Braking system for a hydraulic motor

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed towards a hydraulic motor. The hydraulic motor may include a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. The hydraulic motor may further include a shaft rotatably disposed within the housing, a rotating element coupled to the shaft configured to rotate with the shaft, and a plurality of pumping elements coupled to the rotating element in fluid communication with the fluid inlet and fluid outlet. The hydraulic motor may also include a brake rotor coupled to the shaft and a braking mechanism selectively coupled to the brake rotor.

1 . A hydraulic motor, comprising:
 a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;   a shaft rotatably disposed within the housing;   a rotating element coupled to the shaft and configured to rotate with the shaft;   a plurality of piston elements coupled to the rotating element in fluid communication with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet;   a brake rotor coupled to the shaft; and   a braking mechanism selectively coupled to the brake rotor.   
   
   
       2 . The hydraulic motor of  claim 1 , wherein the braking mechanism includes a plurality of brake disks coupled to the brake rotor and an actuator piston for exerting a pressing force to the plurality brake disks to frictionally engage the plurality of brake disks. 
   
   
       3 . The hydraulic motor of  claim 2 , further including at least one brake spring configured to bias the actuator piston against the plurality of brake disks. 
   
   
       4 . The hydraulic motor of  claim 3 , further including a pressure modulation chamber for introducing pressurized fluid to the actuator piston to direct the actuator piston in a direction opposite of the plurality brake disks. 
   
   
       5 . The hydraulic motor of  claim 4 , wherein the pressure modulation chamber is connected to receive pressurized fluid from the fluid inlet. 
   
   
       6 . The hydraulic motor of  claim 1 , wherein the brake rotor is disposed within the housing proximate to an end plate attached to the housing. 
   
   
       7 . A method of operating a hydraulic motor with a braking system, the hydraulic motor including a housing having a first port and a second port, a shaft rotatably disposed within the housing, and a brake rotor coupled to the shaft, the method comprising:
 selectively engaging the brake rotor to restrain rotation of the shaft as a function of a supply of pressurized fluid delivered to one of the first port and the second port.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein selectively engaging the brake rotor includes selectively engaging at least one brake disk coupled to the brake rotor. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , further including controlling an actuator piston to act on the at least one brake disk coupled to the brake rotor, engaging the at least one brake disk against the housing. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , further including directing pressurized fluid to a pressure modulation chamber to reduce the frictional engagement between the at least one brake disk and the housing. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein directing pressurized fluid to the pressure modulation chamber includes directing a portion of pressurized fluid to the pressure modulation chamber and the remaining portion to a plurality of chambers coupled to the rotating element. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , further including resolving the pressure of pressurized fluid contained within the first port and the second port and fluidly connecting the respective port having a higher pressure with the pressure modulation chamber. 
   
   
       13 . A floating-cup motor, comprising:
 a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;   a shaft rotatably disposed within the housing;   a rotor coupled to the shaft and configured to rotate with the shaft;   a plurality of piston members extending from the rotor;   a plurality of piston sleeves receiving the plurality of piston members, the plurality of piston sleeves in communication with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet;   a brake rotor coupled to the shaft; and   an actuator piston for exerting a pressing force to a plurality of brake disks fixedly connected to the brake rotor.   
   
   
       14 . The hydraulic motor of  claim 13 , further including a plurality of brake springs to bias the actuator piston against the plurality of brake disks. 
   
   
       15 . The hydraulic motor of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of brake springs are disposed in a plurality of bores located on the periphery of the actuator piston. 
   
   
       16 . The hydraulic motor of  claim 13 , further including a pressure modulation chamber disposed between the actuator piston and the housing. 
   
   
       17 . The hydraulic motor of  claim 16 , wherein pressurized fluid is introduced to the pressure modulation chamber to reduce the frictional contact between a plurality of brake disks and the housing. 
   
   
       18 . The hydraulic motor of  claim 16 , wherein the pressure modulation chamber is connected to receive pressurized fluid from the fluid inlet. 
   
   
       19 . The hydraulic motor of  claim 13 , wherein the brake rotor is disposed within the housing proximate to an end plate attached to the housing. 
   
   
       20 . The hydraulic motor of  claim 19 , wherein the brake rotor is disposed between a cavity in the housing and the end plate.