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DE-102024210939-A1 - Method for determining an optimal configuration of wheels of a wheel chain and wheel chain with wheels

DE102024210939A1DE 102024210939 A1DE102024210939 A1DE 102024210939A1DE-102024210939-A1

Abstract

A method for determining an optimal configuration of wheels of a wheel chain from a plurality of wheel configurations of wheel chains is presented and described. In each configuration of the plurality of configurations, each wheel of the wheels of the corresponding configuration is rotatably mounted on a corresponding housing and engages with at least one other wheel of the wheels of the corresponding configuration, such that each configuration has at least one pair of engaging wheels. Each configuration of the plurality of configurations is defined by a corresponding set of configuration parameters that defines the wheels and an interaction or interactions between two or more wheels of the corresponding configuration. For each wheel of the wheels of each configuration of the plurality of configurations, a force acting between the corresponding wheel and the corresponding housing is determined. Based on the forces determined for the wheels, the optimal configuration of the plurality of configurations is determined. A wheel chain (1) is also presented and described.

Inventors

  • Matthias Kühberger
  • Matthias Kobler

Assignees

  • ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241114
Priority Date
20241112

Claims (10)

  1. A method for determining an optimal configuration of wheels of a wheel chain from a plurality of wheel configurations of wheel chains, in which, in each configuration of the plurality of configurations, each wheel of the wheels of the corresponding configuration is rotatably mounted on a corresponding housing and engages with at least one other wheel of the wheels of the corresponding configuration, such that each configuration has at least one pair of engaging wheels, in which each configuration of the plurality of configurations is defined by a corresponding set of configuration parameters that defines the wheels and an interaction or interactions between two or more wheels of the corresponding configuration, in which, for each wheel of the wheels of each configuration of the plurality of configurations, a force acting between the corresponding wheel and the corresponding housing is determined, and in which, based on the forces determined for the wheels, the optimal configuration of the plurality of configurations is determined.
  2. Procedure according to Claim 1 , whereby the optimal configuration is determined from the magnitudes of the forces determined for the wheels.
  3. Procedure according to Claim 2 , wherein for each configuration of the plurality of configurations the largest amount of the forces determined for the wheels of the corresponding configuration is determined, such that each configuration of the plurality of configurations is assigned a largest amount, and wherein it is determined that the optimal configuration is the one whose assigned largest amount is the smallest amount among the largest amounts of the plurality of configurations.
  4. Procedure according to Claim 2 , wherein for each configuration of the plurality of configurations a sum of the forces determined for the wheels of the corresponding configuration is determined, such that each configuration of the plurality of configurations is assigned a sum, and wherein it is determined that the optimal configuration is the one whose assigned sum is the smallest sum among the sums of the plurality of configurations.
  5. Procedure according to Claim 2 , wherein for each configuration of the plurality of configurations a weighted sum of the forces determined for the wheels of the corresponding configuration is determined, such that each configuration of the plurality of configurations is assigned a weighted sum, and wherein it is determined that the optimal configuration is the one whose assigned weighted sum is the smallest weighted sum among the weighted sums of the plurality of configurations.
  6. Procedure according to Claim 2 , wherein, in a predetermined period, for each wheel, a maximum amount of the force determined for the corresponding wheel is determined, and wherein, for each configuration of the plurality of configurations, for the predetermined period, the number of times the maximum amounts of the forces determined for the wheels reach or exceed a predetermined force threshold is determined, such that each configuration of the plurality of configurations is assigned a number, and wherein the configuration whose assigned number is the smallest number among the numbers of the plurality of configurations is determined to be the optimal configuration.
  7. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a configuration parameter set of a predetermined configuration is determined, the configuration parameter set defining the wheels and one or more interactions between two or more wheels of the predetermined configuration, the plurality of configurations being determined based on the determined configuration parameter set of the predetermined configuration, each configuration of the plurality of configurations being defined by a corresponding configuration parameter set that defines the wheels and one or more interactions between two or more wheels of the corresponding configuration, the configuration parameter set of the corresponding configuration being sectionally equivalent to the configuration parameter sets of the other configurations of the plurality of configurations, and the configuration parameter set of the corresponding configuration being sectionally equivalent to the configuration parameter sets of the other configurations of the plurality of configurations. The substitutions of the other configurations differ from the multitude of configurations.
  8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a wheel chain (1) with wheels is manufactured, wherein the configuration of the wheels of the wheel chain (1) corresponds to the determined optimal configuration.
  9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein several wheel chains with wheels are manufactured, wherein the configuration of the wheels of each wheel chain of the several wheel chains corresponds to the determined optimal configuration.
  10. Wheel chain (1) with wheels, wherein each wheel (3) of the wheels is rotatably mounted on a housing and engages with at least one further wheel (3) of the wheels, such that the wheel chain (1) has at least one pair of mutually engaging wheels, wherein the configuration of the wheels of the wheel chain (1) has been determined by a method according to one of the preceding claims and corresponds to the determined optimal configuration.

Description

The present invention relates to a method for determining an optimal configuration of wheels of a wheel chain and to a wheel chain with wheels. Wheel chains with wheels are known from the prior art. Often, each wheel of the wheel chain is rotatably mounted on a housing. Furthermore, each wheel of the wheel chain frequently engages with at least one other wheel of the wheel chain, so that the wheel chain has at least one pair of engaging wheels. Using wheel chains known from the prior art, input speeds can be converted into output speeds and input torques into output torques, for example, by means of gear ratios provided for the corresponding wheel chains. In general, it is desirable for wheel chains to be able to provide particularly low-noise wheel chains. It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide particularly low-noise wheel chains. According to a first aspect of the invention, the aforementioned problem is solved by a method with the features of claim 1. The method is provided for determining an optimal configuration of wheels of a wheel chain from a plurality of wheel configurations. In each configuration of the plurality of configurations, each wheel of the wheels of the corresponding configuration is rotatably mounted on a corresponding housing and engages with at least one other wheel of the wheels of the corresponding configuration, such that each configuration has at least one pair of engaging wheels. Each configuration of the plurality of configurations is defined by a corresponding set of configuration parameters that defines the wheels and one or more interactions between two or more wheels of the corresponding configuration. For each wheel of the wheels of each configuration of the plurality of configurations, a force acting between the corresponding wheel and the corresponding housing is determined. Based on the forces determined for the wheels, the optimal configuration of the plurality of configurations is determined. As previously described, the method for determining the optimal configuration of wheels of a wheel chain is provided for from a plurality of wheel configurations of wheel chains. Preferably, each configuration of the plurality of configurations can be referred to as a configuration of wheels of a specific wheel chain or as a configuration of the specific wheel chain. Preferably, each configuration of the plurality of configurations uniquely defines a specific wheel chain. Preferably, each configuration of the plurality of configurations uniquely defines the structure of each individual wheel of a specific wheel chain, as well as the positions and orientations of the wheels of the specific wheel chain, and thus the relative positions of the wheels of the specific wheel chain to each other. Preferably, the structure of all wheels of a specific wheel chain, as well as their positions and orientations to each other, is referred to as the configuration of wheels of the specific wheel chain or as the configuration of the specific wheel chain. Preferably, each wheel chain forms a section of a portal drive of a commercial vehicle axle or is designed for a portal drive of a commercial vehicle axle and accordingly has a mounting section that can be connected to a mounting section of another component, in particular a housing, of the portal drive. Preferably, each wheel is a gear, in particular a spur gear. The present invention has led, particularly in the case of gears and especially spur gears, to an optimized noise behavior of the gear chains in the optimal configuration. As previously described, in each configuration of the multitude of configurations, each wheel of the wheels of the corresponding configuration is rotatably mounted on a corresponding housing and engages with at least one other wheel of the wheels of the corresponding configuration, so that each configuration has at least one pair of engaging wheels. Each wheel of the wheels can be driven to a rotational movement about a corresponding axis of rotation with a rotational speed and torque by another wheel of the same wheel chain, by several wheels of the same wheel chain, or by another component. Each wheel can engage with another wheel of the same wheel chain, or with several wheels of the same wheel chain, and drive this other wheel of the same wheel chain to a rotational movement, or drive these several wheels of the same wheel chain to a corresponding rotational movement, or be driven to a rotational movement by the other wheel of the same wheel chain, or by the several wheels of the same wheel chain. Preferably, the housing is a housing of a portal drive of a commercial vehicle axle. As already described, each configuration is one of the many possible configurations. defined by a corresponding configuration parameter set that defines the wheels and one or more interactions between two or more wheels of the corresponding configuration. Preferably, each configuration parameter set has specific val