Face Driver with Spherical Support Bolts for Backlash-Free Torque

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional face drivers face challenges in maintaining backlash-free driving during left and right rotation while reducing operating and maintenance costs, especially when dealing with inclined workpiece surfaces and torque transmission.

Innovation Solution

The face driver design incorporates support bolts that engage in grooves of a driver disk with serrations, allowing axial adjustability and three-point support with spherical centering surfaces, ensuring torque transmission and clamping integrity without play, even during clockwise or counterclockwise rotation, and utilizing a compensating disk for radial adjustment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional face drivers are used with support members guided in guide sleeves, then torque transmission is achieved, but the structure becomes complex and maintenance costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebacklash-free drivingVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The face driver is divided into functionally independent components: support members with spherical heads for positioning, a drive plate for torque transmission, and a carrier plate for clamping. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally while simplifying the overall structure and reducing maintenance requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The guide sleeve is extracted from the design, eliminating the need for complex guided movement mechanisms. Instead, support members move freely in radial directions while maintaining positional accuracy through their spherical heads engaging with the drive plate, thereby reducing structural complexity and maintenance costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If support members with crowned heads engaging in ball sockets are used, then torque transmission is achieved, but the radius requirement increases the device complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetorque transmissionVSAvoidrecess radius requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of having a large-radius ball socket recess in the carrier plate, the invention inverts the approach by placing a small-radius spherical head on the support member. This spherical head engages with the drive plate, eliminating the need for large-radius recesses and simplifying the overall structure while maintaining effective torque transmission.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Ease of operation

If intermediate discs and swash plates supported by steel rollers are used, then driving function is achieved, but the device complexity and maintenance costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriving functionVSAvoidnumber of components
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The intermediate disc and swash plate components are completely extracted from the design. The driving function is achieved directly through the support members with spherical heads that engage the drive plate, eliminating unnecessary intermediate components and significantly reducing device complexity and maintenance requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The functions of support, torque transmission, and positioning are merged into a single integrated system where support members with spherical heads directly engage the drive plate. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate intermediate discs, swash plates, and multiple roller support systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Reliability

If wedge levers with floating plates and elastic elements are used, then compensation function is achieved, but the device complexity and operating costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompensation functionVSAvoidoperating and maintenance costs
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The complex wedge lever mechanism with floating plates and elastic elements is extracted and replaced by a simpler system. Support members with spherical heads provide the necessary compensation for misalignment and wear through their ability to pivot and self-adjust, eliminating the need for wedge levers and reducing operating and maintenance costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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 enables seamless torque transmission and clamping on inclined surfaces without disturbing the workpiece, reducing maintenance and operating costs by preventing twisting and ensuring precise alignment and compensation, thus enhancing the operational efficiency and reliability of the face driver.

Implementation Method 1

the centering heads have spherical centering surfaces so that the support bolts can align themselves via the spherical centering surfaces in the V-shaped zones in the grooves

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSpherical guidance: Ball

Implementation Method 2

A compression spring 2 for directly or indirectly supporting a support cylinder with a tip 4 is arranged in the receiving body 1, the centering force of the tip 4 being able to be set via the pressure

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSpring force: Spring

Implementation Method 3

the driver disk 7, which is toothed on the side facing the workpiece

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP2444183B1Front end actuator
Publication Date: 2016.09.28 ROHM GMBH
  • EP2444183B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2444183B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3

AI summary

The invention relates to an end-face driver with a receiving body (1) in which a compression spring (2) is arranged for the indirect or direct support of a support cylinder with a centering tip (4), and with a drive disc (7) surrounding the support cylinder and designed to bear against the workpiece. In a drive head (3) rotationally fixed to the receiving body (1), a plurality of support bolts (5) are arranged axially movable in off-center receptacles aligned parallel to the central axis, each support bolt (5) engaging with a centering head (10) in a radial groove (8) formed on the side of the drive disc (7) facing away from the workpiece.