Gear Assembly With Motion Dissociation and Inertia Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gear assemblies in motor-driven locking systems face challenges in dissociating actuation motions and reducing the effect of motor inertia, leading to operational inefficiencies and potential component displacement due to continued motor rotation after initial actuation.
Innovation Solution
A gear assembly design that includes a wheel, drum, and locker mechanism, where the locker moves between unlocked and locked positions to disengage the drum from the wheel's rotation, allowing inertial motion of the motor output shaft to reduce or eliminate the effect of motor inertia, and a dissociation assembly that transfers rotational motion into linear motion without opposite rotational motion, absorbing linear motion without transferring it back to the driver.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the motor continues to rotate after initial actuation to overcome motor inertia, then the motor can overcome the force of the coupler-type mechanism, but the continued motor rotation causes component displacement and operational inefficiencies
Solution Approach 1:
The gear assembly is segmented into distinct functional components: a wheel coupled to the motor output shaft, a drum rotatably mounted to the wheel, and a locker that can engage or disengage from the wheel. This segmentation allows the motor's inertial rotation to be isolated from the drum, enabling the motor to overcome the coupler mechanism force without causing unwanted component displacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel acts as an intermediary between the motor output shaft and the drum. During motor actuation, the wheel transmits rotational motion to overcome the coupler mechanism force. The locker serves as a mediator that can connect or disconnect the drum from the wheel, controlling whether the drum rotates with the wheel or remains stationary during motor inertia phases.
2Speed
If traditional PCB short circuit method is used to stop the motor instantaneously, then the motor stops almost immediately, but additional components and system complexity are required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the motor stopping function from the electrical control system (PCB) and relocates it to the mechanical gear assembly. The locker mechanism mechanically disengages the drum from the wheel, allowing the motor to stop without requiring electrical short-circuit control. This eliminates the need for additional PCB components while achieving instantaneous motor stopping.
Solution Approach 2:
The gear assembly becomes self-sufficient by incorporating the stopping function directly into its mechanical structure. The locker mechanism automatically engages or disengages based on the operational phase, eliminating the need for external electrical control systems to manage motor stopping. The system serves itself by using its own mechanical components to control motor behavior.
3Reliability
If the locker disengages the drum from the wheel during motor inertial motion, then the effect of motor inertia is reduced or eliminated, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locker mechanism is merged with the existing wheel and drum structure, integrating the disengagement function into the core gear assembly rather than adding a separate control system. The locker utilizes the natural rotational motion of the wheel to engage or disengage from the drum, combining multiple functions (power transmission, motion isolation, and stopping) into a single integrated mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The locker mechanism is designed to dynamically engage or disengage based on the operational phase. During motor actuation, the locker connects the drum to the wheel for power transmission. During motor inertial motion, the locker automatically disengages to isolate the drum. This dynamic behavior reduces the need for complex control systems while achieving reliable inertia reduction.
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 effectively reduces motor inertia effects, limits power requirements, and eliminates the need for additional components like PCBs, enhancing the operational efficiency and reliability of motor-driven locking systems by dissociating actuation motions and absorbing linear motion without causing unnecessary rotational motion.
Implementation Method 1
a spring disposed in an interface between the gear and the driver, the spring being configured to bias the gear and the driver toward each other
Implementation Method 2
a gear assembly configured to transfer rotational motion of an input into linear motion of an output relative to a rest position and to absorb linear motion of the output relative to the rest position without opposite rotational motion of the input, thereby dissociating the linear motion of the output from the opposite rotational motion of the input
Data Source
AI summary
A gear assembly configured to be driven by a motor and/or manual operation is disclosed. The gear assembly is configured to reduce or eliminate the effect of inertia of the motor on an output of the gear assembly and/or to dissociate a linear motion of the output relative to a rest position from an opposite rotational motion of an input of the gear assembly. The gear assembly may comprise a wheel configured to rotate about a wheel axis, and a drum and a locker both configured to move in response to rotation of the wheel. When both locker and drum are prevented from moving, the wheel continues to move. The gear assembly may comprise a gcar and a driver, both configured to rotate about a gear axis, and a spring disposed therebetween. When the linear motion causes the gear to move, the motion is not transferred to the driver.