SE2151169A1

SE2151169A1 - Half-shaft seal, axle-beam and vehicle

Info

Publication number: SE2151169A1
Application number: SE2151169A
Authority: SE
Inventors: Almkvist Axel Lison; Jens Nilsson
Original assignee: Scania Cv Ab
Priority date: 2021-09-24
Filing date: 2021-09-24
Publication date: 2023-03-25
Also published as: DE102022124541A1; SE545497C2

Abstract

Half-shaft seal (230a, 230b) configured to enclose at least an axial segment of a half-shaft (270a, 270b) in an axle-beam (200) of a vehicle (100). The half-shaft seal (230a, 230b) is axially moveable between: a docked position, wherein a first end (310) of the half-shaft seal (230a, 230b) is abutting a drive unit (220) of the axle-beam (200); and a retracted position wherein the first end (310) of the half-shaft seal (230a, 230b) is axially retracted to a non-abutting position, thereby enabling assembly of the drive unit (220) in an opening (205) of a bridge section (210). An axle-beam (200) comprising the half-shaft seal (230a, 230b), and a vehicle (100) comprising the axle-beam (200) are also disclosed.

Description

HALF-SHAFT SEAL, AXLE-BEAM AND VEHICLE TECHNICAL FIELD This document relates to a half-shaft seal, an axle-beam comprising the half-shaft seal and a vehicle comprising the axle-beam. More particularly, the half-shaft seal is configured to enclose at least an axial segment of a half-shaft in the axle-beam of the vehicle, wherein the half-shaft seal is axially moveable between at least two distinct positions.

BACKGROUND Conventionally, driving axles of a vehicle are configured with a closed axle-beam design, wherein both the axle and the rotation transferring mechanism are enclosed in a sealed box, thereby protecting the half shafts forming the axle and the driving mechanism from dirt, water, etc., while maintaining oil for lubrication and corrosion avoidance of the half shafts and the driving mechanism within the enclosed axle-beam. lt may however be desired to apply an alternative design comprising an open structured axle-beam for some types of vehicles, for example electrical vehicles.

The open structured axle-beam and a drive unit are then typically bolted together, leading to that half-shafts attached to the drive unit are exposed to the environment due to the way the parts of the axle-beam are assembled.

During assembly, the drive unit is docked to the axle beam from the front or the rear through an opening in the axle beam. When the drive unit and the axle-beam are fixed to- gether, assembly of the half-shafts can be done. Since the half-shafts/ drive shafts are po- sitioned perpendicular to the direction of docking of the drive unit, they need to be assem- bled from the sides of the axle beam, through the ends of the axle beam.

An open beam structure will expose the comprised parts of the axle-beam such as the half shafts, splines, etc., due to the harsh environment. Surface treatment may only to a limited extent decrease the problem of corrosion. Also, the open beam structure will be subjected to dirt, snow, water etc. which will fill the axle-beam and cause corrosion and wear. Some parts as the splines cannot be subject of surface treatment. lt is also desired to restrict dirt, water etc., to reach the shaft ends and/ or the wheel bearings. lt is consequently desired to find a solution which is enabling usage of an open structured axle-beam and assembly of the drive unit into an opening of the axle-beam, while providing protection of the half- shafts when they are attached to the drive unit and the vehicle is op- erative.

SUMMARY lt is therefore an object of this invention to solve or alleviate at least some of the above problems and improve the construction/ design of an axle-beam.

According to a first aspect of the invention, this objective is achieved by a half-shaft seal configured to enclose at least an axial segment of a half-shaft in an axle-beam of a vehicle. The half-shaft seal is axially moveable between a docked position and a retracted position. ln the docked position, a first end of the half-shaft seal is abutting a drive unit mounted to the axle-beam. ln the retracted position, the first end of the half-shaft seal is axially retract- ed to a non-abutting position, thereby enabling assembly of the drive unit in an opening of a bridge section.

According to a second aspect of the invention, this objective is achieved by an axle-beam comprising a bridge section with an opening. The opening is configured to receive a drive unit. The axle beam comprises a pair of half-shafts, wherein each half-shaft comprises a first end configured to attach to the drive unit and a second end, schematically configured to attach to a wheel of a vehicle. Each half-shaft also comprises a half-shaft seal according to the first aspect.

According to a third aspect of the invention, this objective is achieved by a vehicle compris- ing an axle-beam according to the second aspect.

Thanks to the disclosed invention, the half-shaft seals are retractable, thereby enabling docking of the drive unit into the opening of the bridge section of the axle-beam. Also, the half-shaft seals may be positioned to a docked position either by springs returning and maintaining each of the half-shaft seals to the drive unit, or by resilience of the material of the half-shaft seals, or possibly a combination thereof.

Thereby, the half-shaft seals are enclosing and protecting the respective half-shaft, effec- tively placing the half-shafts on the inside, preventing them from coming into contact with the environment. The half-shafts are thereby effectively protected from dirt, dust, water, etc.

When the drive unit has been mounted, the half-shaft seals could be extended to come into contact with the drive unit and achieve a proper sealing. The half-shaft seals may then be kept in the docked position during the rest of the operative life-time of the vehicle, or until the drive unit is exchanged or maintenance is performed there upon.

Other advantages and additional novel features will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description.

FIGURES Embodiments of the invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: Figure 1A illustrates an example of a vehicle in a side view.

Figure 1B illustrates an example of a vehicle as regarded from underneath.

Figure 2A illustrates an example of an axle-beam according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2B illustrates an example of an axle-beam according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 3A illustrates an example of an axle-beam according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 3B illustrates an example of an axle-beam according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Embodiments of the invention described herein are defined as a half-shaft seal, an axle- beam and a vehicle, which may be put into practice in the embodiments described below. These embodiments may, however, be exemplified and realised in many different forms and are not to be limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these illustrative exam- ples of embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete.

Still other objects and features may become apparent from the following detailed descrip- tion, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. lt is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the herein disclosed embodiments, for which reference is to be made to the appended claims. Further, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and, unless othen/vise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.

Figure 1A illustrates a scenario with a vehicle 100 comprising an open axle-beam with half- shaft seals according to the herein described embodiments.

The vehicle 100 may comprise an electric motor, a combustion engine, or a hybrid combi- nation thereof. The vehicle 100 may be e.g. a truck, a bus or a car, or any similar vehicle or other means of conveyance; autonomous or comprising a driver.

Figure 1B illustrates in more detail some components of an axle-beam comprising a pair of half-shafts 270, according to an embodiment.

Each half-shaft 270 has a respective first end 101 configured to attach to a drive unit 220 inserted in an opening of a bridge section 210, and a second end 102 configured to attach to a wheel 110 of the vehicle 100, thereby transferring a rotational movement from the drive unit 220 to the wheel 110. The drive unit 220 converts and transfer the rotational movements of the motor axis, to rotations of the wheel axis.

Figure 2A illustrates an axle-beam 200 of a vehicle 100 wherein half-shaft seals 230a, 230b are protecting the respective half-shafts 270a, 270b when the half-shafts 270a, 270b are in docked positions.

The respective half-shaft seals 230a, 230b are configured to enclose at least an axial seg- ment of a half-shaft 270a, 270b in the axle-beam 200. The half-shaft seals 230a, 230b comprises tube-like pieces for example made of a flexible material such as rubber or elas- tomer; or alternatively a rigid material, such as e.g. metal such as steel or aluminium, or plastic. By allowing the half-shaft seals 230a, 230b to enclose the half-shafts 270a, 270b, this enclosure prevents the half-shafts 270a, 270b to come into contact with the environ- ment. The half-shafts 270a, 270b are thereby protected from dirt, dust, water, etc. by the enclosing half-shaft seals 230a, 230b. The half-shaft seals 230a, 230b prevent harsh envi- ronment entities to affect the half-shafts 270a, 270b and/ or other parts of the axle-beam 200.

The axle-beam 200 comprises a bridge section 210 with an opening 205. A drive unit 220 could be mounted in the opening 205 of the bridge section 210, when the half-shaft seal 230a, 230b is retracted into a retracted position, as illustrated in Figure 2B.

Each of the half-shaft seals 230a, 230b may be positioned in their location by one or sev- eral supportive sections 260a, 260b of the axle beam 200, yet being slidable axially along the half-shaft 270a, 270b, in some embodiments.

Once the drive unit 220 has been mounted, the half-shaft seals 230a, 230b are positioned into the docked position and remain so during normal operation of the vehicle 100, as illus- trated in Figure 2A. ln the illustrated embodiment of Figures 2A-2B, each half-shaft seal 230a, 230b is posi- tioned in docked position by a respective spring 250a, 250b, wherein a first end of the half- shaft seal 230a, 230b is abutting the mounted drive unit 220 of the axle-beam 200.

The half-shaft seal 230a, 230b comprises a respective protruding section 240a, 240b, pro- truding radially outwards from the outer surface of the half-shaft seal 230a, 230b, which may be circularly applied around the half-shaft seal 230a, 230b in an example. The spring 250a, 250b may extend between the protruding section 240a, 240b and the supportive section 260a, 260b of the axle beam 200; or possibly some other part of the axle beam 200. Thereby, the spring 250a, 250b may exert a certain force on the protruding section 240a, 240b, assuring that the end of the half-shaft seal 230a, 230b is abutting the drive unit 220 when in the docked position.

Thus, the spring 250a, 250b is configured to provide axial movement of the half-shaft seal 230a, 230b from the retracted position to the docked position.

Figure 3A schematically illustrates details of a half-shaft seal 230 in docked position in an embodiment.

The half-shaft seal 230 is enclosing at least a segment of the half-shaft 270. The spring 250 is extending between a supportive section 260 or possibly other part of the axle beam 200, and a protruding section 240 of the half-shaft seal 230, thereby exerting an axial pres- sure of a first end 310 of the half-shaft seal 230 towards the drive unit 220. The first end 310 of the half-shaft seal 230 may comprise a first radial and/ or axial seal 320 configured to adjoin the drive unit 220 when the half-shaft seal 230 is positioned in the docked posi- tion, as illustrated in Figure 3A.

The first radial and/ or axial seal 320 may comprise an elastomeric seal, for example in form of an O-ring circumventing the half-shaft seal 230. The radial/ axial seal 320 forms a barrier, precluding dirt and/ or corrosive matter from passing the seal 320, which improves the sealing performance.

The half-shaft seal 230 may in some embodiments comprise a radially extending part 360, inwards or possibly alternatively outwards, configured to receive a separating instrument for axially retracting the half-shaft seal 230 into the retracted position. The separating in- strument may have a hook like ending to fetch the radially extending part 360 of the half- shaft seal 230. An operator is thereby enabled to retract the half-shaft seal 230 into the retracted position while mounting the drive unit 220 at the assembly line.

The half-shaft seal 230 may in some embodiments comprise a second radial or axial seal 350 configured to adjoin the supportive section 260 of the axle beam 200.

The second radial and/ or axial seal 350 may comprise an elastomeric seal, for example in form of an O-ring circumventing the half-shaft seal 230. The radial/ axial seal 350 forms a barrier, precluding dirt and/ or corrosive matter from passing the seal 350, which improves the sealing performance.

A second end 370 of the half-shaft seal 230 may comprise a thread 330, configured to fix- ate the half-shaft seal 230 in the docked position, in cooperation with a corresponding thread 340 in the supportive section 260 of the axle beam 200. lt may thereby be able to fixate the half-shaft seal 230 in the docked position.

The half-shaft seal 230 may in another embodiment as illustrated in Figure 3B, comprise a screw 380 configured to fixate the half-shaft seal 230 in the docked position, when inserted into a corresponding threaded cavity in the half-shaft seal 230.

The half-shaft seal 230 is thereby fixated in the docked position in an alternative manner. ln yet other embodiments, the half-shaft seal 230 is made, entirely or at least partly, of an elastic material such as rubber, elastomer or similar, and wherein the retractability in axial direction of the half-shaft seal 230, may be enabled by the elastic property of the elastic material.

Some examples of possible elastomers that may be applied comprises for example fluoro- carbon-based fluoroelastomer materials (FKM), alkyl acrylate copolymer (ACM), nitrile bu- tadiene rubber (NBR), Hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR), and/ or ethylene acrylic rubber (AEM).

The half-shaft seal 230, when made of elastic material can be deformed while mounting the drive unit 220, and then return to its original shape to come into contact with the drive unit 220 and thus achieve a proper sealing.

The terminology used in the description of the embodiments as illustrated in the accompa- nying drawings is not intended to be limiting of the described half-shaft seal 230a, 230b; axle-beam 200 and/ or vehicle 100. Various changes, substitutions and/ or alterations may be made, without departing from invention embodiments as defined by the appended claims. The various described embodiments may be combined with each other, entirely or partly, thereby achieving additional advantages, besides the ones already enumerated.

As used herein, the term "and/ or" comprises any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The term "or" as used herein, is to be interpreted as a mathe- matical OR, i.e., as an inclusive disjunction; not as a mathematical exclusive OR (XOR), unless expressly stated othen/vise. ln addition, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are to be interpreted as "at least one", thus also possibly comprising a plurality of entities of the same kind, unless expressly stated otherwise. lt will be further understood that the terms "includes", "comprises", "including" and/ or "comprising", specifies the presence of stated features, actions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/ or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, actions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/ or groups thereof.

A single unit may fulfil the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

Claims

1. A half-shaft seal (230a, 230b) configured to enclose at least an axial segment of a half-shaft (270a, 270b) in an axle-beam (200) of a vehicle (100); wherein the half-shaft seal (230a, 230b) is axially moveable between: a docked position, wherein a first end (310) of the half-shaft seal (230a, 230b) is abutting a drive unit (220) of the axle-beam (200); and a retracted position wherein the first end (310) of the half-shaft seal (230a, 230b) is axially retracted to a non-abutting position, thereby enabling assembly of the drive unit (220) in an opening (205) of a bridge section (210).

2. The half-shaft seal (230a, 230b) according to claim 1, comprising an elastic mate- rial, and wherein the retractability in axial direction of the half-shaft seal (230a, 230b), is enabled by the elastic property of the elastic material.

3. The half-shaft seal (230a, 230b) according to any one of claim 1 or claim 2, com- prising a spring (250a, 250b) configured to provide axial movement of the half-shaft seal (230a, 230b) from the retracted position to the docked position.

4. The half-shaft seal (230a, 230b) according to any one of claims 1-3, comprising a screw (380) configured to fixate the half-shaft seal (230a, 230b) in the docked position, when inserted into a corresponding threaded cavity.

5. The half-shaft seal (230a, 230b) according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein a second end (370) of the half-shaft seal (230a, 230b) comprises a thread (330), configured to fixate the half-shaft seal (230a, 230b) in the docked position, in cooperation with a corre- sponding thread (340) in a supportive section (260a, 260b) of the axle beam (200).

6. The half-shaft seal (230a, 230b) according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the half-shaft seal (230a, 230b) comprises a radially extending part (360) configured to receive a separating instrument for axially retracting the half-shaft seal (230a, 230b) into the re- tracted position.

7. The half-shaft seal (230a, 230b) according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the half-shaft seal (230a, 230b) comprises a first radial or axial seal (320) configured to adjoin the drive unit (220) when the half-shaft seal (230a, 230b) is moved into the docked position; and a second radial or axial seal (350) configured to adjoin the supportive section (260a, 260b) of the axle beam (200).

8. An axle-beam (200) comprising a bridge section (210) with an opening (205), 5 wherein the opening (205) is configured to receive a drive unit (220); the axle beam (200) comprising: a pair of half-shafts (270a, 270b), each half shaft (270a, 270b) comprising: a first end (101) configured to attach to the drive unit (220); a second end (102) configured to attach to a wheel (110) of a vehicle (100); and 10 a half-shaft seal (230a, 230b) according to any one of claims 1-7.

9. A vehicle (100) comprising an axle-beam (200) according to claim 8.

10. The vehicle (100) according to claim 9, comprising a drive unit (220) attached to 15 the axle beam (200).