Bias-Controlled Gear Mesh for Rattle Vibration Attenuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gear trains transmit vibrational disturbances through meshing teeth, leading to objectionable acoustical issues and structural excitations, and existing solutions fail to effectively reduce or eliminate these vibrations.
Innovation Solution
A control system with a control module that displaces a gear support shaft to reduce looseness between intermeshed gears, using a biasing force to improve gear mesh engagement and reduce gear rattle vibrations, incorporating various embodiments such as spring-based, fluid-pressure, and magnetically actuated control modules to adjust and attenuate vibrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If gear teeth are designed with looseness to accommodate tolerances, then manufacturing precision and ease of assembly are improved, but gear mesh vibrations and acoustic noise increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the gear support shaft position adjustable rather than fixed. The control module dynamically adjusts the shaft position to optimize gear mesh engagement, allowing the system to adapt between manufacturing tolerances and vibration reduction based on operating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the positional parameter of the gear support shaft relative to the housing. By adjusting the shaft position along the axis, the system modifies the gear mesh looseness parameter to reduce vibrations while maintaining manufacturability.
2Ease of manufacture
If gear teeth are designed with looseness to accommodate tolerances, then manufacturing precision and ease of assembly are improved, but acoustical noise increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control module dynamically adjusts the gear support shaft position to optimize gear mesh engagement, allowing the system to adapt between manufacturing tolerances and vibration reduction based on operating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the positional parameter of the gear support shaft relative to the housing. By adjusting the shaft position along the axis, the system modifies the gear mesh looseness parameter to reduce vibrations while maintaining manufacturability.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If a control module is added to adjust gear shaft position, then gear mesh vibrations are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms with alternative actuation systems such as magnetic fields or fluid pressure. This substitution reduces mechanical complexity while achieving the same vibration reduction effect through non-contact or simplified actuation of the gear support shaft.
Solution Approach 2:
The control module acts as an intermediary between the housing and gear support shaft, providing a simplified interface for adjustment. This intermediary component consolidates the control function into a single module, reducing overall system complexity.
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 control system effectively reduces or eliminates gear rattle vibrations by improving gear mesh engagement, enhancing power transfer efficiency and reducing noise and structural excitations across varying load conditions.
Implementation Method 1
spring-based control modules to adjust and attenuate vibrations
Implementation Method 2
fluid-pressure... control modules to adjust and attenuate vibrations
Implementation Method 3
magnetically actuated control modules to adjust and attenuate vibrations
Data Source
AI summary
A power take off unit includes an input gear, an output gear, and an intermediary gear that cooperate to transfer power from a rotational power source to an operating target. The power take off unit has a control module that biases the intermediary gear relative to the input gear and the output gear to reduce gear rattle vibrations associated with intermeshed tooth looseness.