JP4899074B2 - Link plate chain especially used in vehicle drive systems - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a flat link articulated chain, particularly for a vehicle drive, comprising a plurality of chain links (6) which are connected to each other in an articulated manner by means of pressure parts (5), wherein the pressure parts (5) extend perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the flat link articulated chain (1), and respectively curved bearing surfaces (20,21) are arranged on the pressure parts (5) and chain links (6), along which the pressure parts and chain links are arranged in order to transmit power, and the respective bearing surface has a width which extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the flat link articulated chain (1) and has an arc length in a section extending perpendicular to the width in the longitudinal direction of the flat link articulated chain, wherein the bearing surface (9,10) along the arc length (28) has at least three areas of differing curvature.

Description

  The present invention is a link plate chain particularly used in a vehicle drive device, and is provided with a number of chain link plates that are jointly connected to each other via a pressing member, and the pressing member is connected to the link plate chain. Each of the abutting surfaces that are curved and formed on the pressing member and the chain link plate is formed in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction, and the pressing member and the chain link plate are formed along the corresponding contacting surface. Of the link plate chain that are in contact with each other for force transmission, each abutment surface extending in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the link plate chain, and extending in a direction transverse to the width. It has a predetermined arc length as seen in a sectional view in the longitudinal direction.

  Link plate chains of the type mentioned here have different configurations depending on their use in the vehicle drive. When used as a member of a vehicle transmission device in a stepless conical disk chain variable device (CVT), the plurality of pressing members have specially formed end faces. The tension between the conical disk and the chain is transmitted as a frictional force through these end faces. When used mostly separately in vehicle drive systems, the link plate chain is a toothed chain. That is, the chain link plate has teeth on at least one side, and the tension between the gear and the chain is transmitted through these teeth. Such a toothed chain is known in the prior art, for example from US Pat. No. 4,906,224. Such known toothed chains are used in several parts of the vehicle drive, for example in an all-wheel distribution transmission, or in a front lateral transmission for bridging the distance to the differential, or in a transmission built-in type As a drive chain for hydraulic auxiliary devices, as a valve drive control chain for internal combustion engines, or as another auxiliary device for vehicles (refrigerant pump, lubricant pump, air conditioning compressor, generator for lighting, start engine, hybrid type Used as a drive chain for additional engines, brake boosters and the like.

  The link plate chain of the type mentioned here is composed of a plurality of chain link plates, and these chain link plates are connected to each other jointly via pressing members. In this case, the chain link plate may be arranged in the form of a link plate package. The link plate package is formed by inserting a plurality of chain link plates adjacent to each other and being inserted by a pressing member, thereby transmitting a large force in a tensioned state. A link plate chain that can be provided is provided.

  In this case, force transmission between the pressing member and the chain link plate is performed on the contact surface. These contact surfaces are formed on both the pressing member and the chain link plate, and the pressing member and the chain link plate are in contact with each other along the contact surface. The pressing member is also referred to as a heel or a focus, and is inserted into two link plate openings as a rocker joint in pairs. These link plate openings are often merged into one large opening in chains used in conical disk-type winding transmissions.

  Various functional surfaces are formed on the pressing member. The pressing member pairs opposed to each other in one opening of the link plate chain are in contact with each other in the rolling region or the rolling surface. When the chain is kinked, a rolling motion occurs at this point around the kink angle set based on the geometry of the pressing member.

  The abutting surface of the pressing member and the abutting surface of the chain link plate come into contact with each other, whereby surface pressure is generated between the abutting surface of the chain link plate and the abutting surface of the pressing member. These abutment surfaces must satisfy a number of requirements. On one side, it is desirable that the surface pressure generated due to the shape of the contact surface does not increase, and on the other hand, the contact surface rotates so that the pressing member does not rotate within the opening of the chain link plate. It is desirable to be useful as a preventive measure.

  For this purpose, link plate chains with segmented abutment surfaces with two distinctly different radii of curvature for each segment are already known. Therefore, US Pat. No. 6,277,046 discloses a link plate chain having two contact surfaces on a pressing member having two different radii of curvature. Due to these different radii of curvature, now rotation prevention means are obtained, whereby the pressing member does not rotate within the opening of the chain link plate. Another known link plate chain is described in US Pat. No. 5,369,399. In this link plate chain, two different radii of curvature are provided on the abutment surface again, or the center point of the radius of curvature is shifted, so that one measure for preventing rotation is taken.

  In addition to this anti-rotation measure, the abutment surface must also meet the demand for a link plate chain that is tensile and fatigue resistant. For this purpose, the contact pressure in the contact area between the pressing member and the chain link plate must not exceed the set value. According to the understanding so far, a contact surface having a slight curvature and thus a large radius of curvature is required. Therefore, the known link plate chain needs to have an increased curvature radius in order to reduce the contact pressure on the contact surface.

  Surprisingly, now the occurrence of compressive stress peaks in the contact area of the contact surface between the pressing member and the link plate chain is not due to the presence of a small radius of curvature (and thus a large curvature), but locally. It has been found that a stress peak is prominently generated in the transition region between different radii of curvature. This is now the case for known link plate chains, where an obvious stress peak is present in the transition region from one radius of curvature to the other, and this transition extends tangentially without kinks. It came to recognition that it exists in an area.

  FIG. 1 corresponds to this. In FIG. 1, a compressive stress peak occurs in the transition region between the small radius of curvature indicated by the symbol K and the large radius of curvature indicated by the symbol G, but the compressive stress in the region of the small radius of curvature is large. Not significantly higher than the compressive stress in the radius of curvature region. In other words, this recognition is that a small curvature radius is not responsible for the generation of a locally high compressive stress peak, but the transition region from one curvature radius to the other is a defect. .

  That is, although the rolling surface of the pressing member is provided for the rotation of the link plate chain during kinking, the rotation of the pressing member occurs at the contact surface, that is, provided with a rotation preventing means. Also in the link plate chain, relative rotation occurs in the contact surface area of the link link chain and the pressing member of the link plate chain, that is, a shearing motion occurs on the contact surface between the pressing member and the chain link plate. It has been found that at the transition from one radius of curvature to the other radius of curvature, the abutment surface is mismatched and the chain link plate curvature no longer matches the curvature of the pressing member.

  This shearing now leads to a transition from surface support in the contact area between the pressing member and the chain link plate to line support across the width of the pressing member and thus to an increased contact pressure in this contact area. This causes the maximum pressurization shown in FIG. So far this situation has not been considered. This is because, as a general understanding, the largest possible radius of curvature has been considered in order to reduce the load in the contact area between the pressing member and the chain link plate.

  In other words, in the abutment surface area, one must take into account the demand for acceptable surface pressure, and the other must prevent the pressing member from rotating relative to the chain link plate. There is a conflict of purpose. The object of the present invention is now to provide a link plate chain that eliminates this objection, particularly used in vehicle drive systems as CVT chains or toothed chains.

  The present invention now provides a link plate chain provided with a plurality of chain link plates jointly connected to each other via a pressing member, which is used in a vehicle drive device to solve this problem. In this case, the pressing member extends in the lateral direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of the link plate chain, and each contact surface formed by being curved is formed on the pressing member and the chain link plate. The pressing member and the chain link plate are in contact with each other for force transmission along these contact surfaces, and each contact surface has a width extending in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the link plate chain. And has a predetermined arc length as viewed in a cross-sectional view in the longitudinal direction of the link plate chain, which extends in the transverse direction with respect to the width, and the contact surface varies along the arc length. It has at least three regions with curvature.

Plate-link chain for use in a vehicle drive device according to the present invention, advantageously, the ratio of minimum and maximum curvature for the curvature of a 2 also reduced.

  In the link plate chain used in the vehicle drive device according to the present invention, the curvature in at least three regions is preferably invariable along the arc length within each region.

  In the link plate chain used in the vehicle drive device according to the present invention, the curvatures in at least three regions advantageously vary along the arc length within each region.

  In the link plate chain used in the vehicle drive device according to the present invention, the contact surface preferably has a curved segment along the arc length, and the second derivative of the curved segment is continuous. .

  In the link plate chain used in the vehicle drive device according to the present invention, the abutment surface preferably has a curve segment along the arc length, and the curve segment has a minimum curvature along the arc length. The radius is located approximately in the middle of the arc length.

  Thus, the present invention in other words provides a link plate chain, the link plate chain having an abutment surface, and the abutment surface extends along the curve length of the link plate chain. It has at least three regions with different curvatures when viewed in cross-section along the longitudinal direction, so that a great change in curvature is avoided, but nevertheless the chain link plate of the pressing member In order to prevent relative rotation with respect to, a region having a small radius of curvature and a large radius of curvature is provided.

  Thus, unlike the known recognition, it is not important that the present invention provides the contact surface region with as small a curvature as possible with a large radius of curvature, but a sufficient number of different curvatures are applied to the pressing member. Although it is provided on the abutting surface and the abutting surface of the chain link plate, it utilizes the recognition that a sudden change in curvature leading to a high stress peak is avoided.

In this case, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ratio of the maximum curvature to the minimum curvature has been proposed to be 2 also reduced. With this configuration, there is sufficient rotation preventing means for the pressing member relative to the chain link plate, and the contact surface has at least three different curvatures along its arc length or curve length. With this feature, there is also a sufficient small change in curvature, which does not cause an unacceptably high compressive stress on the abutting surface in the region of curvature change.

  In this case, according to the invention, the curvature in at least three regions may be invariant along the arc length within each region, i.e. as seen in a cross section along the longitudinal axis of the link plate chain. Thus, it has also been proposed that the curve length or arc length can be constituted by at least three arc segments. As a result, the change between the different curvatures of the arc segment is reduced, and when considering the curvature radius of the pressing member of the link plate chain used in the vehicle drive device, the large curvature radius change from 1 mm to 5 mm, which leads to a high stress peak. In comparison, changes in individual radii of curvature can first be made from 1 mm to 3 mm and then to 5 mm.

  According to the invention, it has also been proposed that the curvatures in at least three regions each vary along the arc length within the individual regions. In other words, this means that the three different regions are not provided with a constant curvature, but the curvature can vary, for example, continuously within the individual regions. This allows an abutment surface made up of helical segments as seen in the axial longitudinal section of the link plate chain, and the curvature of the helical segments and hence the radius of curvature also vary continuously along the arc length. In addition to this helical segment, an abutment surface shape made up of an elliptical segment is also possible as seen in the axial longitudinal section. The curvature of the elliptical segment varies continuously between a minimum value and a maximum value. In addition to this shape, a segment of curve length can be a segment of a hyperbola or a parabola, or most commonly has a curve segment whose second derivative is continuous along the arc length. An abutting surface is possible.

  Furthermore, according to the configuration of the present invention, the abutment surface has a curved segment along the arc length, and the minimum radius of curvature along the arc length of the curved segment is located approximately in the middle of the arc length. It has been proposed that

  Advantageously, the smallest radius of curvature is located approximately in the middle of the arc length, so that the greatest curvature is located outside each end region of the abutment surface. Thereby, in the pressing member, this arrangement is more rigid compared to an arrangement in which the minimum radius of curvature is located in the region of each end of the abutment surface, which results in less bending. If the pressing member bends slightly, the tension is evenly distributed to all chain link plates arranged side by side, the chain link plate gains higher durability, and the link plate chain Higher tension can be transmitted.

  Thus, with the link plate chain according to the invention, significant contact pressure jumps no longer occur in the transmission region between the different radii of curvature of the abutment surface. The prevention of the rotation of the pressing member in the opening of the chain link plate is also enhanced as compared with a known link plate chain.

  In the following, the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  As already explained, FIG. 1 shows the course of the surface pressure in the contact surface area between the pressing member of the known link plate chain and the chain link plate. In the transition region between the small radius of curvature indicated by symbol K and the large radius of curvature indicated by symbol G, a significant maximum amount of contact pressure occurs between the pressing member and the chain link plate. In this case, this is due to a jump in the radius of curvature between the small radius of curvature K and the large radius of curvature G, ie a sudden change in the radius of curvature.

  FIG. 2 shows a part of a known CVT link plate chain 1. The CVT link plate chain 1 includes a plurality of pressing members 2 and 3 and a chain link plate 4. 2 is enlarged and shown in FIG. 1, whereby the pressing member 2 and the chain link plate 4 are shown in FIG. 1.

  FIG. 3 now shows an enlarged view of the pressing member 5 of the link plate chain 7 and the chain link plate 6 of the first embodiment according to the invention.

  As can be easily seen, two contact surface regions 8 and 11 are formed between the pressing member 5 and the chain link plate 6. In this case, the contact surface region 8 is formed by the contact surface 9 of the pressing member 5 and the contact surface 10 formed in a complementary manner to the chain link plate 6. In the same manner, the contact surface area 11 includes a contact surface of the pressing member 5 and a contact surface of the chain link plate 6.

  The pressing member 5 and the chain link plate 6 are in contact with each other for force transmission on the contact surface 9 or the contact surface 10. The chain link plate 6 has a certain width in the lateral direction orthogonal to the drawing plane of FIG. 3, and a large number of chain link plates are located side by side and are in contact with the same pressing member 5. Therefore, the tension transmitted by the link plate chain 7 is distributed to individual contact surface regions between the pressing member and the chain link plate. In the axial longitudinal sectional view extending in the transverse direction with respect to the width of the link plate chain 7, each contact surface 9, 10 has a predetermined arc length or curve length. This arc length or curve length is represented by braces 12 in the figure.

  FIG. 3 now shows a first embodiment of the link plate chain of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the abutting surface 9 of the pressing member 5 and the abutting surface 10 of the chain link plate 6 are formed with areas having different curvatures in a complementary manner. . In order to be able to illustrate these curvatures graphically, FIG. 3 shows regions with different curvatures with correspondingly different radii of curvature 13, 14, 15 and 16, respectively, with broken lines. It is. In this case, each of the curvature radii 13, 14, 15, 16 is shown perpendicular to the regions having different curvatures, so that the contact surface 9 cannot be easily grasped visually by the human eye. , 10 different curvatures can be shown graphically.

  However, it is readily apparent from FIG. 3 that the curvature of the region of curvature radius 13 is smaller than the curvature of the region of curvature radius 14 and the curvature radius of region 13 is greater than the curvature radius of region 14. Correspondingly, the radius of curvature of region 15 is smaller than the radius of curvature of region 14, and accordingly the curvature of region 15 is greater than the curvature of region 14. As a result, the contact surface 9 of the pressing member 5 in the contact surface region 8 and the contact surface 10 of the chain link plate 6 complementarily with each other already have three different curvatures. It has 10 arc lengths or curve lengths. Further, in FIG. 3, a further fourth region 16 having a curvature radius 16 different from the curvature radius regions 13, 14, 15 is formed on the contact surfaces 9, 10 along the arc length. It is shown. Correspondingly, the abutment surface region 11 also has regions with different curvatures. In this case, only three regions having different curvatures are provided here.

  FIG. 4 now shows the pressing member of the link plate chain of the second embodiment according to the invention. In this case, this pressing member is also a pressing member for a link plate chain used in a conical disk type winding transmission.

  In this pressing member 5, the rolling surface is indicated by reference numeral 17, and the pressing member 5 rolls on the opposing pressing member (which is a pressing member pair). In this case, the basic configuration can be seen on the basis of FIG. The pressing member 5 also has two contact surfaces 18 and 19, which are arranged on the contact surfaces formed in a complementary manner of a chain link plate (not shown). Has been. The upper contact surface 18 has a point indicated by a symbol B, and the maximum curvature is located at this point B, that is, it is also shown perpendicular to the contact surface 18 for explanation. The radius of curvature has its minimum value. Since the radius of curvature increases in both directions from this point B, the curvature continuously decreases on the contact surface 18 in both directions from the point B. In this case, from point B the radius of curvature increases corresponding to the elliptical segment in the direction of arrow 20 and increases corresponding to the spiral segment in the direction of arrow 21.

  FIG. 4 shows similar characteristics from the point C having the maximum curvature in the lower contact surface 19. In this case, the radius of curvature increases corresponding to the hyperbolic segment in the direction of arrow 22 and increases corresponding to the segment consisting of the parabolic curve in the direction of arrow 23.

  FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. In this case, the pressing member 24 shown in FIG. 5 is a pressing member of a toothed chain. The toothed chain can be used, for example, as a toothed chain for a drive device or as a toothed chain in a conveyor device. The pressing member 24 also has a rolling surface 25, and the pressing member 24 can roll on the pressing member disposed corresponding to the pressing member pair. The pressing member 24 also has an upper contact surface 26 and a lower contact surface 27. In this case, the configuration of the abutment surface 26 is such that the radius of curvature (the radius of curvature is again shown as a dashed line perpendicular to the contour of the abutment surface) from point B to the arc length also shown over the braces 12. And is selected to increase in both directions of the abutment surface 26. Correspondingly, the radius of curvature of the abutment surface 27 increases in both directions from the point of having the maximum curvature (corresponding to the minimum curvature radius) indicated by C.

  As can be further seen, if the maximum curvature of the abutment surface, and thus the minimum radius of curvature, extends approximately halfway between the abutment surfaces as viewed over the arc length or curve length of the abutment surface, One design with pressure stiffness is possible.

  FIG. 6 now helps explain this relationship. The point of the upper contact surface or the lower contact surface is also indicated by the symbol B or C. These points have a maximum curvature and thus a minimum radius of curvature within each abutment surface. As can be easily seen on the basis of the drawings, the point B; C is located approximately in the middle of the arc length 28, and an area having a radius of curvature indicated by a broken line extends below the arc length 28. Yes. It has been mentioned earlier that the point with the greatest curvature is located approximately halfway along the arc length (measured over arc length 28) of the abutment surface, but points B; It has been found that an advantageous effect is achieved in the same way if it is located in the region D of 40% to 60%. This region coincides with an angle region of 30 ° to 60 ° tangent to the lower contact surface of the pressing member. In this case, an angle of 30 ° to 60 ° is measured between the tangent line 29 and the chain extending direction 30. Now, if the point having the maximum curvature of each contact surface is located within 40% to 60% of the total length of the arc length 28, or within 30 ° to 60 ° of the tangent line 29 with respect to the chain extending direction 30, it is rigid. As a result, a pressing member with little deflection is provided. This again leads to increased tension that can be transmitted with link plate chains or toothed chains.

  FIG. 7 now shows the pressing member 5 and the chain link plate 6 of the link plate chain formed according to the invention (in this case, according to the terminology of the invention, the concept of a link plate chain also includes a toothed chain) Further shown is the course of contact pressure at the lower abutment surface selected in the drawing. By comparing the contact pressure course of the known link plate chain of FIG. 1 with the contact pressure course of FIG. 7 of the link plate chain according to the present invention, it is immediately apparent that the remarkable maximum contact pressure shown in FIG. Becomes clear. In order to show the progress of the contact pressure at the contact surface, the figures normalized with respect to each other were selected in both drawings, so the length of each arrow also represents the height of the contact pressure at each observation point on the contact surface. . Thereby, based on visual inspection, it can be easily seen that the significant maximum contact pressure of FIG. 1 disappears, and that the link plate chain according to the present invention has cleared the problems mentioned at the beginning.

It is the figure which showed progress of the surface pressurization in the contact surface area | region of the contact surface of a press member and a chain link plate in the well-known structure which has two different curvature radii clearly. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a known link plate chain for use in a CVT transmission, in which FIG. 1 is an enlarged view of the area indicated by A. It is an enlarged view of the chain link plate and the pressing member of the first embodiment according to the present invention. It is an enlarged view of the pressing member of 2nd Example by this invention. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a pressing member according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and a view showing a toothed chain according to the present invention, which is composed of these pressing members. It is the figure which expanded one press member in order to demonstrate each code | symbol. It is a figure similar to FIG. 1 for demonstrating the surface pressurization progress in the contact surface area | region between the press member of the link plate chain of this invention, and a chain link plate.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Link plate chain, 2, 3 Press member, 4 Chain link plate, 5 Press member, 6 Chain link plate, 7 Link plate chain, 8 Contact surface area, 9 Contact surface of press member, 10 Chain link plate contact Contact surface, 11 Contact surface area, 12 Braces, 13, 14, 15, 16 Radius of curvature, 17 Rolling surface, 18, 19 Contact surface, 20, 21, 22, 23 Arrow, 24 Press member, 25 Roll Moving surface, 26 upper abutting surface, 27 lower abutting surface, 28 arc length, 29 tangent, 30 chain extending direction, B, C point having maximum curvature, D region of 40-60% of arc length , K small radius of curvature, G large radius of curvature

Claims (6)

A plate-link chain for use in a car both drives, via the pressing member (5) has a number of chain link plates that are coupled together to the joint (6) is provided, the pressing member (5) is, The upper and lower contact surfaces (the upper and lower contact surfaces) are formed by being curved in the pressing member (5) and the chain link plate (6). 9,10,18,19,26,27) are formed, the pressing member (5) and the chain along the contact surface of the upper and lower (9,10,18,19,26,27) The link plates (6) are in contact with each other for force transmission, and the upper and lower contact surfaces (9, 10, 18, 19, 26, 27) are connected to the link plate chain (1). Extends transversely to the longitudinal direction of And width extending transversely to said width, as viewed in cross-section in the longitudinal direction of the plate-link chain (1), in what format and a predetermined arc length (28), upper and lower s abutment surface of the side (9,10,18,19,26,27) husband, along an arc length (28), characterized in that it has a different curvature at least three regions with a , plate-link chain for use in a car both drives. The ratio of the maximum curvature to the minimum curvature is a 2 also less claim 1, wherein the plate-link chain.   The link plate chain according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the curvature in at least three regions is invariant along the arc length (28) within each region.   The link plate chain according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the curvature in at least three regions each varies along the arc length (28) within each region. The upper and lower abutment surfaces (9, 10, 18, 19, 26, 27) have curve segments along the arc length (28), and the second derivative of the curve segments is continuous. The link plate chain according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The upper and lower abutment surfaces (9, 10, 18, 19, 26, 27) have a curve segment along the arc length (28), the arc length (28) of the curve segment being minimum radius of curvature along the is positioned to have any one of claims plate-link chain of claims 1 to 5 between in the arc length (28).

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