Oil cooling apparatus for hydrostatic transmissions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10969009-B2
Application number	US-201916429866-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2019
Priority date	Jun 14, 2018
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

The present invention relates to an oil cooling apparatus for hydrostatic transmissions that includes a cooling main body coupled to a transmission case; an accommodating groove formed in the cooling main body to accommodate oil; a cover unit coupled to the cooling main body to cover the accommodating groove; a supply port configured to supply the oil to the accommodating groove; a discharge port configured to discharge the oil from the accommodating groove; a separating unit coupled to the cooling main body and configured to separate a flow path formed in the accommodating groove into a supply flow path connected to the supply port and a discharge flow path connected to the discharge port; and a hurdle unit coupled to each of an outer wall of the cooling main body and the separating unit, wherein the hurdle units may be formed to protrude from a bottom surface of the cooling main body so that an area of a flow region through which the oil passes is decreased.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An oil cooling apparatus for hydrostatic transmissions, the oil cooling apparatus comprising:
a cooling main body coupled to a transmission case;
an accommodating groove formed in the cooling main body to accommodate oil;
a cover unit coupled to the cooling main body to cover the accommodating groove;
a supply port configured to supply the oil to the accommodating groove;
a discharge port configured to discharge the oil from the accommodating groove;
a separating unit coupled to the cooling main body and configured to separate a flow path (FR) formed in the accommodating groove into a supply flow path (FR 1 ) connected to the supply port and a discharge flow path (FR 2 ) connected to the discharge port; and
a hurdle unit coupled to each of an outer wall ( 2 A) of the cooling main body and the separating unit,
wherein the hurdle unit is formed to protrude from a bottom surface ( 2 B) of the cooling main body so that an area of a flow region (FA) through which the oil passes is decreased,
wherein an upper surface of the hurdle unit is disposed at a position spaced apart from an inner surface ( 4 A) of the cover unit,
wherein the flow path (FR) is formed between the bottom surface ( 2 B) of the cooling main body and the inner surface ( 4 A) of the cover unit,
wherein the flow region (FA) is formed between the upper surface of the hurdle unit and the inner surface ( 4 A) of the cover unit by the hurdle unit protruded from the bottom surface ( 2 B) of the cooling main body.

2. The oil cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hurdle unit is disposed on at least one of the supply flow path (FR 1 ) and the discharge flow path (FR 2 ).

3. The oil cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hurdle unit is formed to extend in a direction perpendicular to a flow direction of a main flow of the oil.

4. The oil cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, in an inward-outward direction (a Z-axis direction) that is parallel to each of an inward direction (a direction indicated by an arrow (ID)), which is a direction from the cover unit toward the bottom surface ( 2 B), and an outward direction (a direction indicated by an arrow (ED)), which is opposite the inward direction (the direction indicated by the arrow (ID)), the hurdle unit 8 is formed so that a ratio of a length of the flow region (FA) to a distance at which the bottom surface ( 2 B) and the inner surface ( 4 A) of the cover unit are spaced apart from each other is within 10%.

5. The oil cooling apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a mixing unit configured to mix the oil flowing along the flow path (FR),
wherein the mixing unit includes a mixing flow path and a mixing space connected to the mixing flow path,
wherein the mixing flow path is configured to cause the oil flowing through the flow path (FR) to flow,
wherein the mixing space is configured to mix the oil branched from the oil flowing through the mixing flow path and cause the branched oil to flow toward the mixing flow path.

6. The oil cooling apparatus of claim 5 , wherein:
the mixing unit is provided in plural; and
the mixing units are disposed at positions spaced apart from each other along the flow path (FR).

7. The oil cooling apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising an adjusting member disposed between the mixing flow path and the mixing space,
wherein the adjusting member blocks a portion between the mixing flow path and the mixing space to adjust a flow rate of the oil branched toward the mixing space.

8. The oil cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the separating unit includes an installing member having an input shaft for inputting power to a hydrostatic transmission installed, a blocking member coupled to each of the outer wall ( 2 A) and the installing member, and a separating rib coupled to the installing member to extend in a downward direction (a direction indicated by an arrow (DD)), which is a direction from the supply port toward the discharge port.

9. The oil cooling apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the blocking member is disposed on the shortest path connecting the supply port and the discharge port and blocks a flow toward the discharge port of the oil supplied via the supply port.

10. The oil cooling apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:
the separating unit includes an expansion member coupled to the separating rib; and
the expansion member is formed to have a longer length in a horizontal direction (X-axis direction) than the separating rib so that a distance at which an oil flowing from the supply flow path (FR 1 ) to the discharge flow path (FR 2 ) flows is increased in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction).

Assignees

• Ls Mtron Ltd

Inventors

• Shin Jai Yoon
• Choi Jong Rak

Classifications

• F16H57/0415

  Air cooling or ventilation; Heat exchangers; Thermal insulations · CPC title

• F16H57/0416

  Air cooling or ventilation · CPC title

• F16H61/4165 Primary

  Control of cooling or lubricating · CPC title