Elastic Tooth-Surface Gear Damping for Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gear technologies that incorporate dampers to reduce noise often result in complex gear structures and the need for larger gear sizes, compromising versatility.
Innovation Solution
A gear design that includes a metal gear body with a damper unit covering at least the meshing surface of each tooth, utilizing an elastic body such as a rubber layer, which can be applied as a rubber glue that dries and may be vulcanized, or as a damper member with metal thin plates and rubber layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a damper is incorporated into a gear body, then noise reduction is achieved, but the gear structure becomes complicated and the gear size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The damper function is segmented from the gear body and implemented as separate damper units that are attached to individual teeth or tooth groups. This segmentation allows the noise reduction function to be added without complicating the overall gear structure, as the dampers can be independently installed and removed.
Solution Approach 2:
The damper units are designed to fit within the existing gear tooth structure, with rubber layers nested between metal thin plates that are attached to the tooth surfaces. This nesting approach allows the damper to be integrated into the gear without significantly increasing the external dimensions or complicating the gear body structure.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a damper is incorporated into a gear body, then noise reduction is achieved, but the gear size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The damper units are applied locally only to the meshing surfaces of the teeth where noise generation occurs, rather than incorporating a damper throughout the entire gear body. This localized approach provides effective noise reduction at the critical interfaces while minimizing the overall volume increase of the gear.
Solution Approach 2:
The damper units utilize thin rubber layers between metal plates, which provide effective damping in a minimal thickness. This thin-film approach allows noise reduction without significantly increasing the gear size, as the rubber layers are applied as thin coatings on the tooth surfaces.
3Device complexity
If rubber glue is applied to the meshing surface, then the damper unit configuration is simple, but the rubber layer must be precisely applied to the surface
Solution Approach 1:
The metal thin plates are designed with specific geometric parameters including inclined surfaces and positioning protrusions that guide the rubber glue application. By optimizing these parameters, the rubber layer can be applied with adequate tolerance without requiring extremely high precision, while still achieving proper adhesion and damping performance.
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 configuration effectively reduces noise by absorbing shock during gear meshing while maintaining a simple gear structure, thus offering excellent versatility and preventing the need for gear upsizing.
Implementation Method 1
a damper unit that is provided to cover at least a meshing surface of each of teeth in the gear body and has a surface made of an elastic body
Implementation Method 2
the damper unit may be a rubber layer provided on a surface of the meshing surface
Implementation Method 3
The damper unit may be the rubber layer formed by applying rubber glue to the meshing surface and then allowing the rubber glue to dry. The damper unit may suitably be the rubber layer formed by applying rubber glue to the meshing surface, allowing the rubber glue to dry, and then vulcanizing the rubber glue through heating.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a gear and a gear damper that enable noise reduction and offer excellent versatility. A gear includes: a metal gear body; and a damper unit that is provided to cover at least a meshing surface of each of teeth in the gear body and has a surface made of an elastic body. As a result, the gear enables noise reduction and offers excellent versatility.