Chain Drive Link Plate Vibration Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing chain drive technologies in motor vehicles suffer from noise issues due to the polygon effect and chain vibration, leading to increased manufacturing and replacement costs with existing solutions, such as elastic material coatings on sprockets and link plates, which are costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of nose-shaped contact surfaces with vibration-damping materials on chain link plates, which deflect the impact to the engaged sprocket and reduce swinging, combined with a stronger damping material contact area to minimize noise and vibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the sprocket is provided with an elastic material coating to damp chain vibrations, then chain noise is reduced, but manufacturing costs increase and the entire sprocket must be replaced when the elastic material wears out
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the elastic material from the sprocket and relocates it to the chain link plates. Specifically, link plates are provided with elastic material at their contact surfaces with the sprocket, so that the vibration-damping function is transferred from the sprocket to the chain links themselves. This allows the elastic material to be replaced independently as a wearing part without replacing the entire sprocket.
Solution Approach 2:
The chain drive system is segmented into independent replaceable components. The elastic material is applied to individual link plates rather than the entire sprocket, allowing selective replacement of worn chain links without replacing the sprocket. This segmentation reduces overall replacement costs and extends the service life of the drive system.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the sprocket is provided with an elastic material coating to damp chain vibrations, then chain noise is reduced, but the entire sprocket must be replaced when the elastic material wears out, increasing overall costs
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic material is extracted from the sprocket and transferred to the link plates. This allows the elastic damping layer to be replaced independently as a wearing part while the sprocket itself can continue to be used, thereby extending the overall system lifespan and reducing the frequency of costly sprocket replacements.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If vibration-damping material is applied to the link plate contact surfaces, then chain noise and swinging are reduced, but the complexity of the chain structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic material is applied locally only at the contact surfaces of the link plates with the sprocket, rather than throughout the entire chain structure. This localized application provides vibration damping where it is most needed while minimizing the increase in overall chain complexity and maintaining the simplicity of the chain's basic structure.
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 solution effectively reduces chain noise and swinging during engagement and disengagement, while lowering overall costs by extending the lifespan of components and reducing the need for frequent replacements.
Implementation Method 1
nose-shaped contact surfaces with a vibration-damping layer of material
Implementation Method 2
the infeed impact of the following chain link acts not only on the sprocket, but also on the chain link that is already engaged with the sprocket. This reduces the infeed shock
Implementation Method 3
contact area of the link plate from another z. B. stronger damping material, such as metal foam
Data Source
AI summary
The chain has a set of chain lugs (1, 5) that are connected with one another through chain pins, where a longitudinal side of one of the chain lugs staying in contact with a support shoulder of a sprocket wheel (2) is provided with a vibration-damping material layer (3). Nose-shaped contact surfaces (4) are arranged at a front side of the chain lugs, and the longitudinal side is adapted to a clamping or sliding rail, where the material layer is made from metal foam, elastomer and rubber.