Conical Shaft Coupling for Planetary Gearbox Wear Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coupling systems between operating machines and planetary gearboxes suffer from issues such as fatigue wear, complexity in assembly/disassembly, and increased manufacturing costs, particularly in solutions involving grooved, flange, and friction joints.
Innovation Solution
A coupling system utilizing truncated cone-shaped coupling portions and friction reducing elements, such as roller or ball bearings, along with constraining means to ensure stable, cost-effective, and easy assembly/disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a grooved connection is used to couple the machine shaft with the planetary gearbox, then the coupling can be made smoothly and assembly/disassembly is simplified, but fatigue wear phenomena occur causing premature damage and reduced service life
Solution Approach 1:
A friction element is introduced as an intermediary component between the machine shaft and the planetary gearbox. This friction element has a first friction surface that contacts the machine shaft and a second friction surface that contacts the planetary gearbox, mediating the coupling and preventing direct grooved contact that causes fretting wear.
Solution Approach 2:
The traditional mechanical grooved connection system is replaced with a friction-based coupling system. Instead of relying on grooved mechanical interlocking that causes stress concentration and wear, the invention uses friction surfaces to transmit torque, eliminating the harmful fretting wear while maintaining coupling functionality.
2Reliability
If flange joints are used to constrain cylindrical machine shaft and slow gearbox shaft, then wear resistance is improved and damage resistance is increased, but the size becomes large and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bulky flange structure is extracted and replaced by a compact friction-based coupling mechanism. The friction element with friction surfaces provides the necessary constraint and torque transmission without requiring large flange structures, thus reducing overall size while maintaining damage resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs conical friction surfaces with specific geometric curvature to achieve self-centering and stable coupling. The conical geometry allows for compact design while distributing loads effectively, replacing the large flat flange joints with curved friction surfaces that provide both constraint and torque transmission in a space-efficient manner.
3Reliability
If friction joints are used to clamp on the machine shaft, then axial sliding is counteracted effectively, but disassembly becomes complicated and may require mechanical removal of the machine shaft
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling system is segmented into distinct components: the machine shaft, the friction element, and the planetary gearbox. The friction element is a separate, removable component that can be independently accessed and removed from the axial direction, allowing disassembly without mechanical removal of the entire machine shaft while maintaining effective axial sliding resistance during operation.
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 system provides a stable, cost-effective, and easy-to-use coupling solution that minimizes wear and simplifies assembly/disassembly while maintaining mechanical robustness.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of friction reducing elements (7) placed between the load-bearing structure (6) and the slow gearbox shaft (5) and adapted to allow the latter to rotate with respect to the former by reducing the friction thereof
Data Source
AI summary
A coupling system between an operating machine and a planetary gearbox. The coupling system comprising an axially rotatable machine shaft of an operating machine; and a slow gearbox shaft of a planetary gearbox connectable integrally in rotation with the machine shaft in an operational configuration. The machine shaft and the slow gearbox shaft comprise a first coupling portion and a second coupling portion, respectively, substantially truncated cone-shaped and complementary to each other, the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion being conically coupled to each other in the operational configuration.