Retaining Cooling Nut for Gear Skiving Chip Evacuation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing gear manufacturing methods, such as shaping and broaching, are limited by part layout and configuration, and skiving is constrained by cutter clearances, leading to inefficiencies and tool failures due to chip re-cutting and inadequate chip evacuation.

Innovation Solution

A coolant delivery assembly with a retaining cooling nut that secures the gear cutter tool and directs coolant through passages to the cutting edge, enhancing chip evacuation and enabling machining against interfering part geometries, thereby improving tool life and reducing cycle times.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional gear shaping or broaching methods are used, then gear teeth can be formed against interfering surfaces, but production cycle time increases and productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveability to machine against interfering surfacesVSAvoidproduction cycle time
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the gear skiving cutter with an integrated coolant delivery system, merging the cutting tool and cooling function into a single unified tool assembly. This allows high-speed skiving to proceed effectively against interfering surfaces by ensuring adequate coolant delivery to the cutting zone, thereby maintaining both adaptability and productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a specialized coolant delivery system with passages and outlets positioned on the cutter body as an intermediary mechanism. This mediator ensures that coolant is delivered directly to the cutting edges even when accessing interfering surfaces, enabling high-speed machining where previously only slower methods could operate

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Temperature

If traditional coolant delivery methods are used, then cooling is provided to the cutting zone, but chip evacuation is inadequate leading to tool wear and failure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting zone coolingVSAvoidtool life
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the coolant delivery function with the cutter body structure, creating an integrated system where coolant passages are formed within the cutter itself. This combination ensures that cooling and chip evacuation functions work together synergistically, with coolant flowing through passages to both cool the cutting edges and flush chips from the cutting zone, thereby improving both temperature control and tool reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements local quality by positioning specific coolant outlets on the cutter body at locations optimized for chip evacuation from the cutting zone. The coolant delivery system is tailored to the specific cutting geometry, with passages and outlets arranged to provide both cooling and effective chip removal where needed most, rather than using a generic coolant delivery approach

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If gear skiving is used to reduce cycle time, then productivity increases, but the process is limited by cutter clearance requirements and part configuration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemachining cycle timeVSAvoidcutter clearance and part configuration flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the coolant delivery system with the cutter body to create a more compact and flexible tool assembly. This integration allows the cutter to access tighter spaces and more complex part configurations while maintaining high-speed skiving capabilities, thereby extending the range of applications where productive skiving can be used

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 assembly achieves efficient chip evacuation, reducing tool wear and failure, and enables faster machining cycles by up to 50% for complex gear designs, allowing for more compact and powerful gear components.

Implementation Method 1

delivering coolant through at least one coolant passage defined in the retaining cooling nut wherein the coolant flows through the at least one coolant passage and out a coolant outlet in a direction toward the cutting face

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluid flow through passages:

Data Source

PatentEP4045218B1Coolant delivery assembly and method of forming a gear using a gear cutter tool and a retaining cooling nut
Publication Date: 2025.07.23 EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LTD
  • EP4045218B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP4045218B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4045218B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A coolant delivery assembly configured for use with a gear cutter tool that cuts gear teeth into a workpiece to form a gear includes a retaining cooling nut, a tool holder and a coupling member. The retaining cooling nut has a nut body that defines a plurality of coolant flow passages therein. The tool holder supports the gear cutter tool. The coupling member couples the retaining cooling nut to the mount. The retaining cooling nut is configured to receive coolant and deliver the coolant through the plurality of coolant flow passages and direct the coolant toward the gear cutter tool.