Ball Locking Device Tube with Communication Hole for Gearbox
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ball-locking devices for motor vehicle gearboxes fail to prevent oil leakage between the ball support and the housing, and their complex design with multiple parts leads to inefficiencies and potential leaks.
Innovation Solution
A ball-locking device with a tube fixed to the casing, where the tube contains a locking ball guided axially by a spring, and features a communication hole to allow oil to escape freely from the tube's interior to the housing, preventing pressure-induced leaks and simplifying the design by reducing the number of parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the ball support is sealed tightly to prevent oil leakage, then oil leakage is prevented, but the pressure build-up inside the tube causes the ball to stick and locking operation fails
Solution Approach 1:
The tube wall is made porous with micro-perforations that allow oil to pass through freely while maintaining structural integrity. This porous structure prevents pressure build-up that would cause ball sticking, while also preventing oil leakage to the exterior by allowing oil to escape through the porous wall into the gearbox interior.
Solution Approach 2:
The porous tube wall acts as an intermediary between the sealed ball support interior and the gearbox exterior. It mediates the oil flow by allowing controlled passage through micro-perforations, preventing both complete sealing (which causes pressure build-up) and complete openness (which causes leakage).
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the ball support is left open to allow oil drainage, then oil leakage is prevented, but oil infiltration into the tube interior causes pressure build-up and ball sticking
Solution Approach 1:
The porous tube wall allows oil to pass through freely in both directions, preventing pressure build-up that would cause ball sticking. The micro-perforations create a pressure equalization effect that ensures smooth ball movement while maintaining reliable locking operation.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If a complex sealing system with multiple parts is used, then oil leakage is prevented, but the device complexity increases and production cost rises
Solution Approach 1:
The tube structure is merged with sealing functionality by making the tube wall itself porous. This eliminates the need for separate sealing components such as gaskets, seals, or complex sealing mechanisms, thereby reducing the number of parts and simplifying the overall device while still preventing oil leakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The tube serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, acts as a seal against oil leakage, and allows controlled oil passage through its porous wall. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components for each function, reducing device complexity and production cost.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If the tube is completely sealed, then oil leakage is prevented, but pressure build-up prevents the ball from moving freely
Solution Approach 1:
The porous tube wall with micro-perforations allows oil to pass through freely, preventing pressure build-up that would restrict ball movement. This maintains ease of operation by allowing the ball to move freely along the tube while still preventing oil leakage to the exterior.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively prevents oil leakage and simplifies the locking mechanism, ensuring reliable operation and easy assembly by allowing oil to escape freely through the communication hole, maintaining the internal pressure and reducing the risk of leaks, even under varying conditions such as temperature changes.
Implementation Method 1
a ball guided axially and pressed towards the inside of the housing by a spring
Implementation Method 2
this oil can come out freely through the communication hole when the ball is pushed back, without running the risk of leaking out under the effect of the pressure
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The device (1) has a metallic tube (2) fixed on a wall (18) of a crank case, and including a lock ball (4) guided axially and pressed towards an inside of the case by a helicoidal spring (8) to cooperate with grooves (32) of a slide rod (30). An end of the tube turned towards an outside of the case is closed. A radial communication hole (20) is formed on the tube to communicate the inside of the tube with an inner volume of the case. The ball is maintained partially in the tube by radial constriction (22) of the end of the tube located in the case.