V-band Flange Alignment via Scallop and Boss Torque Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for assembling V-band flanges, such as those in starter motors and gearboxes, face issues with stress and failure due to interference fits and pins in high vibratory environments, leading to reduced flange life and inadequate performance under high torque and vibration.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves forming scallop-shaped cutouts on one flange and matching raised regions on the other, allowing for alignment and torque transfer without internal stresses, achieved through machining or other methods, minimizing weight and maximizing structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If pins and holes are used to control relative clocking position of flanges, then alignment precision is improved, but flange strength and reliability deteriorate due to tensile stresses from interference fits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the pin and hole alignment mechanism entirely, extracting the problematic interference fit from the system. Instead, it uses a clamp with a single alignment feature that engages a corresponding feature on the flange, eliminating the need for pins that create tensile stresses while maintaining adequate alignment precision for the application.
2Force
If pins are pressed into flanges with interference fit, then alignment and torque transfer are improved, but flange durability deteriorates in high vibratory environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the pin from the assembly, replacing it with a clamp that provides torque transfer through friction and normal contact forces rather than interference fit. This eliminates the stress concentration points that lead to failure in vibratory environments while maintaining adequate torque transfer capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp design incorporates compliance and stress distribution features that cushion the connection against vibratory loads before they can cause damage. The broader contact area and flexible mounting allow for stress redistribution, preventing the kind of stress concentration that causes pin-and-hole flange failures in high-vibration applications.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple pins are added to flanges for alignment, then alignment precision is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes multiple pins and replaces them with a single alignment feature on the clamp that engages a corresponding feature on the flange. This simplifies the assembly process by reducing the number of components and steps required while maintaining sufficient alignment precision for the application.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment function is segmented into a dedicated feature on the clamp rather than being distributed across multiple pins. This consolidation simplifies the overall assembly while the specific geometry of the alignment feature ensures proper clocking position is achieved.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of aligning flanges on two components to align and transfer torque from one component to the other uses a plurality of scallop regions on the periphery of a flange on one component; and a plurality of raised regions on the periphery of a flange on the other component, the raised regions being sized and shaped to engage the scallop regions on the flange when axially aligned to transfer torque there between.