JP2020200862A - Oil supply structure of wet multiple disc clutch and azimuth thruster - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an oil supply structure of a wet multiple disc clutch which enables an entire clutch part to be assembled easily.SOLUTION: An oil supply structure of a wet multiple disc clutch includes: a first shaft in which a first oil passage, in which an oil to be supplied to a wet multiple disc clutch flows, is formed in parallel to a center line; a second shaft which is connected to the first shaft by the wet multiple disc clutch and in which a second oil passage, in which the oil flows, is formed in parallel with a center line; and a cylindrical seal carrier which is held by the first shaft so as to slide in an axial direction of the first shaft and allows the first oil passage and the second oil passage to communicate with each other. The seal carrier is pressed to an end surface of the second shaft directly or through an intermediate member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a refueling structure of a wet multi-plate clutch connecting the first shaft and the second shaft, and an azimuth thruster including the refueling structure.

The wet multi-plate clutch switches whether torque transmission between the first shaft and the second shaft is possible depending on the pressure of the hydraulic oil. Specifically, the wet multi-plate clutch includes a plurality of inner plates and a plurality of outer plates that are alternately arranged with each other, and a piston that separates or crimps the inner plate and the outer plate according to the pressure of the hydraulic oil. .. That is, the hydraulic oil is supplied to the piston. Further, lubricating oil is supplied to the inner plate in order to form an oil film between the inner plate and the outer plate.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a refueling structure 100 of a wet multi-plate clutch as shown in FIG. In this refueling structure 100, a plurality of inner plates 140 are attached to the output shaft 120 via a clutch hub (referred to as a spline gear in Patent Document 1) 130, and a plurality of outer plates 150 are input via the clutch housing 160. It is attached to the shaft 110. The inner plate 140 and the clutch hub 130 mesh with each other in a spline structure, and the outer plate 150 and the clutch housing 160 mesh with each other in a spline structure.

A first oil passage 111 through which the lubricating oil supplied to the inner plate 140 flows is formed in the input shaft 110 along the center line. A second oil passage 121 through which the lubricating oil that has passed through the first oil passage 111 flows is formed in the output shaft 120 along the center line. The lubricating oil is supplied to the inner plate 140 through the lead-out path 122 provided on the output shaft 120 and the distribution path 131 provided on the clutch hub 130.

Japanese Patent No. 3730344

In the refueling structure 100 as shown in FIG. 4, a seal is required between the input shaft 110 and the output shaft 120 to prevent leakage of lubricating oil from the first oil passage 111 and the second oil passage 121. .. The input shaft 110 and the output shaft 120 rotate relatively when the wet multi-plate clutch is in the disengaged state or the slip state. Therefore, it is common to provide a seal member between the sliding surfaces of the input shaft 110 and the output shaft 120.

Although the detailed description of the invention of Patent Document 1 does not describe the seal member provided between the sliding surfaces of the input shaft 110 and the output shaft 120, it is provided on the input shaft 110 from FIG. It is considered that the O-ring is arranged between the inner peripheral surface of the concave portion 115 and the outer peripheral surface of the convex portion 125 provided on the output shaft 120.

However, in the refueling structure 100 having such a configuration, since the spline structure described above has play, when the convex portion 125 to which the O-ring is mounted is inserted into the concave portion 115, the center line and the output shaft of the input shaft 110 are inserted. It is difficult to maintain a state in which the center line of 120 is aligned. Further, when the convex portion 125 is inserted into the concave portion 115, the concave portion 115 and the convex portion 125 cannot be visually observed, and the deviation between the center line of the input shaft 110 and the center line of the output shaft 120 cannot be confirmed. .. Due to these factors, it is difficult to assemble the entire clutch portion.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a refueling structure for a wet multi-plate clutch in which the entire clutch portion can be easily assembled.

In order to solve the above problems, the oil supply structure of the wet multi-plate clutch of the present invention includes a first axis in which a first oil passage through which oil supplied to the wet multi-plate clutch flows is formed parallel to the center line, and the above. The second oil passage connected to the first shaft by a wet multi-plate clutch is formed so as to be slidable in the axial direction of the first shaft with the second shaft formed parallel to the center line. A tubular seal carrier, which is held by the first shaft and communicates between the first oil passage and the second oil passage, is provided, and the seal carrier is provided directly or via an intermediate member. It is characterized in that it is pressed against the end face of the second shaft.

According to the above configuration, the seal carrier is pressed directly or indirectly against the end face of the second shaft, so that the mechanical seal seals between the first shaft and the second shaft. With such a mechanical seal, when assembling the entire clutch portion, it is not necessary to pay much attention to the deviation between the center line of the first axis and the center line of the second axis. Therefore, the entire clutch portion can be easily assembled.

The seal carrier may have a first end face that comes into contact with the end face of the second shaft directly or through an intermediate member and a second end face on which the pressure of the oil acts. Whether the oil is a lubricating oil or a hydraulic oil, the pressure of the oil decreases when the wet multi-plate clutch is in the shut-off state or slip state. Therefore, if the pressure of oil acts on the second end face of the seal carrier, the seal carrier can be pressed against the end face of the second shaft with a strong force when the wet multi-plate clutch is in the engaged state. On the other hand, when the wet multi-plate clutch is in the cutoff state or the slip state, the pressing force of the seal carrier against the end face of the second shaft can be reduced, and wear of the first end face and the end face of the second shaft of the seal carrier is suppressed. can do.

The refueling structure may further include an urging member that urges the seal carrier toward the second axis. According to this configuration, oil leakage from between the second shaft and the seal carrier can be reliably prevented.

The seal carrier is inserted into a recess provided on the end face of the first shaft, and the oil supply structure includes the first shaft and the second shaft attached to the end face of the first shaft. A stopper may be further provided to prevent the seal carrier from coming out of the recess when the seal carrier is separated. According to this configuration, the seal carrier is maintained in the state of being held by the first shaft even when the first shaft and the second shaft are separated, so that the clutch is compared with the case where the stopper is not provided. The entire part can be assembled more easily.

An introduction path extending radially outward from the first oil passage is formed on the first axis, and a lead-out path extending radially outward from the second oil passage is formed on the second axis. It may have been done. According to this configuration, hydraulic oil can be supplied from the side of the first shaft.

For example, the first axis is an input shaft, the second axis is an output shaft, and the wet multi-plate clutch includes a plurality of inner plates and a plurality of outer plates that are alternately arranged with each other. , The output shaft is attached to the output shaft via a clutch hub penetrated through the output shaft, and the plurality of outer plates are input via a clutch housing accommodating the plurality of inner plates and the plurality of outer plates. It may be attached to the shaft.

Further, for example, the oil may be a lubricating oil supplied to a plurality of inner plates included in the wet multi-plate clutch.

A hydraulic oil supplied to a piston included in the wet multi-plate clutch flows through the second shaft, a hydraulic oil passage parallel to the second oil passage, and a lead-out extending radially outward from the hydraulic oil passage. Roads may be formed. According to this configuration, the supply path of the lubricating oil from the second oil passage to the inner plate and the supply path of the hydraulic oil from the hydraulic oil passage to the piston can be integrated on the second shaft side.

Further, the azimuth thruster of the present invention is characterized by including the above-mentioned wet multi-plate clutch refueling structure.

According to the refueling structure of the wet multi-plate clutch of the present invention, the entire clutch portion can be easily assembled.

It is a side view of the azimuth thruster including the refueling structure of the wet multi-plate clutch which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the refueling structure. It is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the lubrication structure of the conventional wet multi-plate clutch.

FIG. 1 shows an azimuth thruster 1 including a refueling structure of a wet multi-plate clutch according to an embodiment of the present invention. The azimuth thruster 1 includes a platform 11 installed on the bottom of the ship, a swivel cylinder 12 extending downward from the platform 11, and a screw propeller 13 provided below the swivel cylinder 12.

The swivel cylinder 12 is rotatably supported by the platform 11 and swiveled by a swivel motor (not shown). In the swivel cylinder 12, the propulsion shaft 16 to which the screw propeller 13 is fixed is connected to the vertical shaft 15 via a bevel gear.

The azimuth thruster 1 also includes a gearbox 14 located above the platform 11 and a wet multi-plate clutch 4 located next to the gearbox 14. The wet multi-plate clutch 4 connects an input shaft 2 rotated by a driving means such as an engine (not shown) to an output shaft 3. In the gear box 14, the output shaft 3 is connected to the above-mentioned vertical shaft 15 via a bevel gear. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the input shaft 2 side is referred to as the right side and the output shaft 3 side is referred to as the left side in the axial directions of the input shaft 2 and the output shaft 3.

As shown in FIG. 2, the wet multi-plate clutch 4 includes a clutch casing 43 fixed to the gearbox 14. The inside of the clutch casing 43 and the inside of the gearbox 14 are separated by a partition wall 18. In the present embodiment, the partition wall 18 is fixed to the gearbox 14, but the partition wall 18 may be fixed to the clutch casing 43.

The partition wall 18 rotatably supports the output shaft 3 via the bearing 41. On the other hand, the clutch casing 43 rotatably supports the input shaft 2 via a pair of bearings 42.

More specifically, the clutch casing 43 includes a peripheral wall 44 extending to the right from the gearbox 14, a front wall 45 for closing the opening formed at the tip of the peripheral wall 44, and a tubular portion projecting to the right from the center of the front wall 45. Includes 46. The outer ring of the bearing 42 described above is held in the tubular portion 46. In the present embodiment, the front wall 45 is integrated with the tubular portion 46, but they may be separate bodies.

A clutch hub 51, a plurality of inner plates 61, a plurality of outer plates 62, and a clutch housing 65 are arranged in the clutch casing 43. The inner plate 61 and the outer plate 62 are annular and are arranged around the clutch hub 51. The clutch housing 65 has a tubular shape and accommodates the inner plate 61 and the outer plate 62. In the present embodiment, the inner plate 61 is attached to the output shaft 3 via the clutch hub 51, and the outer plate 62 is attached to the input shaft 2 via the clutch housing 65.

The clutch hub 51 has a tubular shape and penetrates the output shaft 3. The clutch hub 51 is fixed to the output shaft 3 so as not to rotate. An annular piston holder 55 is fixed to the right end surface of the clutch hub 51.

The inner plate 61 and the outer plate 62 are alternately arranged in the axial direction of the output shaft 3. The inner plate 61 and the clutch hub 51 mesh with each other in a spline structure, and the outer plate 62 and the clutch housing 65 mesh with each other in a spline structure. In the present embodiment, the flange 23 is integrally provided at the left end portion of the input shaft 2, and the clutch housing 65 is fixed to the peripheral edge portion of the flange 23.

A reaction force member 63 is arranged on the left side of the inner plate 61 and the outer plate 62. The reaction force member 63 is fixed to the clutch hub 51. On the other hand, an annular piston 57 is arranged on the right side of the inner plate 61 and the outer plate 62 and on the left side of the piston holder 55. The piston 57 is held by the piston holder 55 and meshes with the clutch hub 51 in a spline structure. A pressure chamber filled with hydraulic oil, which will be described later, is formed between the piston 57 and the piston holder 55.

The clutch hub 51 is formed with a plurality of spring chambers 53 that open toward the piston 57. A compression coil spring 58 for urging the piston 57 to the right is arranged in each spring chamber 53.

The piston 57 is supplied with hydraulic oil for operating the piston 57, and the inner plate 61 is supplied with lubricating oil for forming an oil film between the inner plate 61 and the outer plate 62. The hydraulic oil and the lubricating oil may be the same oil or different oils. For example, the hydraulic oil supply line may extend from one pump to the pressure chamber described above, and the lubricating oil supply line may branch off from the hydraulic oil supply line and extend to the inner plate 61.

In the present embodiment, the lubricating oil supply port 47 is provided in the tubular portion 46 of the clutch casing 43. On the other hand, although not shown, the hydraulic oil supply port is provided on a cover 19 that covers the left end of the output shaft 3 arranged on the left side of the gear box 14 as shown in FIG.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, a first lubricating oil passage 22 through which lubricating oil flows is formed in parallel with the center line 20 on the input shaft 2, and a first lubricating oil flows on the output shaft 3. A second lubricating oil passage 31 through which the lubricating oil passes through the road 22 flows is formed parallel to the center line 30. That is, in the present embodiment, the input shaft 2 corresponds to the first shaft of the present invention, and the output shaft 3 corresponds to the second shaft of the present invention. A tubular seal carrier 7 that communicates the first lubricating oil passage 22 and the second lubricating oil passage 31 is arranged between the input shaft 2 and the output shaft 3. The seal carrier 7 will be described in detail later.

In the present embodiment, the first lubricating oil passage 22 is formed on the input shaft 2 along the center line 20, but the position of the first lubricating oil passage 22 may deviate from the center line 20. Similarly, in the present embodiment, the second lubricating oil passage 31 is formed on the output shaft 3 along the center line 30, but the position of the second lubricating oil passage 31 may deviate from the center line 30.

A plurality of introduction paths 21 extending radially outward from the first lubricating oil passage 22 are formed on the input shaft 2. The number of introduction paths 21 may be one. An annular flow path member 48 that forms a relay path 49 that communicates the lubricating oil supply port 47 and the introduction path 21 is arranged between the pair of bearings 42 described above. The flow path member 48 is fixed to the tubular portion 46 of the clutch casing 43, and the input shaft 2 slides with respect to the flow path member 48.

On the other hand, the output shaft 3 is formed with a plurality of lead-out paths 32 extending radially outward from the second lubricating oil passage 31. An annular relay chamber 50 is formed between the clutch hub 51 and the output shaft 3, and the lead-out path 32 is open to the relay chamber 50. The clutch hub 51 is formed with a relay path 52 that communicates the relay chamber 50 and each of the above-mentioned spring chambers 53, and extends outward from each spring chamber 53 in the radial direction on the outer peripheral surface of the clutch hub 51. A plurality of parallel roads 54 to be opened are formed.

With such a structure, the lubricating oil can be supplied from the lubricating oil supply port 47 to the relay path 49, the introduction path 21, the first lubricating oil path 22, the inside of the seal carrier 7, the second lubricating oil path 31, the lead-out path 32, and the relay chamber. It is supplied to the inner plate 61 through 50, a relay path 52, a spring chamber 53, and a parallel path 54.

Regarding the hydraulic oil, a plurality of hydraulic oil passages 33 through which the hydraulic oil flows are formed around the second lubricating oil passage 31 on the output shaft 3. The hydraulic oil passage 33 is parallel to the second lubricating oil passage 31, and as shown in FIG. 3, both sides of the through hole penetrating the output shaft 3 in the axial direction are closed by plugs 36.

Although not shown, an introduction path extending radially outward from each hydraulic oil passage 33 is formed at the left end of the output shaft 3, and this introduction path communicates with the hydraulic oil supply port described above. .. On the other hand, at the right end of the output shaft 3, a plurality of outlet paths 34 extending radially outward from each hydraulic oil passage 33 are formed. The piston holder 55 is provided with a relay path 56 that communicates the lead-out path 34 with the pressure chamber described above.

With such a structure, the hydraulic oil is supplied from the hydraulic oil supply port to the piston 57 through the introduction passage, the hydraulic oil passage 33, the outlet passage 34, the relay passage 56, and the pressure chamber (not shown). The piston 57 separates or crimps the inner plate 61 and the outer plate 62 according to the pressure of the hydraulic oil.

The seal carrier 7 described above is held by the input shaft 2 so as to be slidable in the axial direction of the input shaft 2. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, a recess 24 is provided on the left end surface of the input shaft 2, and the seal carrier 7 is inserted into the recess 24.

The seal carrier 7 includes a tubular main body 71 extending in the axial direction of the input shaft 2 and a flange 72 protruding radially outward from substantially the center of the main body 71. The inner diameter of the main body 71 is substantially the same as the diameter of the first lubricating oil passage 22.

On the other hand, the recess 24 includes a small diameter portion 25 that fits with a portion on the right side of the flange portion 72 of the main body portion 71, and a large diameter portion 26 that fits with the flange portion 72. The flange portion 72 is penetrated by a positioning pin 75 fixed to the input shaft 2. As a result, the seal carrier 7 can be moved in the axial direction with respect to the input shaft 2, but cannot be rotated in the circumferential direction.

In the present embodiment, the left end surface 7a of the seal carrier 7 (corresponding to the first end surface of the present invention) directly contacts the right end surface 3a of the output shaft 3. However, the left end surface 7a of the seal carrier 7 may come into contact with the right end surface 3a of the output shaft 3 via an intermediate member such as a wear resistant plate.

A gap is provided between the right end surface 7b of the seal carrier 7 (corresponding to the second end surface of the present invention) and the bottom surface of the recess 24. Therefore, the pressure of the lubricating oil acts on the right end surface 7b of the seal carrier 7. In the present embodiment, the urging member 8 is arranged in the gap. The urging member 8 urges the seal carrier 7 toward the output shaft 3.

In the present embodiment, the urging member 8 is a ring spring that undulates in the circumferential direction. However, the urging member 8 is not limited to this, and may be a compression coil spring, a disc spring, or the like. Further, the arrangement position of the urging member 8 can be changed as appropriate. For example, the urging member 8 has an intermediate step surface (step surface between the small diameter portion 25 and the large diameter portion 26) and the flange portion 72 of the recess 24. It may be placed between and.

An annular stopper 9 is attached to the left end surface of the input shaft 2 by a bolt 91. The inner diameter of the stopper 9 is set smaller than the outer diameter of the flange portion 72 of the seal carrier 7. Therefore, when the input shaft 2 and the output shaft 3 are separated, the seal carrier 7 is prevented from coming out of the recess 24. However, the stopper 9 does not necessarily have to be annular, and may have any shape as long as it projects to the inside of the recess 24 along the left end surface of the input shaft 2.

As described above, in the oil supply structure of the wet multi-plate clutch 4 of the present embodiment, the seal carrier 7 is directly pressed against the right end surface 3a of the output shaft 3 by the pressure of the lubricating oil and the urging force of the urging member 8. Therefore, the space between the input shaft 2 and the output shaft 3 is sealed by the mechanical seal. With such a mechanical seal, when assembling the entire clutch portion, it is not necessary to pay much attention to the deviation between the center line 20 of the input shaft 2 and the center line 30 of the output shaft 3. Therefore, the entire clutch portion can be easily assembled.

By the way, the pressure of the lubricating oil becomes small when the wet multi-plate clutch 4 is in the shut-off state or the slip state. Therefore, if the pressure of the lubricating oil acts on the right end surface 7b of the seal carrier 7 as in the present embodiment, when the wet multi-plate clutch 4 is in the engaged state, the seal carrier 7 is pressed with a strong force on the right end surface 3a of the output shaft 3. Can be pressed against. On the other hand, when the wet multi-plate clutch 4 is in the disconnected state or the slip state, the pressing force of the seal carrier 7 against the right end surface 3a of the output shaft 3 can be reduced, and the left end surface 7a of the seal carrier 7 and the output shaft 3 can be reduced. Wear of the right end surface 3a can be suppressed.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the stopper 9 is attached to the left end surface of the input shaft 2, the seal carrier 7 is held by the input shaft 2 even when the input shaft 2 and the output shaft 3 are separated. Is maintained. Therefore, the entire clutch portion can be assembled more easily than when the stopper 9 is not provided.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the input shaft 2 is formed with an introduction passage 21 extending radially outward from the first lubricating oil passage 22, hydraulic oil can be supplied from the side of the input shaft 2.

(Modification example)
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, the urging member 8 that urges the seal carrier 7 toward the output shaft 3 may be omitted. That is, the seal carrier 7 may be pressed against the right end surface 3a of the output shaft 3 only by the pressure of the lubricating oil acting on the right end surface 7b. However, in this case, when the pressure of the lubricating oil is low, the lubricating oil may leak from between the output shaft 3 and the seal carrier 7. On the other hand, if the urging member 8 is adopted as in the above embodiment, it is possible to reliably prevent the lubricating oil from leaking from between the output shaft 3 and the seal carrier 7.

Further, the configurations of the equipment and the oil passage in the clutch casing 43 may be reversed left and right. Specifically, the length of the output shaft 3 in the clutch casing 43 is shortened and the length of the input shaft 2 is lengthened. Contrary to the above embodiment, the inner plate 61 inputs via the clutch hub 51. It is attached to the shaft 2, and the outer plate 62 is attached to the output shaft 3 via the clutch housing 65. Further, a first lubricating oil passage 22 is formed on the output shaft 3 (the output shaft 3 corresponds to the first shaft of the present invention), and a second lubricating oil passage 31 and a hydraulic oil passage 33 are formed on the input shaft 2 (the output shaft 3 corresponds to the first shaft of the present invention). The input shaft 2 corresponds to the second shaft of the present invention).

However, in the case of the configuration as in the above embodiment, the output shaft 3 has a lubricating oil supply path from the second lubricating oil passage 31 to the inner plate 61 and a hydraulic oil supply path from the hydraulic oil passage 33 to the piston 57. Can be aggregated on the side.

Further, in the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the first oil passage 22 and the second oil passage 31 may be oil passages for hydraulic oil, and the oil passage 33 may be an oil passage for lubricating oil. In this case, the lead-out path 32 is formed so as to communicate with the relay path 56, and the lead-out path 34 is formed so as to communicate with the relay chamber 50. In this modification, the pressure of the hydraulic oil acting on the right end surface 7b of the seal carrier 7 is also reduced when the wet multi-plate clutch 4 is in the shutoff state or the slip state. Therefore, as in the above embodiment, wear of the left end surface 7a of the seal carrier 7 and the right end surface 3a of the output shaft 3 can be suppressed.

1 Azimuth thruster 2 Input axis (1st axis)
20 Center line 21 Introduction path 22 1st lubricating oil path 3 Output shaft (2nd shaft)
30 Center line 31 Second lubricating oil passage 32 Derivation path 33 Hydraulic oil path 34 Derivation path 4 Wet multi-plate clutch 7 Seal carrier 7a Left end face (first end face)
7b Right end face (second end face)
8 urging member

Claims (9)

The first axis through which the oil supplied to the wet multi-plate clutch flows is formed parallel to the center line, and
A second shaft, which is connected to the first shaft by the wet multi-plate clutch and has a second oil passage through which the oil flows, is formed parallel to the center line.
A tubular seal carrier that is held by the first shaft so as to be slidable in the axial direction of the first shaft and that communicates the first oil passage and the second oil passage is provided.
The seal carrier is a refueling structure of a wet multi-plate clutch that is pressed against the end face of the second shaft directly or via an intermediate member. The wet multi-plate clutch according to claim 1, wherein the seal carrier has a first end face that comes into contact with the end face of the second shaft directly or via an intermediate member, and a second end face on which the pressure of the oil acts. Refueling structure. The lubrication structure for a wet multi-plate clutch according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an urging member for urging the seal carrier toward the second shaft. The seal carrier is inserted into a recess provided on the end face of the first shaft.
Claims 1 to 3 further include a stopper attached to the end surface of the first shaft to prevent the seal carrier from coming out of the recess when the first shaft and the second shaft are separated. The refueling structure of the wet multi-plate clutch according to any one of the above. An introduction path extending radially outward from the first oil passage is formed on the first shaft.
The oil supply structure for a wet multi-plate clutch according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a lead-out path extending radially outward from the second oil passage is formed on the second shaft. The first axis is an input axis, the second axis is an output axis, and
The wet multi-plate clutch includes a plurality of inner plates and a plurality of outer plates arranged alternately with each other.
The plurality of inner plates are attached to the output shaft via a clutch hub that penetrates the output shaft.
The wet poly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the plurality of outer plates are attached to the input shaft via a clutch housing accommodating the plurality of inner plates and the plurality of outer plates. Refueling structure of plate clutch. The oil supply structure of the wet multi-plate clutch according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the oil is a lubricating oil supplied to a plurality of inner plates included in the wet multi-plate clutch. A hydraulic oil supplied to a piston included in the wet multi-plate clutch flows through the second shaft, a hydraulic oil passage parallel to the second oil passage, and a lead-out extending radially outward from the hydraulic oil passage. The refueling structure of the wet multi-plate clutch according to claim 7, wherein the road is formed. An azimuth thruster comprising the refueling structure of the wet multi-plate clutch according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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