Steering drive for a steering axle of a steerable vehicle, steering axle, and industrial truck

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12448030-B2
Application number	US-202218056010-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2022
Priority date	Nov 22, 2021
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

A steering drive includes an electric motor with a motor shaft and a steering lever rotatable about a pivot axis. A first planetary stage has a first sun gear, first planet gears, a first ring gear, and a first planet carrier. A final planetary stage has a final sun gear, final planet gears, a final ring gear, and a final planet carrier. A force flow runs from the motor shaft to the first sun gear, and from the first sun gear via the first planet gears to the first planet carrier and to the first ring gear. The force flow runs via the final sun gear and via the final planet gears to the final ring gear, runs from the first ring gear and from the final ring gear to the steering lever, and runs via a first sun gear shaft from the electric motor to the first sun gear.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A steering drive for a steering axle of a steerable vehicle, comprising:
an electric motor with a motor shaft;
a first planetary stage with a first sun gear with a first sun gear shaft, first planet gears, a first ring gear, and a first planet carrier;
a final planetary stage with a final sun gear defining a bore, final planet gears, a final ring gear, and a final planet carrier, wherein the first sun gear shaft is arranged rotatably within the bore of the final sun gear; and
a steering lever rotatable about a pivot axis;
wherein the steering drive is configured such that a force flow runs from the motor shaft to the first sun gear, such that the force flow furthermore runs from the first sun gear via the first planet gears to the first planet carrier and to the first ring gear, such that the force flow furthermore runs via the final sun gear and via the final planet gears to the final ring gear, and such that the force flow runs from the first ring gear and from the final ring gear to the steering lever, and
such that the force flow from the electric motor to the first sun gear runs via the first sun gear shaft.

2. The steering drive as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the steering drive further comprises a housing having a carrier, the carrier being arranged axially between the electric motor and the final planetary stage.

3. The steering drive as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the final planet carrier is connected rotationally conjointly to the carrier.

4. The steering drive as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the carrier has a flange region configured for a screw connection of the steering drive to an axle housing of the steering axle.

5. The steering drive as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the final planet carrier and the carrier are braced axially via a pivot bearing assembly of the steering lever by means of a locknut.

6. The steering drive as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the motor shaft has a gearbox-side bearing assembly arranged in the final planet carrier or in the carrier.

7. The steering drive as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the motor shaft and the first sun gear shaft are formed as a single piece.

8. The steering drive as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the steering drive furthermore comprises at least one middle planetary stage which in turn comprises a middle sun gear, middle planet gears, a middle ring gear, and a middle planet carrier, wherein the force flow runs from the first planet carrier via the middle sun gear and the middle planet gears to the middle planet carrier and to the middle ring gear, and the force flow furthermore runs from the middle planet carrier to the final sun gear and from the middle ring gear to the steering lever.

9. The steering drive as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the first ring gear, the final ring gear and/or the middle ring gear have identical toothings.

10. The steering drive as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising axial plain bearings or axial roller bearings arranged at planar surfaces of components of the steering drive which are rotatable relative to one another.

11. A steering axle comprising the steering drive as claimed in claim 1 .

12. An industrial truck comprising a steering with the steering drive axle as claimed in claim 1 .

Assignees

• Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen

Inventors

• Mauritz Wolfgang

Classifications

• B62D5/0403

  characterised by constructional features, e.g. common housing for motor and gear box · CPC title

• B62D7/06

  for individually-pivoted wheels, e.g. on king-pins · CPC title

• B62D7/02

  for pivoted bogies · CPC title

• B62D5/0427

  the axes being coaxial · CPC title

• B62D5/0421 Primary

  Electric motor acting on or near steering gear · CPC title