Joint structure and wind power generation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016201649-A1
Application number	US-201414913481-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 28, 2014
Priority date	Aug 29, 2013
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A joint structure includes a clutch unit interposed between a shaft joint and a shaft body which is one of an output shaft of a speed increaser and an input shaft of a power generator. The clutch unit includes: a shaft coupling portion rotating integrally with the shaft body; a joint coupling portion rotating integrally with the shaft joint; and a one-way clutch provided between the shaft coupling portion and the joint coupling portion. The one-way clutch makes a connection integrally rotatably between the shaft coupling portion and the joint coupling portion in a state in which a rotation speed of the output shaft is higher than that of the input shaft, and releases the connection between the shaft coupling portion and the joint coupling portion in a state in which the rotation speed of the output shaft is lower than that of the input shaft.

First claim

1 . A joint structure used for a wind power generation device which generates power by rotating an input shaft of a power generator by a torque from an output shaft of a speed increaser, said joint structure comprising:
a clutch unit interposed between: a shaft joint which is provided between the output shaft and the input shaft and which allows the torque to be transmitted between the output shaft and the input shaft; and a shaft body which is one of the output shaft and the input shaft, wherein the clutch unit comprises: a shaft coupling portion which rotates integrally with the shaft body; a joint coupling portion which rotates integrally with the shaft joint; and a one-way clutch provided between the shaft coupling portion and the joint coupling portion, wherein the one-way clutch makes a connection integrally rotatably between the shaft coupling portion and the joint coupling portion in a state in which a rotation speed of the output shaft is higher than a rotation speed of the input shaft, and releases the connection between the shaft coupling portion and the joint coupling portion in a state in which the rotation speed of the output shaft is lower than the rotation speed of the input shaft, wherein the shaft coupling portion is formed of a member separate from the shaft body and coupled to the shaft body, and wherein the joint coupling portion is formed of a member separate from the shaft joint and coupled to the shaft joint.

2 . (canceled)

3 . The joint structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the shaft coupling portion comprises a coupling shaft portion which is coupled to the shaft body, and wherein a hole extending in an axial direction is formed on an end portion of one of the coupling shaft portion and the shaft body, and an insertion shaft portion inserted in the hole and incapable of relatively rotating but capable of moving in the axial direction with respect to the hole is formed on an end portion of the other of the coupling shaft portion and the shaft body.

4 . The joint structure according to claim 3 ,
wherein the hole is a spline hole, and the insertion shaft portion is a spline shaft.

5 . The joint structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein one of the shaft coupling portion and the joint coupling portion is formed of a shaft-shaped member, and the other of the shaft coupling portion and the joint coupling portion is formed of a tubular member situated radially outside the shaft-shaped member, wherein the one-way clutch is interposed between the shaft coupling portion and the joint coupling portion, and comprises an engagement element which is capable of making an engagement with the shaft coupling portion and the joint coupling portion in a state in which the rotation speed of the output shaft is higher than the rotation speed of the input shaft and which releases the engagement in a state in which the rotation speed of the output shaft is lower than the rotation speed of the input shaft, and wherein the clutch unit further comprises a rolling bearing interposed between the shaft coupling portion and the joint coupling portion.

6 . The joint structure according to claim 1 ;
wherein a male screw is formed on an end portion of the shaft body, wherein a female, which is screw screwed with the male screw such that rotation of the female screw is locked in a tightening direction in a state in which tightening with the male screw is completed, is formed on the shaft coupling portion, and the tightening direction is set to a same direction as a rotation direction of the output shaft and the input shaft at a time of power generation by the power generator.

7 . The joint structure according to claim 6 ,
wherein one of the shaft coupling portion and the joint coupling portion is formed of a tubular member, and the other of the shaft coupling portion and the joint coupling portion is formed of a shaft-shaped member situated radially inside the tubular member, and wherein the clutch unit further comprises a support portion which supports the shaft coupling portion and the joint coupling portion such that the shaft coupling portion and the joint coupling portion are relatively movable in an axial direction and relatively rotatable.

8 . The joint structure according to claim 7 ,
wherein the support portion comprises: a plurality of balls interposed between the shaft coupling portion and the joint coupling portion; and a cage which holds the balls at intervals in a circumferential direction.

9 . The joint structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the clutch unit further comprises: a support member fixed to a fixed object of the wind power generation device; and a rolling bearing which is provided between the support member and the joint coupling portion and which supports the joint coupling portion rotatably with respect to the support member.

10 . The joint structure according to claim 9 ,
wherein the joint coupling portion comprises: a rotational flange portion coupled to the shaft joint; and a rotational cylindrical portion which rotates integrally with the rotational flange portion and in which the one-way clutch is provided on an inner periphery side of the rotational cylindrical portion, wherein the support member comprises: a fixed flange portion coupled to the fixed object; and a fixed cylindrical portion which is integral with the fixed flange portion, which is concentric with the rotational cylindrical portion and which is situated radially outside the rotational cylindrical portion, and wherein the rolling bearing is provided between an inner peripheral surface of the fixed cylindrical portion and an outer peripheral surface of the rotational cylindrical portion.

11 . The joint structure according to claim 10 ,
wherein a raceway of the rolling element of the rolling bearing is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the fixed cylindrical portion, and the fixed cylindrical portion also serves as an outer ring of the rolling bearing.

12 . The joint structure according to claim 10 ,
wherein a raceway of the rolling element of the rolling bearing is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rotational cylindrical portion, and the rotational cylindrical portion also serves as an inner ring of the rolling bearing.

13 . The joint structure according to claim 9 ,
wherein the fixed object is a housing of the speed increaser, and wherein the clutch unit is interposed between the shaft joint and the output shaft.

14 . The joint structure according to claim 9 ,
wherein the fixed object is a housing of the power generator, and wherein the clutch unit is interposed between the shaft joint and the input shaft.

15 . A wind power generation device comprising:
a main shaft which rotates by wind power; a speed increaser which increases a speed of a rotation of the main shaft, and which outputs the rotation from an output shaft; a power generator which comprises an input shaft which rotates with the rotation of the output shaft as an input, and which generates power by a rotation of a rotor which rotates integrally with a rotation of the input shaft; a shaft joint which is provided between the output shaft and the input shaft, and which allows a torque to be transmitted between the output shaft and the input shaft; and the joint structure according to claim 1 , which is interposed between the shaft joint and a shaft body which is one of the output shaft and the input shaft.

16 . The joint structure according to claim 3 ,
wherein one of the shaft coupling portion and the joint coupling portion is formed of a shaft-shaped member

Assignees

• Jtekt Corp

Inventors

• Fujiwara Hideki

Classifications

• F03D80/00

  Details, components or accessories not provided for in groups F03D1/00 - F03D17/00 · CPC title

• F05B2240/221

  with horizontal axis · CPC title

• F05B2260/4023

  through a friction clutch · CPC title

• F03D80/70

  Bearing or lubricating arrangements · CPC title

• F16H1/28

  with gears having orbital motion · CPC title