Chain Drive Slide Elements Vibration Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing chain drives for internal combustion engines face challenges in managing vibration behavior and friction, particularly in highly dynamic systems, where current solutions do not adequately address these issues.
Innovation Solution
The chain drive design incorporates guide and tensioning rails with multiple slide elements arranged at a non-guided distance, optimizing the ratio of guided to non-guided chain length, and strategically placing these elements to minimize friction and vibration, while reducing material usage and manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a guide rail with two slide sections arranged at a non-guided distance is used, then weight and material usage are reduced, but friction is not sufficiently reduced for highly dynamic chain drives
Solution Approach 1:
The guide rail is divided into multiple slide sections (at least two) arranged at a non-guided distance from each other along the chain path. This segmentation allows the chain to have free sections between slide sections, reducing the total contact area and thus friction, while maintaining guidance functionality where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the guide rail have different properties: slide sections provide low-friction contact surfaces for the chain, while non-guided sections between them allow free movement. This local differentiation optimizes the balance between guidance and friction reduction in different areas of the same component.
2Loss of substance
If slide sections are arranged at a non-guided distance from one another, then material usage is reduced, but vibration behavior is not adequately controlled
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the guide rail into multiple spaced-apart slide sections, the structure uses less material while creating specific non-guided sections that allow the chain to absorb vibrations. The segmentation pattern is optimized to provide both material reduction and vibration control.
Solution Approach 2:
The non-guided sections between slide sections act as cushioning zones that预先 accommodate chain vibrations and dynamic movements. These sections are strategically positioned to provide vibration absorption before vibrations can propagate through the entire chain drive system.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the guided chain length to non-guided chain length ratio is optimized, then friction is reduced, but the complexity of determining optimal positioning increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention specifies a quantitative parameter: the sum of non-guided chain lengths between slide sections and sprockets should be smaller than 0.5 times the total span length. This parameter-based approach provides a clear design criterion that simplifies the optimization process while achieving friction reduction goals.
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 effectively reduces friction and enhances vibration damping, optimizing the chain drive's performance in highly dynamic conditions, improving both the guidance and tensioning of the drive chain while minimizing weight and material usage.
Implementation Method 1
Another slide element for reducing the manufacturing effort and the friction is known from DE 102007026939 A1
Implementation Method 2
the present invention also provides sufficient vibration damping
Data Source
AI summary
A chain drive for an internal combustion engine comprises a driving sprocket and at least one driven sprocket, a drive chain coupling the sprockets to each other, and at least one guide rail and/or one tensioning rail for guiding and/or tensioning the drive chain. At least the guide rail and/or the tensioning rail comprises at least two slide elements, arranged at a non-guided distance from one another for contacting the drive chain, such that at least two slide elements are arranged in at least one span of the chain drive. In at least one span, the ratio of guided chain length to non-guided chain length is smaller than 1. Such a chain drive is to be improved with respect to its vibration characteristics. To this end, the sum of the two non-guided lengths of the drive chain between a slide element and the respective nearest sprocket is, in at least one span, which is in contact with a guide rail and/or a tensioning rail with at least two slide elements arranged at a non-guided distance from one another, smaller than 0.5 times the total length of the respective span.