JPH01110887A - Closed center fluid device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To extend service life and shorten longitudinal length by sealing a central opening by the fluid in an orbiting valve rotated by a drive shaft extending through the central opening. CONSTITUTION: The pressurized fluid is segregated from the fluid in an area of the device near an orbiting valve 14 and a central drive opening by the sealing of a wobblestick drive connection to the valve 14. A central seal 38A opposite a valve plate 40 inside the valve 14 is larger than a central seal 38 of the valve 14 opposite an inlet-outlet end plate 20, so that the seal 38A seals the fluid from the wobblestick drive connection to an opening 50 of the plate 40. A seal 38B seals the wobblestick drive connection 51 and the valve 14.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fluid (hydraulic) gerotor motor apparatus.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Gerotor motor devices are a relatively low cost means of transmitting human-sized torque to remote locations. Typical applications include industrial robots, agricultural lawn mowers, and even aviation a#! This extends to the J vertical device. However, the main problems in the expanded field of application of this motor device are their wear characteristics (i.e. service life until failure of the seals), their longitudinal length (i.e. for conversion into rotary motion), their structure It is complex (i.e., requires multiple seals) and difficult to repair.

Attempts have been made to solve these problems. Attempts include disposable motors, dual planetary gearing or offset drives, encapsulated motors, and the idea of oversized motors.

These attempts have not significantly expanded the use of gerotor motors. This is because the increased fuss/clutter of this equipment is not commensurate with the industry in which it is used.

The present invention seeks to provide a gerotor motor that is simple, long-life, short in length, and quickly replaceable.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention seeks to provide an improved gerotor motor.

The purpose of the present invention is primarily to improve the operational life of gerotor motors.

A second object of the present invention is to shorten the longitudinal length of the gerotor motor.

A third object of the present invention is to simplify the repair of gerotor motors.

A fourth object of the invention is to simplify the gerotor motor.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention is disclosed in a preferred embodiment of a gerotor motor/pump 10 that connects a gerotor mechanism 13 and a rotary valve 14 via a wobblestick 15. It has a housing 11 with a connected drive shaft 12 (FIG. 8). (The gerotor device 10 can output power as a motor when fluidly connected to a high-pressure power source. Also, when mechanically connected to a motor (rotary power source), it can output power as a high-pressure pump. (Note that this device is shown as a motor.) The drive shaft 12 is provided in the housing II so as to be rotatable relative thereto. In a gerotor motor, the speed and direction of rotation of this shaft 12 is determined by the speed and direction of rotation of the shaft 12 through the rotor mechanism 13, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Adjusted by mass, pressure and direction of fluid flow. In the illustrated embodiment, fluid flow through the device is controlled by four valves 80.81, 82.83. These valves 80-83
The port 30.31 is connected to the fluid pump 85 (source of pressure fluid), and the fluid pumped out by the pump 85 connects the oil sump 86 (fluid outlet) to the other port 30.31.
selectively operated to allow connection with In the illustrated embodiment, auxiliary port 8 may also be selectively connected to fluid pump 85 via valve 88 to lubricate and cool the device bearings as needed. The filter 89 filters this lubricating circulating fluid before it is discharged to the oil sump 86, thus effectively separating the lubricating function from the power function of the device. It is also possible to provide one.

The shape of the housing 11 of the motor/pump 10 is designed to suit the intended use and is formed as an integral part of it (as will be described below). ).

Gerotor mechanism 13 is removably attached to housing 11, preferably by bolts (not shown). The rotor mechanism 13 has an end plate 20, a manifold plate 1 and 21, a gerotor device 22, and a balance plate 23, and the entire rotor mechanism 13 constitutes one integral unit. The illustrated gerotor device is a rotor 16 in a stator 17 (FIG. 1). Other pressure mechanisms may also be used.

The end plate 20 is a lid at the end of the device + 10 yen, and is also an input/output 1] plate. 2 ports 30.3
Plate 2 such that 1 forms the fluid connection of the device.
It is opened to 0. One port 30 is connected to the plate 20
It is connected to a rectifier ring 32 on the opposite side. This baffle ring 32 communicates with a central portion 34 of the orbiting valve 14 to provide a fluid connection therebetween. The other port 31 connects with the ring-shaped cavity 33 on the opposite side of the plate 20. This cavity 3
3 surrounds the outer circumferential end 35 of the swirl valve 14 to provide a second fluid connection to the swirl valve 14.

Swivel valve 14 is the main valve of the device IO. A central opening 34 of valve 14 communicates with one port 30 through a ring 32 . The outside of the outer end 35 of the valve 14 communicates with another port 31 . (Swivel valve 1
There is a space 36 between the outermost parts 37 of the valve 14 so that fluid can move freely outside the valve 14. ) The manifold plate 21 rotates between the valve 14 and the rotor 16 when viewed from the end plate 20.
It is on the side opposite 4. The manifold plate 21 is
It is arranged to selectively connect the central portion 34 and outer portion 35 of the swirl valve 14 to a gerotor cell between the rotor 16 and the stator 17 when the device is operated.

Manifold plate 21 is itself formed as a brass assembly of four thin stamped plates 40-43. The first plate 40 (Fig. 2, Fig. 6)
, provides a valve opening 45 for device 10. Fourth
The plate 43 (FIG. 5) provides the outer gerotor cell opening 46 of the device 10. The second and third plates 41,42 (FIGS. 3 and 4) are offset substantially 90" therebetween to connect the valve opening 45 and the respective gerotor cell opening 46. ) have angularly disposed channels 48. To prevent the swirl valve from blocking or obstructing fluid flow from port 30, plate/10.41 includes a series of auxiliary channels 48. 53, 54 are provided.Plate 4
The auxiliary channel openings 53 of the plate 41 are staggered with the recesses 54 of the plate 41 so that adjacent openings 53 can communicate with each other through the recesses 54. In the illustrated embodiment, these combine to form an auxiliary flow path in the central opening 34 of the valve 14. Opening 53 in plate 40 (as shown in FIG. 6) straddles the radial arm of valve 14. This effectively eliminates concerns that the arms will impede fluid flow and technically allows the valve 14 to be the same depth in the central portion 52, radial arms and outermost portion 37. (i.e., no recess in the radial arm of the valve 14)
. This same depth configuration increases the surface area of the valve 14 relative to the plate 40, making the device more resistant to wear and pressure uneven effects.

In conventional non-S rotor motors, a rocker rod extends from the rotor to the valve through plates that all have the same diameter. This allows fluid to easily flow through the plates and rotor to deliver pressure oil to the center rocker rod drive opening of the device; in fact, the center rocker rod drive opening is It is actively used as an internal flow path for high-pressure oil between the port provided in the housing and the swivel valve. These conventional devices confine high pressure fluid in the central rocker rod drive opening, so that the entire device is integrated with shaft I2 and end plate 20 by multiple high pressure seals.

In order to integrate the device, it is necessary to arrange all of the rotary shaft, the turning rotor, and the rotary, which are the connecting parts of the turning mechanism, inside the device. This increases the total length of the device.
all listed parts have the specified length and size),
Make the device type heavier (depending on the individual parts). Device integration also includes the attachment of components to be assembled to a device (the device requires a certain volume), the repair of the device (the device is mechanically and fluidically removed from all assembled components prior to repair) complicating things (requiring things). Other limitations also arise from the size of the device.

The seal is a high pressure seal. These seals include a seal between the housing and the gerotor mechanism as well as a rotary seal between the main drive shaft and the housing.

These high pressure seals add complexity and manufacturing costs (high pressure seals are tight tolerance seals with sensitive seating requirements) and repair costs (high pressure seals require careful handling). The seal also imposes restrictions on the usage conditions of the device (because the seal has usage restrictions).

In addition to the high-pressure seal requirement, fluid in the center drive opening can also leak into the gerotor due to debris and heat from the center swing shaft.
This will cause the fluid to become gamma and further reduce the service life of the device. The presence of this fluid also complicates repairs by requiring pressure relief and fluid withdrawal when working on the device.

These inconveniences and other factors have hindered the demand for conventional devices.

In contrast to these prior art devices, the present invention provides that the high pressure fluid is supplied between the central rocker rod drive L1 section (e.g., in the separate bearing lubrication circuit shown in FIG. 8) unless it is specifically desired to do so. route). Instead, the high pressure fluid is separated from the parts of the system near the swirl valve 14 by the sealing of the swing rod drive connection to the valve 14.

In the illustrated embodiment, by limiting the effective size of the drive opening 50 through the valve plate 40 of the manifold plate 21 to an area smaller than the surface that can be sealed by the inner drive surface 52 of the valve 14, This sealing is achieved. To allow this, the radius of the valve drive surface 52 is slightly larger than the radius of the opening 50 plus the eccentricity of the center of the valve 14 and the center of the valve manifold 21. This relationship causes the inner valve surface 52 of the valve 14 to seal the opening 50 over the entire valve trajectory of the valve 14. A center seal 38 improves the seal against fluid flowing in the rocker rod drive connection at the center of the valve 14. Note that the center seal 38A on the inside of the valve 14 facing the valve plate 40 is larger than the center seal 38 of the valve 14 facing the lower end plate 20. The reason for this is that the seal 38
A seals fluid from the rocker rod drive connection toward opening 50 in plate 40. Seal 38A
must be of sufficient diameter to continuously seal this opening 50 during full pivoting operation of the valve 14. The seal 38A therefore has a radius greater than the sum of the radius of the open lug portion 50 and the amount of rotational eccentricity. nu l-
Since the J section 50 has a fairly large diameter, the seal 3
8A is also a fairly large diameter. On the other hand, the seal 3813 seals the swing rod drive connection portion 51 and the valve 14.

The seal 38B must have a diameter that matches the diameter of the flow channel 32 in the end plate 20 and continuously seals this connection 51 (so that the seal does not suffer from excessive wear).

For this reason, the seal 38B has a larger groove 3 than the connecting portion 51.
It must have a diameter less than 2 radii.

The size of seal 3813 is thus typically different from the size of seal 38A.

Outer seal 39 prevents fluid communication between central portion 34 and space 36 at outer end 35 of valve 14 . (Manifold play) Valve 14 for 21
Any seals 39 on the outer ring of the device are exposed to the valve opening 45 of the device, subjecting the seals to considerable wear. Therefore, in the illustrated preferred embodiment:
Seal at this point is limited to the flat ferrous nature of the outer ring of valve 14. The smooth, flat steel surface is not exposed to the wear experienced by conventional seals. ) The body has very little volume and is not at high pressure. The device shown in FIG. 1 has an internal withdrawal connection for this fluid. In this device, a flow channel 61 connects a ring-shaped groove 62 in the valve distance plate and a central opening 56 in the housing. The ring groove 62 connects the two ports 30 of the device via check valves 63 and 64.
．． 31, respectively. Check valve 63.6
4 is the port 30.3 at the lowest pressure relative to the ring groove 62 (and the central opening 56 of the housing 11).
1 selectively connects. This results in automatic internal evacuation of the fluid in the central opening 56.

By confining the high pressure section to the vicinity of the pulp 14, the present invention in this application allows the gerotor mechanism 13 to be treated as an intransitive pressure unit. The assembled mechanical structure (such as housing 11) does not require high pressure seals or other fluid retention means. The gerotor mechanism unit may be bolted to the housing 11 or may be integrated into the mechanical structure regardless of the presence of high pressure fluid in the gerotor [413]. This fluid separation allows the functionality of the drive shaft 12 and housing 11 to be assembled into mechanical structures without requiring the installation of high pressure seals in such mechanical structures, and reduces the longitudinal length of the device. It can be made sufficiently short. Fluid separation also
To enable a gerotor mechanism to be removed from a mechanical structure to which it is assembled, regardless of the fluid in the gerotor mechanism. Both the gerotor and the mechanical structure can be easily assembled, separated and repaired independently of other structures. Other effects also result from fluid separation within the gerotor mechanism 13.

Plate 23 is a thin plate sandwiched between housing 11 and gerotor 22. Plate 23 typically provides a fluid tight seal for gerotor mechanism 13. Small recess (pocket) if desired
is incorporated into the housing 1 so as to be connected to the high pressure inlet "J" behind the plate. This may be done, for example, by providing an axially extending opening through the rotor terminating at each end of the rotor. The other openings in manifold plate 21 and plate 23 will be located in a restricted section through which the openings in the rotor are continuous. The opening in the rotor will pass through the opening in the plate 22 to allow high pressure to pass into the pocket in the housing 1!. The pressure of the fluid in the pocket exerts an opposite force on plate 22 to counteract the rotor pressure. If the device is designed to rotate in both directions, a small check valve can be used to determine the appropriate high pressure. The size of the recess in the housing 1) will be designed to account for the axial instability of the rotor due to the incoming high pressure.The balance plate can be used to ensure the connection.
US patent application 798 filed in 1985+1J1150
．． 301 in detail.

The swing rod I5 connects the drive shaft 12 to the valve 14.
Connected to both rotational force and rotation (or-buttal)
transmit power. Usually, the rocker rod is located in the central cavity of the device at a certain location simply by chance rather than by design. This causes wear in the device at both ends of the rocker rod 15 and at the drive connection.

In contrast, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, a small radially extending flange 70 at the valve end of the rocker rod 15 is provided in the manifold plate 21 to accurately position the rocker rod 15. two reduced diameter plates 4
It is cooperating with 0.43. In the illustrated embodiment, the flange 70 is designed with an oblique taper equal to the angle of the rocker rod 15 with respect to the central axis of the device, and furthermore, when the rocker rod 15 is in the operating position, both plates/l
It is designed to have a thickness such that o and 43 touch each other. With this positional design, the rocker rod 15 is restricted from axial movement and is precisely seated in a specific axial position during static or operation of the device. This reduces wear on the device.

In the disclosed embodiment, the diameter of the flange 70 is larger than the diameter of the rocker rod towards the hole 71 in the plate 43. This relationship prevents separation of the rocker rod from the gerotor mechanism 13. However, this relationship is not necessarily required. Because 7 lunge 70 is plate 40
．． The swing rod 15 will be sufficiently positioned as long as it is in contact with even one arc of 43, and since the swing rod has an angular offset, This is possible (provided that the difference in radius must be less than the amount of rocker bar offset at the interface between the 7 langes 70 and the plate).

During swirl operation, valve 14 connects port 30 through central opening 34 to several gerotor cells of gerotor assembly 22 through manifold plate 21, as is conventional in split swirl valve systems; Also,
The port 31 is connected to the gerotor device 2 through the outer peripheral end 35.
Connect to 2 other gerotor cells. However, the main point of improvement is that the fluid as a whole is Gerotor-R! +'
It is separated within li I 3. Center opening 55 of rotor 16 and center opening 5 of housing 11
None of 6 are connected to a source of fluid. Fluid in one port 30 is sealed from these openings by seals 38, and fluid in the other port 31 is sealed from these openings by seals 38,39. Any residual fluid that attempts to enter the opening (or this part of the device) is easily drained to the external sump (86) via a small channel 60 leading into the opening.

For fluid separation, the gerotor 1a ellipse 13 forms a separate, integral device. The device can be installed and disconnected at any time without regard to the state of the fluid pressure supplied to the ports 30, 31. The device also utilizes a housing 11 that does not require high pressure seals by design. This separation allows for the use of the gerotor mechanism in a wide variety of modified devices.Thus, while the present invention has disclosed certain preferred embodiments as suitable embodiments, it is within the scope of the claims. It should be understood that many changes and modifications can be made without departing from the invention as described herein.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view including the centerline of a gerotor mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 through 5 are cross-sectional views of the manifold plate of the gerotor apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 and 7 are various cross-sectional views of the valve portion of the gerotor apparatus of FIG. 1; FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the centerline of a gerotor apparatus incorporating the gerotor structure of FIG. 1; 10...Pump/motor 12...Drive shaft 13...Gerotor mechanism 14...Swivel valve 21...Manifold plate 1/30.31...Ports 40-43...Plate assembly 388, 38B... Sea/L/ Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 6 Figure 6 Figure 7 ~ C

Claims (9)

[Claims] (1) A device having a swivel valve that selectively communicates fluids in two ports with an expanding and contracting motor cell, the swivel valve being rotated by a drive shaft extending through a central opening of the device to connect with the swivel valve. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for sealing said central opening from said fluid in said pivot valve. (2) the swivel valve has an inner drive surface, and the means for sealing the central opening of the device are located on the inner drive surface of the swivel valve;
The apparatus of claim 1. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a manifold connecting said swivel valve and said expanding and contracting motor cell, said manifold comprising a plurality of plate structures. (4) A swivel valve that selectively communicates the fluids of the two ports with the manifold opening on its surface, and the swivel valve has an inner opening with a predetermined radius and a predetermined eccentric amount with respect to the inner driving surface. and wherein the swirl valve is rotated by a drive shaft extending through a central opening in the surface of the manifold, and wherein the central opening has a predetermined radius, the inner opening of the swirl valve rotates through the central opening. the inner drive surface of the swivel valve has a minimum radius greater than the sum of the radius of the opening and the eccentricity, and the inner drive surface of the swivel valve has a minimum radius greater than the sum of the radius of the opening and the eccentricity; Apparatus, characterized in that the device is adapted to seal the central opening of the surface of the manifold. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a manifold connecting said swivel valve and said expanding and contracting motor cell, said manifold comprising a plurality of plate structures. (6) having a swivel valve that selectively communicates the fluids of the two ports with the manifold opening on its surface, the swivel valve having an inner valve opening having a predetermined radius and a predetermined eccentric amount with respect to the inner driving surface; the pivot valve is rotated by a drive shaft extending through a central opening in the surface of the manifold to a driving opening in the inner driving surface of the valve, and the central opening of the manifold has a predetermined radius. wherein the inner opening of the swivel valve has a minimum radius greater than the sum of the radius of the center opening and the eccentricity, and the inner opening of the swivel valve has a smaller radius than the center opening of the manifold. means for sealing the central opening of the surface of the manifold so that the inner drive surface of the pivot valve does not communicate with the central opening of the manifold, and that means are provided for sealing the drive opening of the valve from fluid. Features: Device. (7) the device has a central axis, the drive opening has a predetermined radius, and a rectifying opening connecting one port and the inner valve opening, the drive opening of the valve being configured to said means for sealing from said central axis of said device at a distance greater than the sum of said eccentricity and said radius of said drive opening of said swivel valve so that said drive opening does not communicate with said communication opening; 7. The device of claim 6, having a switched opening. (8) the communication opening is a ring-shaped groove, and the ring-shaped groove has a minimum radius with respect to the central axis of the device;
7. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the minimum radius of the ring-shaped groove is greater than the sum of the eccentricity and the radius of the drive opening of the swivel valve. (9) a pivot valve having a central opening for selectively connecting the fluid of one port to the expanding and contracting cells, the central opening being connected to the central portion by a wide radial arm; and an apparatus for moving said pivot valve relative to a surface, said surface having means for directing fluid to bypass said arm of said pivot valve, said means said means displacing said radial arm of said valve; Apparatus, characterized in that it comprises a passage having a circumferential width greater than the width of.