Gear Retaining Ring Limits Hub Opening to Prevent Sudden Failure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional toothed wheels in gear systems are prone to sudden failure due to cracks, leading to complete opening and malfunction, which can cause jamming and render the gear inoperable.
Innovation Solution
A toothed wheel design incorporating a retaining ring that surrounds the hub circumferentially, providing radial clearance in the absence of cracks to prevent radial stress and maintain geometric integrity, while limiting the opening of the hub in case of a crack, allowing for partial opening without bursting and generating detectable vibrations for early fault detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a retaining ring is added to limit hub opening, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the toothed wheel into functional segments: a hub with potential crack vulnerability and a separate retaining ring that segments the failure mode. The retaining ring is positioned at a specific radial distance from the hub, creating a segmented structure where the ring limits the propagation of cracks without being integrally connected to the hub, thus improving reliability while maintaining manageable complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The retaining ring acts as an intermediary element between the hub and the external environment. It mediates the stress distribution and limits the opening of the hub by providing a mechanical constraint at a controlled radial distance. This intermediary structure prevents complete hub failure without requiring direct modification of the hub itself, resolving the contradiction between reliability improvement and complexity addition.
2Shape
If radial clearance is provided between retaining ring and hub, then geometric integrity is maintained, but radial stress resistance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by providing radial clearance only in specific locations where it serves the dual purpose of maintaining geometric integrity while allowing controlled movement. The retaining ring is positioned at a predetermined radial distance that creates localized clearance zones, enabling the structure to maintain its overall geometric integrity while accommodating stress variations without compromising radial strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The radial clearance acts as a pre-designed cushioning space that absorbs stress variations and prevents direct contact between the retaining ring and hub under normal operating conditions. This beforehand cushioning allows the structure to maintain geometric integrity while preparing for potential crack propagation scenarios, where the clearance prevents catastrophic failure without requiring continuous radial stress resistance.
3Duration of action of moving object
If retaining ring limits hub opening, then duration of operation is extended, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements preliminary action by pre-positioning the retaining ring at a predetermined radial distance from the hub during manufacturing. This preliminary positioning ensures that the ring is correctly placed to limit hub opening without requiring high-precision adjustments during assembly. The predetermined distance is designed to provide adequate clearance while maintaining the ability to constrain hub movement, thus extending service life without excessively increasing manufacturing precision requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes parameter changes by optimizing the radial distance parameter between the retaining ring and hub. By carefully selecting this parameter, the design achieves a balance where the retaining ring is close enough to effectively limit hub opening and extend service life, but far enough to allow for reasonable manufacturing tolerances. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between extended duration of operation and manufacturing precision requirements.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~6
AI summary
The present invention relates to a gear (10), said gear (10) comprising a hub (20) and teeth (40) carried by the hub (20), said hub (20) extending vertically (Z) along an axis of rotation (AX) of the hub about itself, said hub (20) extending radially to a peripheral slice (21). The gear (10) includes at least one retaining ring (50), said retaining ring (50) being disposed around said peripheral slice (21), a radial clearance (90) radially separating said retaining ring (50) and said peripheral slice (21), said retaining ring (50) having the function of limiting the opening of said hub (20) following a crack.