Drive device for construction machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9328817-B2
Application number	US-201213710869-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2012
Priority date	Dec 13, 2011
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

A drive device for a construction machine includes a speed reduction unit reducing speed of rotational force output from a motor, the speed reduction unit has a gear mechanism provided in a casing and reducing the speed of the rotational force output from the motor, and an oil receiver arranged above the gear mechanism in the casing, the oil receiver forms a main storage space for storing the lubricant oil, and is arranged in the casing such that an oil passage for guiding a rising lubricant oil to the main storage space is formed between an outer surface of the oil receiver and an inner wall surface of the casing, the oil receiver is provided with an oil drain opening, the oil drain opening designed to gradually discharge the lubricant oil stored in the main storage space toward the gear mechanism through the oil drain opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drive device for a construction machine, the drive device driving a driven portion in the construction machine, the drive device comprising:
a motor serving as a drive source, and having a motor shaft for outputting a rotational force at a given rotational speed; and
a speed reduction unit for reducing the rotational speed of the rotational force output from said motor, and transmitting the rotational force at a reduced rotational speed to said driven portion, wherein said speed reduction unit has
a casing having an inner wall surface defining an inner space for containing an amount of lubricant oil,
a gear mechanism disposed in the inner space of the casing for reducing the rotational speed of the rotational force output from said motor, the gear mechanism being submersed in the lubricant oil contained in the inner space of the casing,
a speed reduction output shaft connected with the gear mechanism for outputting the rotational force at the reduced rotational speed to said driven portion, the speed reduction output shaft axially aligning with the motor shaft in a vertical direction, the speed reduction output shaft being disposed below the motor shaft so that a driven member attached to the speed reduction output shaft and constituting the gear mechanism lies deeper in the lubricant oil contained in the inner space than a driver member attached to the motor shaft and constituting the gear mechanism,
a hollow cylindrical body arranged in the inner space and above said gear mechanism and having an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of the motor shaft to thereby define a gap between the entire inner surface of the hollow cylindrical body and the outer surface of the motor shaft to keep the hollow cylindrical body from imparting a mechanical force to the motor shaft,
an oil receiver arranged in the inner space and above said gear mechanism, and mounted on the outer surface of said cylindrical body, said oil receiver having a main storage portion extending in a radially outward direction of the motor shaft, and formed with an oil drain opening for discharging a given amount of lubricant oil from the main storage portion to said gear mechanism, the main storage portion having an outer end radially spaced away from the inner wall surface of the casing, whereby said oil receiver can receive, store and discharge a given amount of lubricant oil,
a support member arranged above said oil receiver and mounted on the outer surface of the cylindrical body and said casing to support said cylindrical body, and
an oil passage formed between the inner wall surface of the casing and the outer end of the oil receiver for guiding a given amount of lubricant oil rising through said oil passage to the main storage portion.

2. The drive device for a construction machine according to claim 1 , wherein said main storage portion has a center hole passing the motor shaft.

3. The drive device for a construction machine according to claim 1 , wherein said oil passage lies along the entire periphery of the oil receiver.

4. The drive device for a construction machine according to claim 3 , wherein
said oil passage has a specified height and a specified radial width, the radial width of a bottom of said oil passage being larger than the radial width of a top of said oil passage.

5. The drive device for a construction machine according to claim 1 , wherein
said main storage portion has a bottom wall arranged above said gear mechanism, and
said oil drain opening is a hole formed in said bottom wall to discharge a specific amount of lubricant oil per unit time, the specific amount being smaller than an amount of lubricant oil fed into said main storage portion per unit time.

6. The drive device for a construction machine according to claim 1 , wherein
said oil drain opening is arranged at such a position that the lubricant oil discharged through said oil drain opening drops toward said gear mechanism.

7. The drive device for a construction machine according to claim 1 , wherein
said support member has an auxiliary storage portion for receiving and storing an amount of lubricant oil rising beyond said oil receiver, and
said support member is provided with an oil inlet port for feeding lubricant oil into said auxiliary storage portion, and an oil outlet port for discharging a given amount of lubricant oil from said auxiliary storage portion.

8. The drive device for a construction machine according to claim 7 , wherein
said oil outlet port is arranged at such a position that the lubricant oil discharged from said auxiliary storage portion through the oil outlet port flows and falls toward said oil receiver.

9. The drive device for a construction machine according to claim 1 , wherein
said support member has an auxiliary storage portion for receiving and storing an amount of lubricant oil rising beyond said oil receiver, and
said support member is provided with an oil outlet and inlet port functioning as both an oil inlet port for feeding lubricant oil into said auxiliary storage portion, and an oil outlet port for discharging a given amount of lubricant oil from said auxiliary storage portion.

10. The drive device for a construction machine according to claim 9 , wherein
said oil outlet and inlet port is arranged at such a position that the lubricant oil discharged from said auxiliary storage portion through the oil outlet and inlet port flows and falls toward said oil receiver.

11. The drive device for a construction machine according to claim 1 , wherein
said casing has an upper end portion on which an outer circumference portion of said support member is mounted, and
the inner wall surface of said casing is smooth from a lower end to an upper end.

12. The drive device for a construction machine according to claim 1 , wherein
the gear mechanism has a plurality of meshing gears and connected with the motor shaft, and
the main storage portion of the oil receiver has a bottom wall extending in a radially outward direction of the motor shaft at a vertical level above the plurality of meshing gears.

Assignees

• Kobelco Constr Mach Co Ltd
• Kobe Steel Ltd

Inventors

• Yamashita Koji
• Hamasaki Masatsugu
• Kawabata Masashi
• Yoichi Shoji
• Uchiyama Ryo

Classifications

• F16H57/042 Primary

  Guidance of lubricant · CPC title

• Y10T74/19991

  Lubrication · CPC title

• F16H57/045

  Lubricant storage reservoirs, e.g. reservoirs in addition to a gear sump for collecting lubricant in the upper part of a gear case · CPC title

• E02F9/126 Primary

  Lubrication systems · CPC title

• E02F9/202

  Mechanical transmission, e.g. clutches, gears (clutches per se F16D, gears per se F16H) · CPC title