Transmission Bearing With Elastomeric Spring Body Under Elastic Pretension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transmission bearings with elastomeric spring bodies require complex vulcanization processes and specialized tools for each application, leading to economic inefficiencies and potential internal tensile stresses that reduce service life.
Innovation Solution
A transmission bearing design where the housing and spring body are not vulcanized together, with a double-T-shaped bearing core and spring body pre-assembled under elastic pretension, allowing for simpler assembly and reduced material connection, thereby minimizing tensile stresses and increasing service life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the spring body and housing are connected by vulcanization, then the connection is strong and permanent, but the assembly becomes more complex and requires specialized vulcanization tools for each application
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing is divided into separate functional components: the spring body assembly (with bearing core and spring body vulcanized together) and the housing, which are mechanically assembled rather than permanently bonded. This segmentation allows the spring body and bearing core to be pre-assembled as a unit that can be independently manufactured and then installed into the housing, reducing overall assembly complexity while maintaining connection strength through the vulcanized spring body-core interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring body assembly is designed as a universal pre-assembled unit that can be installed in different housing configurations without requiring application-specific vulcanization tools. The standardized interface between the spring body assembly and housing allows the same spring body design to be used across multiple applications, eliminating the need for specialized vulcanization equipment for each specific bearing type.
2Reliability
If the spring body is pre-assembled with the bearing core under elastic pretension, then the service life is increased by preventing internal tensile stresses, but the assembly process requires precise control of pretension
Solution Approach 1:
The spring body is pre-assembled with the bearing core in a predetermined pretensioned state before final installation into the housing. This preliminary action of pre-assembling the spring body and bearing core together ensures that the elastic pretension is already established and optimized to prevent internal tensile stresses during operation, while the actual pretension control is performed during the pre-assembly stage rather than during final installation, separating the precision requirement from the final assembly process.
3Manufacturing precision
If specialized vulcanization tools are produced for each application, then the spring body can be precisely adapted to the bearing core, but the production cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The spring body and bearing core are designed with standardized interfaces and dimensions that allow the spring body assembly to be universally applied to different housing configurations without requiring application-specific vulcanization tools. The spring body geometry is optimized to work with the bearing core through the vulcanization process using general-purpose equipment, eliminating the need for expensive specialized tooling while maintaining precise adaptation through the standardized design interface.
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
This design simplifies production, reduces material costs, and ensures predictable performance by applying controlled compressive preload, minimizing undesirable deformations and internal stresses, thus enhancing the bearing's operational reliability and longevity.
Implementation Method 1
the spring body is arranged in the gap formed by the space between the housing and the bearing core... the elastomeric material of the spring body completely encloses the bearing core on the outer circumference
Implementation Method 2
The spring body is fixed in the housing under elastic pretension by means of the connecting parts... applying controlled compressive preload
Implementation Method 3
The spring body and the bearing core are vulcanized together
Data Source
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AI summary
The bearing has a housing (1) i.e. support plate, enclosing a bearing core (2) at certain spacing from an external periphery-side. A spring body (3) is arranged in a gap (4) formed by the spacing. The spring body is made of elastomeric material, so that the external periphery-side of the core is completely surrounded by the elastomeric material. The housing and the spring body are detachably assigned with each other by tie-parts (5, 6) under elastic pretension, where the tie-parts are faced opposite to each other. The spring body and the tie-parts are vulcanized together. An independent claim is also included for a method for assembling a bearing-unit.