Bevel Gear Barrel Assembly for Precise Steering Gearbox Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bevel gear boxes in steering drive lines of commercial vehicles face challenges in alignment during assembly, leading to inefficiencies, noise, vibration, and increased friction due to the need for manual handling and sub-optimal positioning of bearings, which affects the smooth operation and efficiency of the system.
Innovation Solution
A bevel gear barrel assembly with integrated radial and axial bearings, a shaft housing, and a collar projection for easy alignment and secure insertion into a bevel gear box, along with a box casing featuring barrel recesses for precise positioning and locking mechanisms, allowing for simplified assembly and reduced friction through the use of roller bearings and a seal to prevent contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual handling and positioning of bearings is used during assembly, then alignment can be achieved, but assembly time increases and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing housing incorporates pre-formed bearing recesses that are precisely positioned during manufacturing. This preliminary action ensures that when bearings are installed, they automatically achieve the correct alignment and positioning, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual adjustment during assembly while maintaining high alignment precision
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing housing acts as an intermediary component that pre-establishes the correct spatial relationship between bearings and gear components. By incorporating bearing recesses with precise dimensions and positions, the housing mediates the alignment process, allowing bearings to be correctly positioned without requiring complex manual handling or adjustment procedures
2Ease of manufacture
If sub-optimal positioning of bearings is used, then assembly is simpler, but friction increases and operational smoothness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing housing features locally optimized bearing recesses with precise dimensions, positions, and orientations tailored to each specific bearing location. This local quality ensures that each bearing is positioned optimally for its specific function, minimizing friction and ensuring smooth operation while maintaining assembly simplicity through the pre-formed structure
3Ease of operation
If straight teethed gears are used, then alignment is easier, but noise, vibration, and efficiency are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The gear components utilize angled or spiraled teeth instead of straight teeth, representing a parameter change in the gear geometry. This modification maintains ease of alignment through the bearing housing's pre-formed recesses while significantly reducing noise, vibration, and backlash during operation, thereby eliminating the trade-off between alignment ease and operational quality
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 enables easy and precise alignment of bevel gears, reducing assembly time, minimizing friction, and improving the operational smoothness by using pre-assembled barrel assemblies with angled or spiraled teeth, thereby enhancing the efficiency and reducing noise and vibration in the bevel gear box.
Implementation Method 1
The first radial bearing comprises a roller bearing, optionally a needle roller bearing
Implementation Method 2
a seal to prevent contamination
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a bevel gear box for use as part of the steering mechanism of a commercial vehicle. The invention may be suited to use where the controlled axles of the vehicle are located below the passenger compartment. The bevel gear box may comprise box housing, which in turn houses two separate bevel gear barrel assemblies. The exemplified bevel gear barrel assemblies each comprise a bevel gear, the bevel gear further comprising a gear head incorporating teeth and a gear shaft. Shaft housing surrounds a circumference of gear shaft. To enable the bevel gear to rotate within the shaft housing, bearings may be placed between surfaces of the bevel gear and the shaft housing. The face of the gear head may comprise a gear head recess for location of a center dowel therein.