Metallic Bellows Clutch for Drive Unit Load Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Drive units for motor vehicles face high loads on the output shaft, particularly at the last main bearing, due to torque transmission, which can lead to excessive stress and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a metallic folding bellows as a balancing clutch to transmit torques between the output shaft and the starting element, allowing for axial and radial movement compensation, thereby reducing loads on the output shaft and ensuring efficient torque transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a rigid coupling is used to transmit torque from the output shaft to the starting element, then torque transmission is efficient, but loads and stress on the output shaft and bearings increase excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a metallic bellows coupling instead of a rigid coupling to connect the output shaft to the starting element. The bellows structure provides flexibility to accommodate misalignments and reduce stress concentrations while maintaining effective torque transmission. The metallic material ensures sufficient rigidity for power transmission while the bellows geometry allows for controlled deformation to absorb load peaks.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the starting element is positioned at a great axial spacing from the output shaft, then installation flexibility is improved, but misalignments and oblique positions increase causing excessive loads
Solution Approach 1:
The metallic bellows coupling enables greater axial spacing between the output shaft and starting element by providing a flexible connection that can accommodate misalignments and oblique positions. The bellows structure absorbs the dimensional variations and positioning tolerances that would otherwise create excessive loads on the output shaft and its bearings.
3Stress or pressure
If a flexible coupling is used to reduce loads on the output shaft, then stress is reduced, but torsional rigidity and torque transmission efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a metallic bellows coupling that combines the flexibility needed to reduce loads with the torsional rigidity required for efficient torque transmission. The metallic material provides sufficient stiffness to transmit torque effectively while the bellows geometry introduces controlled flexibility to accommodate misalignments and reduce stress concentrations on the output shaft.
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 use of a metallic bellows clutch effectively reduces loads on the output shaft, compensates for misalignments, and maintains torsional rigidity, ensuring efficient and unfiltered torque transmission, even at great axial spacings, thus minimizing excessive loads and stress on the output shaft and its bearings.
Implementation Method 1
A bellows of this type is configured in the manner of a folding bellows, since it has a plurality of walls or wall regions which are arranged in a mutual overlap in the axial direction, with the result that the bellows can be pulled apart, for example in the manner of an accordion, and can be extended as a result, and thereupon can be compressed again or shortened, without the bellows being damaged or deformed plastically as a result
Implementation Method 2
it is possible to transmit torques which are provided by the internal combustion engine via the output shaft to the starting element, in particular its input side, via the bellows which acts as a bellow coupling, for example in a manner which is at least substantially unfiltered and is as torsionally rigid as possible
Data Source
AI summary
A drive unit is provided for a motor vehicle, including an internal combustion engine with an output shaft, a starting element that can be driven by the output shaft, a transmission that can be driven by the output shaft via the starting element, and a bellows mechanism via which the starting element can be driven by the output shaft. The bellows is configured as a folding bellows with a plurality of walls overlapping each other in the axial direction, such that the bellows can be pulled apart and compressed again without the bellows being damaged or deformed plastically as a result. The bellows is utilized as a balancing clutch, via which the starting element is coupled to the output shaft, such that torques are transmitted via the bellows between the starting element and the output shaft.