Work vehicle reduction drive assemblies containing high contact ratio, configurable gearbox reductions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11060589-B2
Application number	US-201916668471-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2019
Priority date	Oct 30, 2019
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

A work vehicle reduction drive assembly includes a drive having a drive shaft mechanically linked to a movable work component through a planetary gear train is. The planetary gear train includes a ring gear having a tooth count of T ring , a sun gear having a tooth count of T sun , and a planet-carrier assembly including a plurality of planet gears each having a tooth count of T planet . T ring , T sun , and T planet are selected such that each planet gear in the plurality of planet gears contacts at least two teeth of the sun gear and at least two teeth of the ring gear in all rotational positions of the planetary gear train. The sum of T ring and T sun yields a positive integer when divided by a first number from a set {3, 4, 5} and when divided by a second number from the set {3, 4, 5}.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A work vehicle reduction drive assembly utilized onboard a work vehicle having a movable work component, the work vehicle reduction drive assembly comprising:
a high contact ratio, configurable gearbox reduction, comprising:
a gearbox housing; and
a planetary gear train within the gearbox housing, the planetary gear train comprising a ring gear, a sun gear, and a planet-carrier assembly including a plurality of planet gears; and

a drive mechanically linked to the movable work component through the planetary gear train when the work vehicle reduction drive assembly is deployed onboard the work vehicle;
wherein the ring gear has a tooth count of T ring , the sun gear has a tooth count of T sun , and the plurality of planet gears each have a tooth count of T planet ;
wherein T ring , T sun , and T planet are selected such that the plurality of planet gears each contact at least two teeth of the sun gear and at least two teeth of the ring gear in all rotational positions of the planetary gear train; and
wherein the sum of T ring and T sun yields a positive integer when divided by a first number from a set {3, 4, 5} and when divided by a second number from the set {3, 4, 5} different than the first number.

2. The work vehicle reduction drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein T ring , T sun , and T planet are further selected such that the planetary gear train provides a rotational speed reduction ratio exceeding three.

3. The work vehicle reduction drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein T ring , T sun , and T planet are further selected such the ring gear, the sun gear, and the plurality of planet gears follow a hunting pattern during operation of the work vehicle reduction drive assembly.

4. The work vehicle reduction drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein T ring is a prime number exceeding 100.

5. The work vehicle reduction drive assembly of claim 4 , wherein T ring is selected from a set {113, 119, 121, 127, 131, 137, 139}.

6. The work vehicle reduction drive assembly of claim 5 , wherein is 113; and
wherein T sun is selected from the set {27, 31, 37, 43, 47, 52, 55}.

7. The work vehicle reduction drive assembly of claim 5 , wherein T ring is 119; and
wherein T sun is selected from the set {31, 37, 41, 46, 49}.

8. The work vehicle reduction drive assembly of claim 5 , wherein is 121; and
wherein T sun is selected from the set {29, 35, 39, 44, 47}.

9. The work vehicle reduction drive assembly of claim 5 , wherein T ring is 127; and
wherein T sun , is selected from the set {29, 33, 38, 41, 53}.

10. The work vehicle reduction drive assembly of claim 5 , wherein T ring is 131; and
wherein T sun is selected from the set {29, 34, 37, 49}.

11. The work vehicle reduction drive assembly of claim 5 , wherein T ring is 137; and
wherein T sun , is selected from the set {28, 31, 43, 55, 58}.

12. The work vehicle reduction drive assembly of claim 5 , wherein T ring is 139; and
wherein T sun , is selected from the set {29, 41, 53, 56}.

13. The work vehicle reduction drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the ring gear, the sun gear, and the plurality of planet gears comprise spur gears.

14. The work vehicle reduction drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the movable work component comprises a propulsive element of the work vehicle; and
wherein the drive comprises an e-machine, which is mechanically linked to a propulsive element when the work vehicle reduction drive assembly is deployed onboard the work vehicle.

15. The work vehicle reduction drive assembly of claim 14 , wherein the propulsive element comprises a powered axle of the work vehicle.

16. The work vehicle reduction drive assembly of claim 14 , wherein the propulsive element comprises a drive sprocket included in a tracked undercarriage of the work vehicle.

17. The work vehicle reduction drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the movable work component comprises a diesel engine onboard the work vehicle and having an engine shaft; and
wherein the drive comprises an e-machine mechanically linked to the engine shaft when the work vehicle reduction drive assembly is deployed onboard the work vehicle, the e-machine configured to urge rotation of the engine shaft during engine startup and to act as a generator when back-driven by the engine shaft following engine startup.

18. The work vehicle reduction drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the ring gear has an inner diameter ranging from about 127 millimeters to about 305 millimeters.

19. A work vehicle reduction drive assembly utilized onboard a work vehicle having a movable work component, the work vehicle reduction drive assembly comprising:
a high contact ratio, configurable gearbox reduction, comprising:
a gearbox housing; and
a planetary gear train, comprising:
a ring gear having a tooth count of T ring , wherein T ring is a prime number exceeding 100;
a sun gear having a tooth count of T sun , wherein T sun is greater than 26 and less than T ring ; and
a planet-carrier assembly including a plurality of planet gears each having a tooth count of T planet , wherein T planet combines with T ring and T sun , to impart the planetary gear train with a speed reduction ratio exceeding three; and

a drive having a drive shaft, the drive shaft mechanically linked to the movable work component through the planetary gear train when the work vehicle reduction drive assembly is deployed onboard the work vehicle.

20. The work vehicle reduction drive assembly of claim 19 , wherein T ring is selected from the set {113, 119, 121, 127, 131, 137, 139}; and
wherein T sun is selected from the set {27, 28, 29, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 41, 43, 44, 46, 47, 49, 52, 53, 55, 56, 58}.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Base Douglas S
• Watt Dwayne B

Classifications

• F16H2057/02056

  for utility vehicles, e.g. tractors or agricultural machines · CPC title

• F16H1/32 Primary

  in which the central axis of the gearing lies inside the periphery of an orbital gear · CPC title

• B60K17/04

  characterised by arrangement, location or kind of gearing · CPC title

• F16H57/08

  of gearings with members having orbital motion · CPC title

• F16H2003/442

  comprising two or more sets of orbital gears arranged in a single plane · CPC title