Drive unit for tracked vehicle and vehicle provided with drive unit

Abstract

The invention relates to a drive unit for a tracked vehicle such as a tracked forwarder. The drive unit comprises a track support beam, at least one drive wheel, a set of support wheels and an endless track, said at least one drive wheel being arranged to drive said endless track running over said at least one drive wheel and said set of support wheels. The drive wheel and the support wheels are rotatably attached in said track support beam. The drive unit further comprises an electric motor attached to said at least one drive wheel and integrated in said track support beam, and a track support beam integrated lubrication system comprising a pump unit arranged for pressurized supply of lubricant to parts of the drive unit in need of lubrication.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A track support beam for a tracked vehicle, configured to support at least one drive wheel, a set of support wheels and an endless track, the track support beam comprising a transversal partition plane along which the track support beam is configured to be divided in a front section and a rear section. 
     
     
         3 . The track support beam according to  claim 2 , wherein said front and rear sections are configured for removable mounting to each other along said transversal partition plane. 
     
     
         4 . The track support beam according to  claim 2 , comprising an electric motor constituting an electric drive unit arranged to drive said at least one drive wheel, wherein the electric motor is integrated in one of said front and rear sections constituting a motor comprised section. 
     
     
         5 . The track support beam according to  claim 4 , further comprising a transmission device integrated in said motor comprised section of the track support beam. 
     
     
         6 . The track support beam according to  claim 5 , further comprising a lubrication system integrated in said motor comprised section of the track support beam. 
     
     
         7 . The track support beam according to  claim 4 , wherein the transversal partition plane is arranged such that the motor comprised section is substantially shorter in the longitudinal direction of the track support beam than what the non-motor comprised section is, and preferably shorter than a third of the entire length of the track support beam. 
     
     
         8 . The track support beam according to  claim 2 , wherein the transversal partition plane is configured to give access to an inner space of the motor comprised section by partition of the track support beam along said transversal partition plane. 
     
     
         9 . The track support beam according to  claim 8 , wherein said inner space entirely or partly accommodates at least one of an electric motor, a transmission device and a lubrication system. 
     
     
         10 . The track support beam according to  claim 8 , wherein said inner space comprises a chamber constituting a lubricant reservoir. 
     
     
         11 . The track support beam according to  claim 8 , wherein said inner space is sealable via said partition plane by a detachable sealing cover. 
     
     
         12 . The track support beam according to  claim 10 , wherein a sealing cover is configured to detachably seal the chamber constituting lubricant reservoir, wherein the sealing cover constitutes a wall of said lubrication reservoir. 
     
     
         13 . The track support beam according to  claim 10 , wherein said chamber constituting lubricant reservoir constitutes a lower chamber of said inner space and wherein the inner space also comprises an upper chamber, situated above the lower chamber and at least partly separated therefrom by a partition wall, wherein said partition wall comprises one or more opening or cavities facilitating for lubricant to flow from said upper chamber to said lower chamber. 
     
     
         14 . The track support beam according to  claim 13 , wherein at least a portion of at least one of said electric motor and said transmission device is arranged in said upper chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The track support beam according to  claim 2 , wherein the front section and the rear section comprise flanges for detachable mounting to each other along said transversal partition plane. 
     
     
         16 . The track support beam according to  claim 2 , wherein the front and the rear section of the track support beam are configured for detachable mounting to each other by a bolt joint. 
     
     
         17 . The track support beam according to  claim 2 , wherein said at least one drive wheel and said set of support wheels are rotatably attached in said track support beam, said at least one drive wheel being arranged to drive said endless track running over said at least one drive wheel and said set of support wheels. 
     
     
         18 . The track support beam according to  claim 4 , wherein said electric motor is integrated in said motor section of the track support beam in a longitudinal direction of the track support beam. 
     
     
         19 . The track support beam according to  claim 4 , wherein said motor comprised section of the track support beam is constituted by the front section. 
     
     
         20 . The track support beam according to  claim 2 , further comprising a longitudinal partition plane uncovering an inner space of said track support beam in which an electric motor is integrated. 
     
     
         21 . The track support beam according to  claim 2 , where said track support beam is a skid beam. 
     
     
         22 . The track support beam according to  claim 2 , wherein said track support beam is configured for attachment to a chassis beam comprising a control unit for controlling of an electric motor integrated in the track support beam. 
     
     
         23 . A track assembly, comprising the track support beam according to  claim 2 . 
     
     
         24 . The track assembly according to  claim 23 , further comprising an electric motor integrated in the track support beam configured to drive said at least one drive wheel, wherein the track assembly constitutes a drive unit capable of being driven by itself. 
     
     
         25 . A tracked vehicle, comprising at least one track support beam according to  claim 2 . 
     
     
         26 . The tracked vehicle according to  claim 25 , where said tracked vehicle is a forestry machine such as a forwarder.