EP1977136A2

EP1977136A2 - Chain

Info

Publication number: EP1977136A2
Application number: EP06828643A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Martin Vornehm; Andreas Triller
Original assignee: LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Beteiligungs KG; LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau GmbH
Current assignee: Schaeffler Buehl Verwaltungs GmbH; LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau GmbH
Priority date: 2005-12-17
Filing date: 2006-12-12
Publication date: 2008-10-08
Also published as: JP2009520161A; WO2007076777A3; WO2007076777A2; DE112006003279A5

Abstract

A chain comprises link elements with at least one respective opening area that overlaps with an opening area of the preceding or the subsequent link element in a first area or a second area, the opening area of a link element having a rolling surface area and a contact surface area. Rocker pieces connect the link elements and are guided through opening areas and two adjacent link elements so that the rocker pieces interact with one respective rolling surface area or contact surface area of any of the two adjacent link elements. The rocker pieces are designed as pins comprising at least one pin periphery area configured as the rolling surface and one pin periphery area configured as the contact surface area. The rolling surface interacts with the rolling surface area or the contact surface area of the opening area and the contact surface with the rolling surface area or contact surface area of the opening area. Either the first area and the second area of the link elements or the rolling surface and the contact surface of the pin periphery area are point-asymmetric to each other, or else the face contact points of a respective pin are off-center to an opposite pressure surface with respect to a center axis through the pin cross-section that is parallel to a plane perpendicular to the direction of extension of the chain when extended.

Description

Chain

The invention relates to a chain, in particular a chain for a continuously variable conical-pulley transmission or a toothed chain. Areas of application for such chains are in addition to the conical-pulley belt transmissions generally toothed chains in transmissions, for example as a pump drive or transfer chain in four-wheel distributor gears, or engine timing chains.

In a CVT transmission, i. a continuously variable conical pulley belt transmission, such chains are used to transmit the torque from the driving conical pulley pair to the driven pulley pair. As toothed chains, the chains made up of link elements and rocker joints on the link elements have toothing geometries with which they engage in a complementary tooth geometry and thus likewise transmit forces or moments.

Such constructed from weighing joints and straps chains usually contain two-piece weighing joints. The rocker joints are formed from two pin elements which are guided in a recess in the tabs, so that in each case two pin elements penetrate the recess of a tab element and an adjoining tab element and thus connect the tab elements to form a chain. At the same time they serve to ensure the mobility of the links to each other, and to allow the transmission of power in the chain.

It is known that in a structure of the chains of identical tab elements, the chain tends to increased noise during operation. Therefore, a change of the Laschensorte within a chain is sought to improve the acoustics. It is known to build chains of identical two-piece weighing joints, but different types of latches. At the same time, these different types of tabs serve to avoid overlaps. Therefore, it is necessary to keep apart the different tabs during production and to install specifically.

Another alternative is to randomize the two-part cradle joints. For this purpose, the rocker joints are not built from two identical pins but from two different pins, such as a large and a small pin. But here, too, two must various components processed separately from production technology and defined alternately or randomly installed alternately.

The object of the invention is to provide a cost-effective chain, which has good acoustic properties and good strength and is easy to produce.

This object is achieved with a chain having the features of claim 1. Preferred embodiments are given in the dependent claims. A sprocket for such a chain is claimed in claim 14 and the use of the chain in a bevel girth gear according to claim 15.

The invention is based on the idea to use only one pin, which has asymmetric properties and thus dependent on its mounting direction to different rolling behavior within the link plate element opening leads or its pressure transfer point, for example, to a conical disk of a conical pulley wrap, depending within a tab element changes from the mounting position of the pin in the tab element.

This means that, depending on the orientation of the pin which serves as a rocker joint, preferably only one element is provided for each rocker joint, for example a different distance between two adjacent pressure transfer points or a different rolling behavior of the pin in the tab element openings adjoining the pin achieved. For this purpose, the pin can be used and used at least in two different installation positions with respect to a tab element.

At the same time, this offers the possibility to use only one instead of up to four types of tabs and only need one pin, with the same randomization can be achieved as with up to four types of latches and two pin elements each Wiegelgelenk. Thus, a great advantage in terms of manufacturing technology is achieved in that the number of components is significantly reduced and the randomization of the chain structure can be achieved with only two different elements, namely the pins and the tab elements.

According to a preferred embodiment, the pin element used as a rocker is asymmetrical with respect to point symmetry and / or axis symmetry, wherein the axis of interest for axis symmetry is an axis perpendicular to the direction of extension of the chain in the stretched state, so that the central axis of a pin element or through the pin transverse axis. section perpendicular to the pin axis as the bisector of the maximum width of the rocker in the direction of extension of the chain can be defined.

Preferably, the chain is used as a toothed chain, so that the tab elements are toothed chain elements with tooth geometry, preferably in each case with two teeth. The teeth may also have slightly different tooth geometry to improve the acoustics of the chain. This serves to achieve different engagement states of the teeth with the counterpart components when installing the chain in one or the other direction.

According to a preferred embodiment, the chain is used as a chain for a belt pulley transmission (CVT). Each pin preferably has an end face with a face contact to, for example, the conical disks of a cone pulley pair of the CVT transmission, via which the power transmission takes place. For example, the end faces may each be formed as a curved surface whose maximum projection is the off-center end face contact point.

Preferably, the tab members are configured such that each tab member has only a single opening portion that overlaps both the opening portion of the preceding tab member and the opening portion of the subsequent tab member in chain assembly. Thus, two rocker joints can be provided by means of a single flap opening area.

Preferably, each rocker is formed of only a single pin, so that each rocker joint has a pin and the associated tab contact area or rolling area.

According to a preferred embodiment, each pin is designed with two rolling surfaces, so that the contact surface of the pin is formed as a second rolling surface. The rolling surfaces can be point-symmetrical or point-asymmetrical. In the case of point-asymmetric rolling surfaces, a different rolling behavior of the pins on the tab elements, in particular the contact surface area and the rolling surface area of the tab element, is achieved, depending on the installation position of the pin in the opening areas of the tab elements. - A -

Alternatively, the contact surface of the pin is designed as a non-rolling contact surface, so that the pin depending on its mounting position in the tab opening or tab hole either z. B. approximately at mid-height of the bore, meets against a Gegenwälzfläche for the rolling surface of the pin and is in rolling contact with this, or, z. B. above and below the rolling surface, abuts against a counter-contact surface when it is installed in reverse alignment in the bore. With the counter-contact surface or counter-contact surface, the contact surface of the pin interacts and does not roll there. Rather, a relative movement between the rocker and tab member in this installation position, when the contact surface of the rocker and the contact surface area of the tab element are designed as abutment surfaces and are mutually in abutment, largely avoided.

By this example, arc-shaped or S-shaped pattern in the shape of the pin and the tab opening, it remains possible that despite the various functions that are integrated into the pin and the tab opening, the tab opening has a producible shape and in particular narrow radii or sharp-edged Corners are avoided.

By virtue of the fact that preferably each rocker is formed of only a single pin, the tab holes for the single pin can become smaller than is the case with the use of two pins for each rocker joint. This makes it possible to shorten the tabs and thus reduce the pitch of the chain and thus the pins.

In the following, the invention will be described with reference to the attached figures, which serve only as an example, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of a chain section according to the invention;

Fig. 2 shows another mounting position of a chain section constructed from the same elements as in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of a chain section according to the invention;

Fig. 4 shows a balance piece according to the invention;

Fig. 4A shows an alternative embodiment of a weight piece according to the invention;

Fig. 4B shows the cross section of the weight piece according to Fig. 4A;

Fig. 5 schematically illustrates a chain according to the invention;

6 shows an alternative embodiment of a chain scheme according to the invention. table shows;

Fig. 7 shows a further alternative embodiment for a chain section;

Fig. 7A u. Figure 7B show alternative embodiments of tabs; FIG. 8 shows a chain arrangement according to the invention for the chain section from FIG. 7, and FIGS. FIG. 9B illustrates the measured tab force in a chain turn for a chain having two-part cradles or a one-piece cradle. FIG.

Fig. 1 shows a section of a tab member 10 with a rocker 20. The rocker 20 is shown cut in Fig. 1 and is designed as a pin whose longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the plane. From the tab member 10, a half is shown in Fig. 1. The other half is symmetrical to the illustrated half with respect to the axis of symmetry S for a tab element 10. The axis of symmetry S extends in a plane which is perpendicular to the longitudinal extension plane of the chain 30 in the extended state of the chain.

In FIG. 1, the position of the left side adjoining second plate element in different states of movement and Abrollzuständen of the load piece 20 along the tab members 10 is also shown schematically by lines 15, which indicate the position of an opening of the left side adjacent tab member 10.

The tab element 10 has a through opening 11. Together with the left side adjacent tab member 10 and its opening 11 and the right side adjacent tab member 10 and its opening 11 11 two separate rocker 20 can be used in the one opening portion 11, which each form a cradle joint 32 with the tab member, and thus with the adjacent Wall regions of the opening portion 11 form two rocker joints 32 to the preceding or subsequent tab member 10.

The opening portion 11, which is also symmetrical with respect to the axis S, has at mid-height in the axial direction a convex rolling surface portion 12 curved toward the tab member center and contact surface portions 13 adjacent thereto and below which are formed as concave portions. As can be seen schematically from the line contour of the contours of the adjacent tab element 10 (lines 15), the adjacent tab element 10 is designed identically and likewise has concave curved contact areas 13 as opening contour boundary and a convexly curved rolling surface area 12 lying between the concavely curved areas 13. The rocker 20 is designed with respect to its cross-sectional area point asymmetrical. In particular, it has (on the left side in FIG. 1) two concavely curved contact surfaces 23 and on the opposite side a rolling surface 22. Preferably, the pin 20 designed as a pin is provided along its longitudinal axis with identical cross sections, except in the region of the end face 24 (FIG. 4).

In Fig. 1, the rocker 20 is inserted into the opening portion 11 of the tab member such that the convex contact surfaces of the rocker 20 are in contact with the contact surface portions 13 of the tab member 10 and thus not roll on it but are largely defined relative thereto. The second rocker 20, which is guided by the tab element 10 shown in FIG. 1 (not shown), can either be used with mirror symmetry with respect to the axis S or aligned in the same way as the rocker 20 which is used for the left half of the tab element 10 in FIG 1 is shown. The different installation options result in a randomization.

In Fig. 2, the situation is shown in which in an identical tab member to that of Fig. 1, also in the left half, an identical pin is used as a rocker 20, but with the orientation of the pin is rotated. Unlike in Fig. 1, in which due to the installation direction of the rocker 20, the right (shown) tab firmly rests on the rocker 20 and the left tab (shown with lines 15) on the pin or the rocker 20 rolls, is in the mirrored 2, the left tab member 10 rolling on the load piece 20 by the Wälzflächenbereich 12 of the opening portion 11 and the rolling surface 22 of the load piece 20 roll on each other. The right tab (represented by lines 15) is fixed to the weight piece 20 and does not roll. The contact surface areas 13 of the opening area 11 of the right-hand tab 10 shown in FIG. 2 are inoperative.

Thus, the function of the individual opening edge regions of the opening portion 11 of the tab member is exploited differently by the mirrored installation of the rocker 20 in a respective tab element with the same geometric configuration of the tab members 10 and the rocker. This can be achieved by changing the function and random installation of the rocker 20 in one direction or the other, a randomization of the functions.

Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of the tab members 10, in which for the cradle hinge region to the left adjacent tab member or the cradle hinge portion to the right adjacent tab member two separate opening portions 11 and tab holes are provided. The configuration of the functional surfaces which form the contour of the opening region 11 as contact surface regions 13 or rolling surface region 12 between the contact surfaces 13 is identical to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The pin geometry of the cradle 20 is also identical. FIG. 3 illustrates the situation in which a rolling contact is produced between the rolling surface 22 of the weighing piece 20 and the rolling surface region 12 of the tab element 10. With the tab member 10, not shown, which is adjacent to the left, having identical geometry to the illustrated tab member 10, the contact portion 23 of the bolster 20 engages the contact surface 13 of the tab member 10 with non-rolling contact.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the weighing piece 20 for the arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. Along the pin longitudinal axis L, the load piece 20 has identical contour, which can be seen in cross-section in Figures 1 to 3 and has already been explained.

The end faces 24 of the cradle 20 are designed as spherical end faces, wherein preferably a convexity or convexity is provided in two mutually perpendicular directions, so that a furthest projecting point 26, which is the end face contact point 26, results. The face contact point 26 is preferably asymmetrically mounted due to the particular configuration of the crown 25, and in particular asymmetrically with respect to a central axis of the pin element, which is perpendicular to the pin longitudinal axis L and parallel to the axes of symmetry S of the tab elements 10, i. perpendicular to the chain extension direction with straight chain 30 is located. The face contact point 26 is preferably not positioned on this axis, thereby creating its asymmetry on the face 24. The end face contact point 26 is the point at which the rocker joints 20 come into pressure contact with, for example, the conical disks of a bevel belt worm gear.

Fig. 5 shows schematically a section of a chain 30, which uses the chain elements shown in Figures 1 to 4. In particular, the tab elements 10 are shown schematically in FIG. 5. As can be seen from Fig. 5, the cradles 20 are randomly installed in the position shown in Fig. 1 or the position shown in Fig. 2. This results in a random distribution of the distances B between adjacent two Stirnflächenkon- contact points 26 and a random distribution of pitch A between adjacent rocker joints 32. Especially if two consecutive pins, as the two first pins from the left in Fig. 5, in are built in the same orientation, resulting in both mean pitch surface distances A and average distances B of Stirnflächenkontakt- Points; if; As in the case of the third and fourth weight pieces 20 from the left in FIG. 5, the left-hand weighing piece in the orientation of FIG. 1 and the right-hand weight piece are installed mirror-symmetrically, short distances B of the end-surface contact points 26 or rolling intervals A result 5, the left rocker is installed in the mounting position of Fig. 2 and the right rocker is mounted mirror-symmetrically thereto, there is a long distance B between the end face contact points 26 and Pitch B. Thus, using only one type of tab member 10 and a kind of rocker 20 each three different pitches A and spacings B of the Stirnflächenkontaktpunkte 26 can be achieved, which in a randomized-oriented arrangement of the rocker 20 also in random order along the chain 30 alternate.

FIG. 6 shows the use of the geometry according to the invention for tab elements 10 and stacks 20 for toothed tab elements. As can be seen from FIG. 6, each tab element 10 has two schematically illustrated teeth 27, 27a, the geometry of which can likewise differ from one another as required and thus contributes to a randomization of the tooth engagement depending on the installation direction of the tab elements 10. The configuration of the end faces 24 of the rocker 20 is not essential in this case. Shown is the randomization of the pitches A. The cross-sectional geometry of the rocker 20 and the opening portions 1 1 of the tab members is as shown in Figures 1 to 3.

FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment for the geometry of the opening regions 11 of the tab elements 10 and the rocker pieces 20. An endface contact point 26 is again provided asymmetrically on each rocker piece 20. The tab elements 10 are constructed symmetrically with respect to the symmetry axis S.

Unlike the lug elements 10 and lugs 20 explained in connection with FIGS. 1 to 6, each lug 20 has two rolling surfaces 22, ie the contact surface 23 is designed as a second rolling surface 22. The rolling surfaces are provided on opposite sides with respect to a central axis through the rocker 20, which is parallel to the axis S of the tab members when the chain is straight. The end surface contact point 26 is located outside the axis, ie asymmetrically on the rocker 20. The rolling surfaces 22 are preferably designed differently, especially if the noise reduction of the chain 30 is to be achieved both by a randomization of the distances B of the Stimflächenkontaktpunkte 26 and the rolling distances A. The opening portions 11 of the tab members 10, each of which tab member 10 contains two, also have two opposite ones Rolling surface areas 12. Instead of designing the pin geometry differently with respect to the rolling surface regions 12, the two rolling surface regions 12 of an opening 11 of the tab element 10 can also have different geometries. This means that in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, a contact surface region 13 of the tab element 10 is designed as a rolling surface region 12 and a contact surface 23 of the rocker 20 designed as a pin is likewise designed as a rolling surface 22.

In off-center arrangement of the Stimflächenkontaktpunkte 26 on the rocker 20 and random alignment of the rocker 20 in the tab openings 11 within a chain 30, as shown in Fig. 8, again different distances B of the Stimflächenkontaktpunkte 26 can be achieved. If either the opening regions 11 of the tab elements 10 or the cross sections of the rocker pieces 20 are designed asymmetrically with respect to point asymmetry, it is also possible to randomize the rolling distances (not shown in FIG. 8).

In each of the illustrated embodiments, randomization is enabled with a single design of both the tab members 10 and the cradles 20.

Advantages of using a one-piece rocker 20, with which a rocker joint 32 may be formed from a single rocker 20 and the associated tab opening 11, are shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B as compared to two-piece rocker bars, with the measured tab force in FIG Chain rotation for a two-part cradle joint 32 is shown, while Fig. 9B shows the measured tab force for one-piece cradle joint 32. In FIGS. 9A and 9B, the sum of the forces Fo and Fu is plotted on the regions of the tab elements 10 shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B. It can be seen that harmful force peaks in the tabs are alleviated by the use of only one pin as a load piece 20 can and thus the associated with the force peaks modified Wälzkinematik can be reduced. This contributes to the reliability and durability of the chain. In addition, a manufacturing advantage can be achieved due to the low number of components required, which is particularly required for small gears or chains. LIST OF REFERENCES

tab members

opening area

rolling surface

Contact surface area

line

rocker

rolling surface

contact area

face

crown

Face contact point

tooth

Chain

A rocker joint

Claims

claims

A chain (30) comprising tab members (10) each having at least one opening portion (11) overlapping a first portion having an opening portion of the preceding portion and a second portion having an opening portion of the subsequent tab member (10), the opening portion (11) a tab element (10) has a Wälzflächenbereich (12) and a contact surface area (13), and the tab members (10) connecting rockers (20) which are each guided by opening areas (11) in two adjacent tab elements (10), such that the rocker pieces (20) interact in each case with a rolling surface region (12) or contact surface region (13) of each of the two adjacent plate elements (10), wherein the rocker pieces (20) act as pins with at least one pin peripheral region designed as a rolling surface (22) formed as a contact surface (23) pin circumference range, wherein the rolling surface (22) with the W 1) and the contact surface (23) interact with the rolling surface region (12) or contact surface region (13) of the opening region (11), wherein at least one of the first region and the second region the tab members (10) or the rolling surface (22) and the contact surface (23) of the pin periphery are point asymmetric with respect to each other, and / or an end contact point (26) of a respective pin to a counter pressure surface off center with respect to a central axis through the pin cross section parallel to a plane is perpendicular to the direction of extension of the chain (30) in an extended state is located.

2. chain (30) according to claim 1, characterized in that the central axis is the bisector of the maximum width of the rocker (20) in the extension direction of the chain (30).

3. chain (30) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the chain (30) is a toothed chain and the tab elements (10) as a toothed chain elements with tooth geometry, in particular two teeth (27, 27a), are designed.

4. chain (30) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the chain (30) is a chain for a continuously variable Kegelscheibenumschlingungsgetriebe and the end face contact point (26) is the power transmission point between the chain (30) and conical disk.

5. chain (30) according to claim 4, characterized in that on both end faces (24) of the pin, an off-center face contact point (26) is provided.

6. chain (30) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the end face (24) is formed as a curved surface whose maximum projection of the end face contact point (26).

7. chain (30) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first and the second region of each tab member (10) in only one opening portion (11) are integrated.

8. chain (30) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that each tab member (10) has two opening portions (11), wherein in each opening portion (11) at least one contact surface area (12) and a Wälzflächenbereich (13) is.

9. chain (30) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each rocker (20) is formed only of a single pin.

10. chain (30) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact surface (23) of the pin is designed as a second rolling surface (22) of the pin.

11. chain (30) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the contact surface (23) of the pin is designed as a non-rolling contact surface.

12. chain (30) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact surface region (13) of the tab member (10) is designed as a second Wälzflächenbereich (12) of the tab member.

13. Chain according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the contact surface area (13) of the tab element (10) is designed point-symmetrical to the rolling surface area (12) and designed as a combined investment and rolling surface.

14. Weighing piece (20) for a chain (30) according to one of the preceding claims.

15. cone pulley with a chain (30) according to one of claims 1 to 14.