Internal Gear Shaving Machine Vertical Chuck Gravity Shavings Removal

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing internal gear shaving machines face issues with shavings remaining on the gear teeth, affecting processing accuracy, and difficulty in changing workpieces and engaging the shaving cutter correctly.

Innovation Solution

The internal gear shaving machine design allows the workpiece chuck and shaving cutter to be movably supported vertically and horizontally, with the workpiece chuck holding the internal gear's outer surface, enabling shavings to fall downward and incorporating a phasing mechanism for precise engagement, using indexing elements and actuators for efficient workpiece handling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the internal gear is held horizontally by the workpiece chuck, then the shaving cutter can engage the gear teeth, but shavings remain on the internal teeth and adversely affect processing accuracy

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing accuracyVSAvoidshavings remaining on gear teeth

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional horizontal holding orientation to a vertical orientation with the workpiece chuck positioned above the shaving cutter. This inversion allows gravity to naturally cause shavings to fall downward away from the gear teeth, eliminating the harmful effect of shavings accumulating on the processed surfaces and improving manufacturing precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Ease of operation

If the workpiece chuck holds the internal gear with horizontal orientation, then the gear can be processed, but changing workpieces and engaging the shaving cutter becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveworkpiece changing and cutter engagementVSAvoidtime for workpiece changing and engagement

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

By inverting the workpiece orientation from horizontal to vertical, the patent simplifies the workpiece changing operation. The vertical orientation with the chuck above allows for easier loading and unloading of workpieces, and the indexing elements can more efficiently engage with the gear teeth to establish correct phasing, thereby reducing the time lost during workpiece changes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent incorporates indexing elements on both the workpiece chuck and shaving cutter that preliminarily establish the correct engagement position before processing begins. This preliminary phasing action ensures that when workpieces are changed, the cutter and gear are already pre-positioned for correct engagement, eliminating time-consuming manual alignment operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of manufacture

If the workpiece chuck is positioned below the shaving cutter, then the setup is conventional, but shavings cannot fall downward and processing accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconventional setupVSAvoidprocessing accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent deliberately inverts the conventional arrangement by positioning the workpiece chuck above the shaving cutter rather than below. This inversion fundamentally changes the shavings removal mechanism from requiring active ejection to allowing passive gravitational fall, thereby improving manufacturing precision while maintaining ease of manufacture through the natural force of gravity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

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 improves processing accuracy by removing shavings from the gear teeth and simplifies workpiece changing and cutter engagement, enhancing operational efficiency and precision.

Implementation Method 1

the workpiece chuck holds the outer circumferential surface of the internal gear so that the axis of rotation of the internal gear is oriented in an up-down direction and shavings produced during processing by the shaving cutter can fall downwardly from the internal gear

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentUS7309197B2Internal gear shaving machine

Publication Date: 2007.12.18 KANZAKI KOKYUKOKI MFG

AI summary

An internal gear shaving machine 1 which brings a shaving cutter 3 and an internal gear held by a workpiece chuck 2 into engagement with a crossed axes angle, and subjects the tooth flanks of the internal gear to final machining while it rotationally drives at least one of the shaving cutter 3 and the workpiece chuck 2. The workpiece chuck 2 and shaving cutter 3 are supported movably toward and away from each other in a vertical direction with the workpiece chuck 2 higher and supported movably in the horizontal direction relative to each other. The workpiece chuck 3 is constituted to hold the outer circumferential surface of the internal gear with the axis of rotation of the internal gear oriented in a up-down direction so that shavings produced during processing by the shaving cutter can fall downwardly from the internal gear.