Displacement Unit Profile Grooves Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing displacement units in drive trains of motor vehicles face challenges in reducing weight and costs while ensuring high functional reliability and avoiding assembly issues.
Innovation Solution
A displacement unit design featuring profile grooves formed from circular segments with varying radii, alternating with rolling element raceways, and produced using a tool contour, which allows for axially limited displacement of drive components with enhanced load-bearing capacity and material efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rolling element raceways are provided in drive components for torque transmission, then functional reliability is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drive component is segmented into functional zones: rolling element raceways for torque transmission and profile grooves for material reduction. This segmentation allows the component to maintain reliability where needed while reducing weight in non-critical areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The profile grooves create local variations in material distribution, concentrating material where structural strength is needed and removing material where it is not required. This local quality optimization reduces overall weight while preserving functional integrity.
2Weight of moving object
If material is removed to reduce weight, then weight savings are achieved, but load-bearing capacity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The profile grooves are strategically positioned and dimensioned to remove material only where it is not critical for load-bearing. The grooves alternate with rolling element raceways, ensuring that material is retained in zones requiring structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The profile grooves are designed in advance to pre-position material accumulation zones at the boundaries adjacent to rolling element raceways. This preliminary material distribution ensures that load-bearing capacity is maintained before the component is subjected to operational loads.
3Weight of moving object
If profile grooves are introduced between rolling element raceways, then weight is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The profile grooves and rolling element raceways are integrated into a unified cross-sectional design that alternates between the two features. This merging allows both features to be manufactured in a coordinated manner, reducing overall manufacturing complexity compared to treating them as separate modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The profile grooves are formed with circular segment geometries that can be produced using standardized forming tools and processes. The curved profiles are compatible with common manufacturing methods, minimizing the increase in manufacturing complexity.
4Strength
If circular segments with different radii are used to form profile grooves, then load-bearing capacity is increased, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The profile grooves are formed using circular segment geometries, which are standard shapes that can be produced with conventional forming tools. The use of circular arcs rather than complex curves maintains manufacturing precision while achieving the desired load-bearing enhancement.
Solution Approach 2:
The radii of the circular segments are carefully selected and standardized to optimize load-bearing capacity while remaining within the capabilities of standard manufacturing tolerances. The parameters are chosen to balance performance improvement with manufacturability.
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 design achieves weight savings, increased load-bearing capacity, and reliable assembly by optimizing the cross-sectional areas of profile grooves and rolling element raceways, ensuring effective torque transmission and stability.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of axially spaced rolling elements are accommodated in each of the rolling element raceways... the rolling bodies in the rolling body tracks roll off and transmit the torque applied to the drive components
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a displacement unit (1) comprising two undulated drive components (2, 3) that can be displaced into each other, said components having a plurality of mutually facing rolling body raceways (6, 7) and rolling bodies (9) disposed between said raceways. Particularly in order to save weight and provide a unique position-oriented arrangement, a profiled groove (10) is provided at least between two rolling body raceways of at least one drive component, the profile depth (11) of said groove being smaller than the profile depth (12) of a rolling body raceway adjacent thereto.