causes a slight twisting of the sleeve when it is pressed into the opening. In addition to the prevention of twisting about the longitudinal axis, a holding force along the longitudinal axis can be achieved by means of the helical knurling, which further has an advantageous effect on a particularly stable and durable housing assembly. In particular, the flange forces of the sleeve flange can be reduced by the helical knurling, wherein a high overall holding force of the sleeve is maintained.

Preferably, the sleeve flange is configured as a cone flange. The housing has a conically configured housing shoulder. In other words, the sleeve flange and the housing shoulder each have a conical contact surface against which the respective other component can bear. In particular, the two conical contact surfaces have the same opening angle. Alternatively, before the sleeve is pressed in, these opening angles can be slightly offset from one another, so that the sleeve flange and the housing shoulder are preferably designed such that they touch in line contact, in particular with low axial prestress. Preferably, the axial tensioning of the sleeve and the housing with respect to each other results in: the housing is plastically deformed in the region of the housing shoulder, so that a surface contact is formed between the sleeve flange and the housing shoulder. This enables a particularly uniform force transmission between the sleeve and the housing. In addition, in addition to the pressing section, a wider region with a sealing effect can thus be provided in the region of the sleeve flange, in order to prevent the passage of fluid between the sleeve and the housing in a particularly reliable manner. A further advantage of the conical flange is that, in particular in comparison with planar flanges, a particularly large contact surface is provided for the housing shoulder with a small absolute size of the flange. As a result, a lower housing pressure load can be achieved in the region of the housing shoulder with equal holding forces of the sleeve.

Particularly preferably, the housing is made of magnesium or a magnesium alloy. In this way, a particularly light housing assembly can be provided with simple manufacturability and cost-effective design. Here, the sleeve offers the following advantages: in or on the housing made of magnesium or magnesium alloy, further components can be fixed in a particularly stable and durable manner. In this case, a particularly high holding force of the component on the housing can be achieved by the uniform force distribution on the housing achieved by means of the sleeve.

Preferably, the sleeve is composed of aluminum or an aluminum alloy. In addition to a particularly cost-effective and simple manufacturability, high strength can thereby be achieved without the risk of thread breakage. For example, screws can be screwed into such sleeves. In this case, it is particularly advantageous if the sleeve as an intermediate element between the screw and the housing can avoid or at least reduce galvanic corrosion. The sleeve can thereby cause insulation and increased resistance to the flow of electrons between the screw and the housing, thereby slowing down the corrosion.

It is further preferred that the housing assembly further comprises a screw which is screwed into a bore, in particular a blind bore, of the sleeve. The screws are preferably made of steel. For example, additional elements, for example a retaining plate, can be fastened to the housing by means of screws. Preferably, the screw is screwed into the side of the sleeve opposite the sleeve flange.

Particularly preferably, the screw has an external thread which is self-tapping. In this way, a particularly simple and cost-effective housing assembly can be provided, since the screw can be screwed directly into the sleeve in a simple manner, in particular without the need for a preliminary internal thread to be produced in the sleeve.

Particularly preferably, the housing is a cast component, in particular a diecast component. The through-opening is here a bore. The through-openings produced by means of cutting or alternatively by means of laser drilling are considered to be drilled holes. Thereby, a housing assembly manufactured with high precision can be provided at a particularly low cost. Since the housing opening is a bore, particularly high precision in terms of orientation and fitting precision can be achieved, for example, in comparison with through openings produced by means of a casting process.

Preferably, the housing has a lacquer and/or a powder coating on the outside of the housing. In particular, the painting and/or powder coating is located on the region outside the housing surrounding the through-opening in which the sleeve is arranged. In combination with the high axial forces which can be achieved in the case of clamping of components on the housing by means of the sleeve, the lacquers and/or the powder coatings provide the following further advantages: additional sealing functions can be implemented. In particular, an increased surface pressure can be achieved in the layer with the lacquer and/or the powder coating by high axial forces, which leads to a smooth and plastic deformation of the lacquer and/or the powder coating. This causes an additional seal to prevent fluid in this area from passing through.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a vehicle, preferably an electric bicycle, which can be operated by means of muscle force and/or motor force, comprising the described housing assembly. The housing can be screwed to a vehicle frame of a vehicle, for example.

Preferably, the vehicle further comprises a drive unit, which preferably has a motor and/or a transmission. The drive unit is arranged in a housing, in particular such that the housing completely encloses the drive unit. Particularly preferably, the housing assembly here comprises a plurality of sleeves which are arranged in corresponding openings of the housing.

Drawings

The invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings according to embodiments. In the figures, functionally identical components are designated by the same reference numerals, respectively. Shown here are:

figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a housing assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 shows a sleeve of the housing assembly of FIG. 1, and

fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the housing assembly of fig. 1.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a sectional view of a housing assembly 1 of a preferred embodiment of the invention. The housing assembly 1 comprises a sleeve 3, which is shown in detail in fig. 2. Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the housing assembly 1 of fig. 1.

The housing assembly 1 comprises a housing 2 which is provided for receiving a drive unit (not shown) of a vehicle, in particular of an electric bicycle, in a receiving space 29 within the housing 2. The housing 2 serves in particular to protect the drive unit. Furthermore, the drive unit is held in the vehicle frame, for example, via the housing 2. For this purpose, the housing 2 can be screwed into or onto the vehicle frame, for example directly or alternatively indirectly via one or more retaining plates 5 (see fig. 1).

The housing 2 is made of magnesium, which has a lower density and higher toughness than other metals such as aluminum or steel. Here, the case 2 is a die-cast member manufactured by die-casting magnesium. In order to enable a stable and reliable screwing of the housing 2, the housing assembly 1 comprises a sleeve 3.

The sleeve 3 is arranged in a through opening 25 which penetrates the housing wall 20 of the housing 2. The through-opening 25 is a drill hole which has been drilled into the housing wall 20 by means of cutting. By drilling the through-opening 25 in a separate step after the housing 2 has been manufactured by means of die casting, particularly precise position and attitude tolerances (Positions-und Lagetoleranzen) of the through-opening 25 can be achieved, so that the housing 2 can be positioned precisely on the vehicle frame.

The sleeve 3 is of substantially cylindrical design and extends along a longitudinal axis 35. Along the longitudinal axis 35, a bore 37 is formed centrally in the sleeve 3 in the form of a blind hole. The screw 4 is screwed into the bore 37. The screw 4 has a self-tapping external thread 41, by means of which the screw 4 is screwed into the sleeve 3.

The sleeve 3 is made of aluminum. Since aluminum has a significantly higher strength than the magnesium of the housing 2, the screw 4 can be screwed into the sleeve with a significantly higher tightening torque than, for example, screwing directly into the housing 2. In particular, a firm fastening can thereby be achieved. And on the other hand, easier assembly can be achieved without the risk of damage to the housing 2, since, for example, in the case of relatively strong deviations in the tightening torque, damage due to exceeding the maximum possible torque is prevented.

In this case, the retaining force a of the sleeve 3 is transmitted particularly uniformly to the housing wall 20 of the housing 2 by means of a specific configuration of the sleeve 3, which will be described below, as a result of which damage to the housing 2 is avoided and at the same time a force transmission which is as optimal as possible and is distributed uniformly between the sleeve 3 and the housing 2 is achieved.

The sleeve 3 has a pressing section 31, a knurling 32 and a sleeve flange 33 on the outside. These three elements serve as fastening means for fastening the sleeve 3 in the through opening 25 in the housing 2. Each of these three elements contributes to a retention force a which opposes a screwing force B applied by the screw 4 (see fig. 1).

The pressing section 31 is designed such that it has a press fit with the inside of the through-opening 25. By means of this press fit, on the one hand, the holding force a is assisted and, on the other hand, a fluid-tight seal is achieved between the sleeve 3 and the housing 2. The pressure section 31 extends over a first axial length 36a, which corresponds to 40% of the entire axial length 36 of the sleeve (see fig. 2).

As can be seen in fig. 1 and 2, the pressing section 31 is located on a first axial end 3b of the sleeve, into which the screw 4 is screwed. The pressing section 31 here comprises a chamfer 31c on the end face of the sleeve 3 in order to be able to easily press the sleeve 3 into the through-opening 25.

The knurling 32 adjoins the pressing section 31 in the axial direction. The knurls 32 are configured in the manner of a toothing with a plurality of alternating crests 32a and troughs 32b, which extend around the entire circumference of the sleeve 3. The knurls 32 are here longitudinal knurls, the convex and concave portions of which extend respectively along a straight line and parallel to the longitudinal axis 35.

The knurling 32 is designed such that the projections 32a project beyond the outer circumference of the pressing section 31, as seen in the radial direction of the sleeve 3. When the sleeve 3 is pressed into the through-opening 25, the housing 2 is thereby slightly plastically deformed, so that a form-locking engagement occurs between the knurling 32 and the housing 2. Thus, by means of this plastic deformation and the corresponding form-locking engagement, the knurling 32 also provides a certain axial holding force which contributes to the overall holding force a.

Since the knurling 32 is a longitudinal knurling, the form-locking is effected primarily in the circumferential direction, so that a torsion-proof of the sleeve 3 relative to the housing 2 is achieved. As a result, the knurling 32 can exert a counter torque which counteracts the screwing-in torque of the screw 4 during screwing-in.

The knurls 32 extend over a second axial length 36b which is less than the first axial length 36a of the pressing section 31 and which is approximately 25% of the entire axial length 36 of the sleeve 3.

The sleeve flange 33 is located on the second axial end 3a opposite the first axial end 3 b. The sleeve flange 33 is designed as a cone flange and has a conical first region 33a and a cylindrical second region 33 b. The outer diameter 33c of the second region 33b is greater than the maximum outer diameter 33d of the sleeve 3 in the region of the knurls 32, preferably approximately 10% greater.

The sleeve flange 33 is designed to abut against the conical housing shoulder 21 of the housing 2. The remaining portion of the retaining force a is thereby exerted by the sleeve flange 33 against the housing shoulder 21. The conical surface 21a of the housing shoulder 21 has an opening angle which is slightly smaller than the opening angle of the conical flank of the first region 33a of the sleeve flange 33. As a result, when the sleeve 3 is pushed into the through-opening 25, a line contact is achieved between the housing shoulder 21 and the sleeve flange 33. If the screw 4 is tightened, the sleeve flange 33 is pressed more strongly against the housing shoulder 21, so that the housing shoulder 21 is deformed by the softer material of the housing 2. Thereby, the line contact is changed to the surface contact by tightening the screw 4. The surface contact provides a large surface area by means of which a corresponding proportion of the holding force can be transmitted to the housing 2. Furthermore, the surface contact provides an additional sealing function in addition to the sealing achieved by means of the press fit on the pressing section 31, as a result of which a particularly reliable sealing of the housing arrangement 1 can be achieved.

In addition, the housing assembly 1 comprises a painting section 26 which is located on a housing outer side 27 of the housing 2 (see fig. 1). The painting part 26 can perform a further additional sealing function by screwing the holding plate 5 with a screw so strongly against the housing 2 that the painting part 26 is plastically deformed and thus acts like a seal.

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a part of the housing 2. Here, a half shell 2a is shown, which is assembled with another (not shown) half shell on a parting plane 28 in order to form a closed housing 2, in which the drive unit is received. As can be seen in fig. 3, the housing 2 is designed with a plurality of through-openings 25 and corresponding housing shoulders 21, so that a plurality of sleeves 3 are pressed into the through-openings 25 from the inside of the housing 2 facing the receiving space 29. That is, the fastening by the holding plate 5 is realized from the outside of the housing 2. Alternatively, however, the housing 2 can also be designed such that one or more sleeves 3 are pressed from the outside into corresponding through-openings 25 of the housing 2, so that, for example, the two half-shells 2a can be screwed together by means of these sleeves 3.

Claims (14)

1. Housing assembly of a vehicle, in particular of a vehicle which can be operated by means of muscle force and/or motor force, comprising:

-a housing (2), and

-a sleeve (3) arranged in an opening (25) of the housing (2),

-wherein the sleeve (3) has a pressing section (31), a knurling (32) and a sleeve flange (33),

-wherein a press fit is configured between the pressing section (31) and the opening (25),

-wherein the knurling (32) is in form-locking engagement with the housing (2) for the purpose of securing the sleeve (3) against rotation relative to the housing (2), and

-wherein the sleeve flange (33) abuts against the housing (2).

2. The housing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve (3) extends along a longitudinal axis (35), and wherein the compression section (31), the knurls (32) and the sleeve flange (33) together extend over the entire axial length (36) of the sleeve (3).

3. The housing assembly according to claim 2, wherein the compression section (31) extends over at least 25%, in particular at least 40%, preferably a maximum of 70% of the entire axial length (36) of the sleeve (3).

4. The housing assembly according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the sleeve flange (33) is arranged on an axial end (3a) of the sleeve (3), and wherein the pressing section (31) is arranged on an axial end (3b) of the sleeve (3) opposite the sleeve flange (33).

5. The housing assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the knurling (32) has a longitudinal knurling having a projection (32a) parallel to the axis and/or a helical knurling having a projection extending helically in the direction of the longitudinal axis (35).

6. The housing assembly according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sleeve flange (33) is configured as a cone flange, and wherein the housing (2) has a conical housing shoulder (21) against which the sleeve flange (33) abuts.

7. The housing assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (2) is composed of magnesium or a magnesium alloy.

8. The housing assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sleeve (3) consists of aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

9. The housing assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a screw (4) which is screwed into a bore (37) of the sleeve (3).

10. The housing assembly according to claim 9, wherein the screw (4) has an external thread (41) that is self-tapping.

11. The housing assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (2) is a cast member, in particular a die cast member, and wherein the opening (25) is a bore hole.

12. The housing assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (2) has a lacquer (26) and/or a powder coating on a housing outer side (27).

13. Vehicle, in particular a vehicle which can be operated by means of muscle force and/or motor force, preferably an electric bicycle, comprising a housing assembly (1) according to one of the preceding claims.

14. Vehicle according to claim 13, further comprising a drive unit, in particular having a motor and/or a transmission, wherein the drive unit is arranged within the housing (2).

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