IP Library Granted Patent US 8,845,267
Granted Patent B2
US 8,845,267 · App. 13/058,986 · Granted Sep 30, 2014

Pod drive

Inventors: Dierk Welz (Hannover, DE); Uwe Wenzel (Hildesheim, DE); Rainer Mischak (Wietze, DE)
Assignee: RENK Aktiengesellschaft
B63H23/321
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,845,267
App. No.
13/058,986
Granted
Sep 30, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A propeller pod drive for a vessel has at least one driveshaft for driving a propeller, at least one radial bearing arrangement for receiving radial forces, at least one axial bearing arrangement for receiving axial forces of the driveshaft. A thrust collar is supported in axial direction on at least one side in axial direction at a guide device, and a supporting structure for arranging the at least one radial bearing arrangement and the axial bearing arrangement. The guide device has at least three, axial sliding segments arranged in a segment guide and each of which has a sliding surface in contact with the thrust collar.

Claims (65)

1. A propeller pod drive for a vessel, comprising:

a driveshaft configured to drive a propeller;

a radial bearing arrangement configured to receive radial forces of the driveshaft;

an axial bearing arrangement configured to receive axial forces of the driveshaft;

a guide device;

a thrust collar of the driveshaft configured to be supported on at least a first side in an axial direction at the guide device; and

a supporting structure configured to arrange the at least one radial bearing arrangement and the axial bearing arrangement,

wherein the guide device has at least three axial sliding segments which are arranged in a segment guide, each the at least three axial sliding segments having a sliding surface in contact with the thrust collar,

wherein the segment guide includes a running groove configured to receive the at least three axial sliding segments,

wherein at least two of the at least three axial sliding segments are connected to one another by a connection arrangement and are movable in circumferential direction inside the running groove.

2. The propeller pod drive according to claim 1 , wherein the connection arrangement between the at least two adjacent axial sliding segments has one of articulated links and multi-link chains articulated between the at least two adjacent axial sliding segments.

3. The propeller pod drive according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two axial sliding segments are connected to one another in at least two partial strands which are inserted in opposite circumferential directions, into the segment guide.

4. The propeller pod drive according to claim 1 , wherein the running groove has a closable opening configured for insertion and removal of the at least three axial sliding segments.

5. The propeller pod drive according to claim 4 , wherein the opening is located at a vertically upper side of the segment guide.

6. The propeller pod drive according to claim 1 , wherein the axial sliding segments are flexible in axial direction.

7. The propeller pod drive according to claim 6 , wherein the axial sliding segments have an axial suspension, configured as one of a disk spring and a disk spring arrangement comprising a plurality of disk springs.

8. The propeller pod drive according to claim 7 , wherein the axial suspension has a preloading device configured to adjust a preloading of the axial suspension.

9. The propeller pod drive according to claim 8 , wherein each the at least three axial sliding segments have

a respective sliding member with a sliding surface;

a supporting body, wherein the axial suspension is arranged between the sliding member and the supporting body; and

a clamping screw for clamping the supporting body with the sliding member against the force of the axial suspension.

10. The propeller pod drive according to claim 1 , wherein the segment guide is incorporated integral with a bearing housing of the axial bearing arrangement.

11. The propeller pod drive according to claim 1 , wherein the segment guide has a segment carrier that is supported so as to be axially flexible in a bearing housing at least at three points distributed on the circumference.

12. The propeller pod drive according to claim 11 , wherein the support of the segment guide has an axial suspension which is arranged at least at one of at the segment guide and at a bearing housing and has one of a disk spring and a disk spring arrangement formed of a plurality of disk springs.

13. The propeller pod drive according to claim 12 , wherein the axial suspension of the support has a preloading device for adjusting a preloading of the axial suspension.

14. The propeller pod drive according to claim 1 , wherein one of the radial bearing arrangements is arranged in a bearing housing so as to be spherically movable by a spherical cap.

15. The propeller pod drive according to claim 1 , wherein the radial bearing arrangement and the axial bearing arrangement form a common bearing assembly.

16. The propeller pod drive according to claim 15 , wherein the radial bearing arrangement in the bearing assembly has two half-bearings arranged symmetrically in axial direction around the axial bearing arrangement.

17. The propeller pod drive according to claim 16 , wherein each half-bearing forms a half-cap, the two half-caps arranged symmetrically with respect to the thrust collar in axial direction and together form a spherically movable cap.

18. The propeller pod drive according to claim 17 , wherein the segment guides are arranged in each instance one of on the half-caps and integrated therein.

19. The propeller pod drive according to claim 1 , wherein the radial bearing arrangement and the axial bearing arrangement have a horizontal joint face that extends parallel to an axis of rotation of the driveshaft and at which the bearing arrangements are configured to be separated and put together.

20. The propeller pod drive according to claim 1 , wherein the guide device has an integer multiple of four axial sliding segments arranged in a segment guide and each of which has a sliding surface in contact with the thrust collar.

21. A propeller pod drive for a vessel, comprising:

a driveshaft configured to drive a propeller;

a radial bearing arrangement configured to receive radial forces of the driveshaft;

an axial bearing arrangement configured to receive axial forces of the driveshaft;

a guide device;

a thrust collar of the driveshaft configured to be supported on at least a first side in an axial direction at the guide device; and

a supporting structure configured to arrange the at least one radial bearing arrangement and the axial bearing arrangement,

wherein the guide device has at least three axial sliding segments which are arranged in a segment guide, each the at least three axial sliding segments having a sliding surface in contact with the thrust collar,

wherein the segment guide has a segment carrier that is supported so as to be axially flexible in a bearing housing at least at three points distributed on the circumference, and

wherein the support of the segment guide has one or more hydraulic compensation cells connected to one another by hydraulic lines arranged at least at one of the segment guide and at the bearing housing, wherein the hydraulic compensation cells and the hydraulic lines form a hydraulic circuit.

22. The propeller pod drive according to claim 21 , further comprising an adjusting device configured to adjust a total amount of a hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic circuit.

23. The propeller pod drive according to claim 21 , further comprising a regulating device configured to regulate a total amount of a hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic circuit.

24. A slide bearing arrangement designed for and geared toward use in propeller pod drive for a vessel, the propeller pod drive comprising:

a driveshaft configured to drive a propeller;

a radial bearing arrangement configured to receive radial forces of the driveshaft;

an axial bearing arrangement configured to receive axial forces of the driveshaft;

a guide device;

a thrust collar of the driveshaft configured to be supported on at least a first side in an axial direction at the guide device; and

a supporting structure configured to arrange the at least one radial bearing arrangement and the axial bearing arrangement,

wherein the guide device has at least three axial sliding segments which are arranged in a segment guide, each the at least three axial sliding segments having a sliding surface in contact with the thrust collar,

wherein the segment guide includes a running groove configured to receive the at least three axial sliding segments, and

wherein at least two of the at least three axial sliding segments are connected to one another by a connection arrangement and are movable in circumferential direction inside the running groove.

25. A vessel comprising:

a propeller pod drive having:

a driveshaft configured to drive a propeller;

a radial bearing arrangement configured to receive radial forces of the driveshaft;

an axial bearing arrangement configured to receive axial forces of the driveshaft;

a guide device;

a thrust collar of the driveshaft configured to be supported on at least a first side in an axial direction at the guide device; and

a supporting structure configured to arrange the at least one radial bearing arrangement and the axial bearing arrangement,

wherein the guide device has at least three axial sliding segments which are arranged in a segment guide, each the at least three axial sliding segments having a sliding surface in contact with the thrust collar, wherein the vessel is particularly a ship, boat, combat vessel, reconnaissance vessel, submersible, or floating infrastructure,

wherein the segment guide includes a running groove configured to receive the at least three axial sliding segments, and

wherein at least two of the at least three axial sliding segments are connected to one another by a connection arrangement and are movable in circumferential direction inside the running groove.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2026
From: RENK GMBH
To: RENK BEARINGS GMBH
Reel/Frame 074967/0521 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 25, 2023
From: REBECCA BIDCO AG
To: RENK AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Reel/Frame 062493/0638 →
MERGER Recorded Jan 23, 2023
From: RENK AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
To: REBECCA BIDCO AG
Reel/Frame 062459/0312 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 14, 2021
From: RENK AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
To: RENK GMBH
Reel/Frame 056531/0528 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 16, 2011
From: WELZ, DIERK; WENZEL, UWE; MISCHAK, RAINER
To: RENK AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Reel/Frame 025814/0621 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2008 037 677 · Aug 14, 2008 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20110135452A1 · Jun 9, 2011