Drive Shaft Length Adjustment Using Obstructed Tooth Gap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing length adjustment mechanisms for drive shafts suffer from imbalance due to additional mass from separate components and complexity in ensuring precise angular alignment during assembly.
Innovation Solution
A length adjustment system where a locking portion, formed by material connection or a pin, obstructs the tooth gap in the first rotary element, allowing only specific angular positions for assembly, thereby minimizing additional mass and ensuring balanced torque transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a separate insert component is used to ensure angular alignment during assembly, then the assembly precision is improved, but the device complexity and additional mass increase
Solution Approach 1:
The locking portion is integrated directly into the first rotary element as a unified component, eliminating the need for separate insert components. The locking portion is formed by forming or material connection as one piece with the first rotary element, thereby reducing component quantity while maintaining angular alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The separate insert component is removed from the system and replaced by a locking portion that is an integral part of the first rotary element. This extraction of the unnecessary separate component simplifies the overall structure while preserving the essential function of angular alignment.
2Manufacturing precision
If a separate insert component is used to ensure angular alignment, then the assembly precision is improved, but the imbalance increases due to additional mass
Solution Approach 1:
The locking portion is merged with the first rotary element as an integral component, eliminating the need for additional separate parts. This integration removes the additional mass that would otherwise be introduced by separate insert components, thereby reducing imbalance while maintaining angular alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The separate insert component is extracted from the system and replaced by the integrated locking portion. This removal of the separate component eliminates the additional mass associated with it, reducing imbalance while preserving the essential angular alignment function.
3Ease of operation
If the radial height of one longitudinal tooth is reduced, then the ease of assembly is improved by enabling insertion into the obstructed tooth gap, but the torque transmission capability may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The longitudinal tooth is modified with a reduced radial height only in the specific region where it needs to pass through the obstructed tooth gap during assembly. The rest of the tooth structure maintains its full radial height and load-bearing capacity, thereby enabling easy assembly while preserving torque transmission capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The longitudinal tooth is segmented into different regions with different radial heights: a reduced radial height section for assembly insertion and a full radial height section for torque transmission. This segmentation allows the tooth to fulfill both assembly and load-bearing functions effectively.
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 solution reduces imbalance and simplifies assembly by allowing only precise angular alignment, enabling balanced loading of longitudinal teeth and reducing the need for separate components, while maintaining a lightweight design.
Implementation Method 1
a first longitudinal toothing (11) and a second longitudinal toothing (12) which mesh with one another and are axially displaceable to each other, so that a torque can be transmitted between the two rotary elements
Data Source
AI summary
A length adjustment for a drive shaft, wherein the length adjustment has the following: a first rotary element with a first longitudinal toothing and a second rotary element with a second longitudinal toothing. The first longitudinal toothing and the second longitudinal toothing mesh with each other and are axially displaceable to each other. In an end portion of the first rotary element a tooth gap between two longitudinal teeth of the first longitudinal toothing is obstructed. The radial height of a longitudinal tooth of the second longitudinal toothing is reduced relative to the residual longitudinal teeth such that only the longitudinal tooth reduced in radial height can be axially inserted into the obstructed tooth gap. The tooth gap is obstructed by a locking portion of the first rotary element, produced by forming or a material connection a pin resting in a bore of the first rotary element. The locking portion or the pin is arranged in the tooth gap or in axial extension to the tooth gap.