Hinged component and mechanical system including the same

Abstract

To provide a hinged component having excellent resistance to wear and fastening and an improved service life.SOLUTION: The invention relates to a hinged component (1) with one degree of freedom. The hinged component includes at least two concentric rings (10, 20) which are movable in rotation in relation to each other around a central axis. The at least two concentric rings define a friction interface (40) therebetween and include: an outer ring (10) having an inner friction surface (12) and an inner ring (20) having an outer friction surface (22) and an inner friction surface (24) intended to receive a movable member (2) guided by the component (1) in rotation, oscillation and / or translation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hinged component comprising at least two concentric rings movable relative to one another and defining a friction interface between them, as well as to a mechanical system comprising such a component. [Background technology]

[0002] The field of the invention is that in which guide members provide a guiding function in translation or in rotation, in a continuous or reciprocating motion.

[0003] Conventionally, such guide members comprise a ring and are designed to be mounted so as to allow articulation and / or displacement of an element such as a shaft.

[0004] In practice, such mechanical systems are subject to significant operational stresses such as high pressure, corrosion, abrasion, shocks, etc. To improve the service life of the mechanical system, a lubricant is provided between the ring and the shaft.

[0005] The ring may be provided with an arrangement that acts as a grease reservoir, for example as described in US Pat. Nos. 5,993,333 to 5,993,622 by the applicant.

[0006] When the mechanical system is in operation, the grease gradually comes out of the array to lubricate the frictional interface between the ring and the shaft, thus allowing the array to be lubricated only during assembly or for long lubrication intervals.

[0007] Applicant has significant expertise in the field of guide members and is continually seeking to improve existing systems. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] European Patent No. 0987456 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2014 / 091123 Brochure [Patent Document 3] International Publication No. 2014 / 091124 Brochure Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide a hinged component which has excellent resistance to wear and seizure and an improved service life. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To this end, the invention relates to a hinged component with a single degree of freedom, which comprises at least two concentric rings movable in rotation relative to one another about a central axis and defining a friction interface between them, the hinged component having an outer ring with an inner friction surface and an inner friction surface intended to receive a movable member guided by the component in rotation, oscillation and / or translation.

[0011] The present invention thus provides a durable, compact and simple to implement component that has an improved service life when compared to components consisting of a single ring and of similar size and volume.

[0012] The component has three friction surfaces forming three wear surfaces. In comparison with a component consisting of a single ring with a single inner friction surface, the service life of the component according to the invention will be tripled. Surprisingly, experience with the component's service life has been at least five times that of the previous one.

[0013] In the case of a single articulated ring, the wear is mainly localized over an angular sector extending over 1 / 3 of the circumference, with the inner ring rotating relative to the outer ring, which greatly increases the potential wear surfaces and therefore the service life of the components.

[0014] In practice, what can be seen is that the friction interface between the two rings takes precedence. Both friction surfaces perform the function of the main wear surface. If this interface sticks, the inner friction surface of the inner ring takes over the function as the wear surface.

[0015] Advantageously, the component has three friction surfaces, which may be provided with a surface treatment or coating and / or an arrangement that may act as a reservoir for lubricant. Thus, the invention offers greater control in the design of the component, allowing the wear resistance of the component to be tailored for each application.

[0016] According to other advantageous characteristics of the invention, which may be considered alone or in combination: - the friction surface defining the friction interface is cylindrical; - the friction surfaces that define the friction interface are slightly curved, the absolute bending radius of each of the friction surfaces is entirely greater than the radius of the friction interface in question; - the friction interfaces between the rings receive a lubricant, the components being provided with sealing means designed to prevent leakage of the lubricant from the friction interfaces; - the lubricant is a grease; - the component comprises side elements limiting the axial and angular movement of the inner ring relative to the outer ring; the sealing means comprises a flange on a first side of the friction interface and a shoulder on a second side of the friction interface; the sealing means comprises a flange on each side of the friction interface; the sealing means comprise, on each side of the friction interface, a washer interposed between the inner ring and the flange or shoulder on the one hand; - the washer is PTFE; - at least one of the friction surfaces has a surface treatment or coating that has different physical properties than the base material of the ring; - the surface treatment or coating is multi-layer or single layer; - the coating is produced by means of physical vapour deposition (PVD); - the coating is produced by means of chemical vapor deposition (CVD); - the coating is formed by means of thermal spraying; - the coating is applied by cold spray; - the coating is sprayed in powder form; - the coating is sprayed in droplet form; -The coating is produced using thermal spraying of high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF); - the coating is produced by means of laser cladding; - the coating is anti-stick; the coating comprises an outer layer made of amorphous carbon, in particular of the DLC (diamond-like carbon) type, having a thickness between 1 μm and 5 μm, for example 3 μm; the coating comprises an outer layer made of a self-lubricating composite material, in particular based on resin and / or woven or non-woven reinforcements containing fillers, for example of the PTFE, MoS2 or graphite type; - the coating comprises a polymeric lacquer; the treatment is nitriding, the friction surface having a compound layer (oxide coating), in particular having a thickness of 5 μm to 50 μm, for example 20 μm; the treatment is to harden over a thickness of 0.5 μm to 4 mm, for example 2 mm; - at least one of the friction surfaces comprises an arrangement capable of acting as a reservoir for the lubricant; - the array comprises cavities of circular or alveolar cross section; the cavities are microcavities, each microcavity having a diameter of 2 mm or more and 15 mm or less, for example 6 mm; the cavities are microcavities, each microcavity having a greater length of ≥ 15 μm and ≤ 100 μm and a depth of ≥ 50 nm and ≤ 100 μm; - the arrangement comprises circular or spiral grooves; - the array comprises a grid; - the array comprises a chevron pattern; - the same surface may comprise an arrangement of several different types or only one type; - the arrays have a surface density between 5% and 65%; the surface density being the ratio between the total area covered by the arrays and the total area of ​​said region containing these arrays; - each of the friction surfaces has physical properties different from the base material of the ring and / or an arrangement operable to accumulate a lubricant; - at least one of the friction surfaces is provided with a surface treatment or coating having physical properties different from the base material of the ring and an arrangement operable to accumulate a lubricant; the outer ring and / or the inner ring are metallic, e.g. steel, cast iron, aluminium, copper alloy, etc.; - the outer ring and / or the inner ring are made of composite material; the component exclusively comprises two concentric rings, the friction interface being defined directly between an inner friction surface of the outer ring and an outer friction surface of the inner ring; - the hinge component comprises at least three concentric rings; the hinge component comprises three rings between which a single friction interface is defined, i.e. two rings are attached to each other, for example by gluing, welding or other techniques; the intermediate ring is self-lubricating, more particularly the outer friction surface and / or the inner friction surface of the intermediate ring is self-lubricating; the intermediate ring may be made up of windings of fibre strips and resin containing fillers, said windings and said resin being mixed so as to implement an integral ring, the strips being crossed in several layers using the filament winding method; the hinge component comprises three rings, with a friction interface defined between each pair of rings, i.e. the three rings are movable relative to one another; -The middle ring is metal; - the intermediate ring is made of composite material; The hinge component comprises four or more rings.

[0017] The invention likewise relates to a mechanical system comprising a hinged component as described above and a movable member guided by the component in rotation, oscillation and / or translation.

[0018] The mechanical system has four friction surfaces, namely the outer surface of the shaft and the three surfaces of the hinged components. Compared to a shaft mounted in a ring, the service life of the mechanical system is greatly improved.

[0019] The invention will be better understood from reading the following description, given by way of non-limiting example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a mechanical system according to the invention, comprising an axial rod and a hinged component consisting of two rings and a sealing means. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the components of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing components of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of detail V of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of another mechanical system according to the present invention, the mechanical system including an axle and an alternative hinged component; [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but of the components of FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but of the components of FIG. 6. [Figure 9] 4 with respect to the components of FIG. 6. FIG. [Figure 10] 5 with respect to the components of FIG. 6. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 of a component according to another variant, the component comprising three rings defining two friction interfaces therebetween. [Figure 12] FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 of a component according to another variant, the component comprising three rings defining two friction interfaces therebetween. [Figure 13] FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 of another modified component, the component comprising three rings defining a single friction interface therebetween. [Figure 14] FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 of another modified component, the component comprising three rings defining a single friction interface therebetween. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] 1 to 5 show a mechanical system according to the invention, which comprises a hinged component 1 also according to the invention, and an axial rod 2 mounted in the component 1. The axial rod 2 is guided by the hinged component 1 in rotation (rotation in one direction, usually over several revolutions), oscillation (rotation in two alternating directions, usually over a portion of a revolution) and / or translation (movement in an axial direction).

[0022] The hinged component 1 comprises two concentric rings 10 and 20 which are rotatably movable relative to one another about a central axis X1. The two rings 10 and 20 define a friction interface 40 between them, which receives a lubricant L, preferably grease.

[0023] The two rings 10 and 20 are an outer ring 10 and an inner ring 20. The outer ring 10 has an inner cylindrical friction surface 12 and an outer cylindrical friction surface 14. The inner ring 20 has an outer cylindrical friction surface 22 and an inner cylindrical ring surface 24.

[0024] The surfaces 12 and 22 define between them a friction interface 40 which is radial with respect to the central axis X1. The surface 14 is provided for mounting the outer ring 10 in the borehole. A channel 42 is arranged radially about the ring 10 between the surfaces 12 and 14, thereby lubricating the interface 40. The surface 24 is provided for receiving the axial rod 2, more precisely the outer cylindrical surface 4 of the axial rod 2. The axial rod 2 is thus guided by the component 1 in rotation, oscillation and / or translation.

[0025] The component 1 comprises sealing means 60 designed to prevent leakage of the lubricant L through the friction interface 40. The component 1 thus constitutes a sealed, lubricated structure. The relative rotation between the rings 10 and 20 is greatly facilitated, reducing the risk of binding.

[0026] The sealing means 60 comprises transverse elements 62, 64, 66 and 68 which limit the axial displacement of the inner ring 20 relative to the outer ring 10. More specifically, the sealing means 60 comprises a flange 62 and a washer 66 on a first side of the interface 40 and a shoulder 64 and a washer 68 on a second side of the friction interface 40. The elements 62, 64, 66 and 68 are annular and centred on the axis X1. The shoulder 64 is part of the ring 10. The elements 62, 66 and 68 are separate from the rings 10 and 20. The washer 68 is mounted in a groove 67 formed in the ring 10 and abuts against the shoulder 64. The elements 62 and 66 are mounted in a housing 61 provided for this purpose in the ring 10, opposite the shoulder 64.

[0027] Alternatively, the sealing means 60 may comprise two removable flanges mounted on either side of the component 1 .

[0028] The component 1 is non-articulated, i.e. does not constitute a spherical joint. The assembled component 1 has only one degree of freedom, namely the pivotal connection between the rings 10 and 20 about the central axis X1. The rings 10 and 20 are freely movable relative to each other about the axis X1, but are not free to move according to the other degrees of freedom in translation and rotation.

[0029] The friction surfaces 12 and 22 may be cylindrical.

[0030] Alternatively, the surfaces 12 and 22 may be slightly curved, i.e., the surfaces 12 and 22 are surfaces of revolution, with a circular section and an elliptical or parabolic generating surface. The curvature of each of the surfaces 12 and 22 (considered in a radial plane containing the axis X1) always has a radius that is greater than the radius of the friction interface 40 (considered in a plane transverse to the axis X1).

[0031] Preferably, at least one of the friction surfaces 12 / 22 / 24 is provided with a surface treatment or coating having different physical properties than the base material of the corresponding ring 10 / 20.

[0032] More preferably, at least one of the friction surfaces 12 / 22 / 24 is provided with an arrangement operable to accumulate the lubricant L.

[0033] Still preferably, each friction surface 12 / 22 / 24 is provided with a surface treatment or coating having different physical properties than the base material of the corresponding ring 10 / 20 and / or an arrangement capable of acting as a reservoir for lubricant L.

[0034] As a non-limiting example, the rings 10 and 20 are made of steel; face 12 has been subjected to a nitriding treatment and has an outer layer 16 of nitrided steel with a compound layer (oxide coating) of about 20 μm; the face 12 has an array 18 in the form of circular section cavities, which are uniformly distributed around the central axis X1 and which serve to accumulate lubricant L at the interface 40 between the rings 10 and 20; face 22 is coated with an outer layer 26 of amorphous carbon of the DLC type, with or without a sub-layer (for example made of chromium or chromium nitride), having a thickness of the order of 3 μm, and The surface 24 has an array 28 in the form of circular grooves winding around and spaced apart along the central axis X1 and operable to accumulate lubricant L at the interface between the ring 20 and the axial rod 2.

[0035] The invention makes it possible to provide a hinged component which is resilient, compact and easy to implement. The component 1 with two rings 10 and 20 has an improved service life compared to a component of similar dimensions and volume consisting of a single ring.

[0036] In the case of a single articulated ring, wear is primarily localized over an angular sector extending over 1 / 3 of the circumference, with the inner ring 20 rotating relative to the outer ring 10, thereby greatly increasing the potential wear surfaces and therefore the service life of the components.

[0037] In practice, what can be seen is that the friction interface 40 between the two rings 10 and 20 takes precedence. Both friction surfaces 12 and 22 perform the function of the main wear surface. If this interface 40 sticks, the inner friction surface 24 of the inner ring 20, which is in contact with the surface 4 of the axial rod 2, takes over the function as wear surface.

[0038] The component 1 has three friction surfaces 12, 22 and 24 forming three wear surfaces, which may be provided with treatments, coatings and / or textures, so that the invention offers greater control in the design of the component 1 and allows tailoring the wear resistance of the component for each application.

[0039] The mechanical system comprises four friction surfaces, namely the outer surface 4 of the shaft 2 and the three surfaces 12, 22 and 24 of the component 1. Compared to a shaft mounted in a single ring, the service life of the mechanical system is greatly improved.

[0040] Another embodiment of a hinged component 1 according to the invention is shown in Figures 6 to 14. Identical elements forming part of the component 1 are comparable to those of the first embodiment described above and, for the sake of simplicity, bear the same reference numbers.

[0041] 6 to 10 show another mechanical system according to the invention, which comprises a modified component 1 and a shaft 2 mounted within the component 1. The friction surfaces 12 / 22 / 24 are devoid of any surface treatment or coating and no arrangement for storing lubricant L. The sealing means 60 comprises a flange 62 and a shoulder 64 on either side of the interface 40. Because of this, the component 1 is simpler and less expensive to manufacture than in the first embodiment. Despite the absence of treatments, coatings or alignments, the component 1 comprising the two rings 10 and 20 has an improved service life compared to a component of similar dimensions and volume consisting of a single ring.

[0042] 11 and 12 show a variant hinged component 1, which comprises three concentric rings 10, 20 and 30 movable relative to one another. Ring 30 is located between rings 10 and 20. A first friction interface 40 is defined between rings 10 and 30. A second friction interface 50 is defined between rings 20 and 30. Component 1 has five friction surfaces 12, 22, 24, 32 and 34 forming five wear surfaces, which may be provided with a treatment, coating and / or arrangement.

[0043] 13 and 14 show a variant hinged component 1, which comprises three concentric rings 10, 20 and 30. Ring 30 is located between rings 10 and 20. Rings 20 and 30 are movable relative to each other and define a friction interface 50 between them. Ring 30 is attached to ring 10, for example by gluing. Ring 30 may consist of turns of fibre strips and resin containing fillers, which turns and resin are mixed to implement an integral ring, the strips being crossed in layers using a filament winding method. Component 1 has three friction surfaces 22, 24 and 32 forming three wear surfaces, which may be provided with treatments, coatings and / or arrangements.

[0044] In practice, the hinged component 1 may be configured differently from Figures 1 to 14 without going beyond the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the technical features of the various embodiments described above may be combined with each other in whole or in part, so that the component 1 may be adjusted in terms of cost, functionality and performance.

[0045] Tables 1 to 5 below show a series of tests which allow comparing two reference rings (a single ring receiving a shaft) with various embodiments according to the invention.

[0046] [Table 1]

[0047] [Table 2]

[0048] [Table 3]

[0049] [Table 4]

[0050] [Table 5]

[0051] The results of this series of tests allowed the following observations to be made: The -C-BH1 component completed 4.6 times as many cycles as the B1 ring. - The C-BH2 component completed 3.6 times as many cycles as the B2 ring. - The C-BH3 component completed four times as many cycles as the B2 ring. - The C-B4 component completed 4.6 times as many cycles as the B2 ring. - Tests performed on C-BH5 type components were spontaneously stopped at 500,000 cycles. The service life of C-BH5 type components is much greater than that of B2 type rings.

[0052] The present invention thus provides a durable, compact and simple to implement hinged component 1. A component 1 with multiple rings has an improved service life compared to a component of similar size and volume consisting of a single ring. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1 hinged component, 2 axial rod, movable member, 10 outer ring, concentric ring, 12 inner cylindrical friction surface, 16 coating, outer layer, 18 arrangement, 20 inner ring, concentric ring, 22 outer cylindrical friction surface, 24 inner cylindrical ring surface, 26 coating, outer layer, 28 arrangement, 30 concentric ring, 40, 50 friction interface, 60 sealing means, 62 flange, transverse member, element, 64 shoulder, transverse member, element, 66, 68 washer, transverse member, element, L lubricant, X1 central axis

Claims

1. A hinge-connected component (1) having one degree of freedom, comprising only two concentric rings (10, 20) made of steel, the concentric rings being rotatable relative to each other about a central axis (X1), defining a friction interface between the concentric rings, - an outer ring (10) having an inner cylindrical friction surface (12), - an inner ring (20) having an outer cylindrical friction surface (22) and an inner cylindrical friction surface (24) configured to receive a movable member guided by the component (1) in rotation, vibration, and translational movement, having, the friction interface being directly defined between the inner cylindrical friction surface (12) of the outer ring (10) and the outer cylindrical friction surface (22) of the inner ring (20), and the friction interface receiving a lubricant (L), the inner cylindrical friction surface (12) of the outer ring (10) and the inner cylindrical friction surface (24) of the inner ring (20) comprising a surface treatment or coating (16, 26) having physical properties different from those of the base material of the rings, and an arrangement (18; 28) capable of functioning as a reservoir for the lubricant, and sealing means for restricting the axial displacement of the inner ring (20) relative to the outer ring (10), comprising flanges (62, 64) on each side of the friction interface and washers (66, 68) interposed between the inner ring (20) and the flanges on each side of the friction interface, characterized in that it is a hinge-connected component.

2. A mechanical system, characterized by comprising the hinge-connected component (1) according to Claim 1 and a movable member (2) guided by the component (1) in rotation, vibration, and / or translational movement.

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