Gearbox Service Port Coupling With Locking Plunger Oil Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oil change processes for gearboxes are messy, slow, and risky, with conventional plugs leading to oil spills and potential damage to machinery, and direct screwing of fluid couplings poses risks of dislodgement and oil loss.
Innovation Solution
A service tool with a coupling arrangement and locking actuator that securely attaches to a gearbox port, allowing controlled fluid flow through a plunger actuator, preventing axial movement and rotation, and featuring a key member for guided movement, ensuring safe and clean fluid transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional threaded plugs are used for oil removal, then the sealing is effective and the plug is inexpensive, but the oil change process is messy and slow relying on gravity
Solution Approach 1:
The service tool uses hydraulic pressure to force oil out of the gearbox rapidly through a controlled connection to the service port receiver, eliminating the need for gravity-dependent slow drainage and enabling fast oil changes without mess
2Reliability
If conventional threaded plugs are used for oil removal, then the sealing is effective, but the oil must be collected in a reservoir which may not be easy to place under the port, leading to waste oil running over machinery and floor
Solution Approach 1:
The service tool establishes a direct hydraulic connection between the gearbox service port and the fluid conduit, allowing oil to be forced out through a controlled pathway that can be directed to appropriate containment, eliminating uncontrolled running oil and spill hazards
3Ease of operation
If operators directly screw a standard fluid coupling receiver into a wheel hub with mismatched thread, then the oil change can be performed, but the exposed receiver poses a risk of impact and dislodgement during normal operation
Solution Approach 1:
The service tool uses a dynamic locking mechanism where the locking actuator moves between locked and unlocked positions, with the locking member engaging with the service port receiver to prevent rotation and axial movement during operation, then disengaging to allow removal when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The service tool acts as an intermediary between the service port receiver and the fluid conduit, with the coupling arrangement providing a stable, protected connection that prevents direct exposure of the receiver to impact risks while maintaining service access
4Reliability
If the locking actuator prevents rotation of the coupling arrangement, then the engaged position is retained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: the locking actuator for rotational prevention, the locking member for engagement, and the key member for axial guidance, allowing each to perform its specific function independently and simplifying the overall design
5Productivity
If the plunger actuator is slidably coupled to the coupling arrangement for opening the check valve, then the fluid flow control is precise, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The plunger actuator combines multiple functions into a single component: it provides the sliding motion to open the check valve, forms part of the fluid pathway structure, and works with the key member for guided movement, reducing the need for separate components and simplifying the overall design
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3A
AI summary
The present invention is broadly directed to a service tool 10 designed for releasable coupling to a service port receiver 12 connected to a service port 14 associated with a gearbox. The service tool 10 broadly comprises: 1. a coupling arrangement 18 for releasably coupling to the service port receiver 12, the coupling arrangement 18 configured for rotational movement about said receiver 12 between a released position and an engaged position; 2. a locking actuator 20 operatively coupled to the coupling arrangement 18 and arranged for axial movement between a locked position and an unlocked position relative to the service port receiver 12; 3. a plunger actuator 24 adapted for connection to the fluid conduit, the plunger actuator 24 slidably coupled to the coupling arrangement 18 for movement between open and closed positions where in the open position, with the coupling arrangement 18 in the engaged position and the locking actuator 20 in the locked position, the plunger actuator 24 is adapted to contact a check valve 30 of the service port receiver 12 and open it thereby permitting fluid flow between the gearbox and the fluid conduit via a fluid pathway 31 formed at least in part by the plunger actuator 24.