Gearless Speed Reducer Using Tilted Shafts and Ball Bearings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional gear-based speed reducers face challenges in achieving precise machining and suffer from inaccuracies due to play between gears, making them unsuitable for applications requiring precise positioning, such as jewelry making and circuit board operations.
Innovation Solution
A gearless speed reducer system using an input and output shaft with external and internal races and loosely disposed ball bearings, where the shafts are tilted to form pockets that hold the balls in place, allowing rotation of one shaft to cause the other to rotate at a different speed without slippage, with the speed ratio determined by the diameter difference of the races.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional gear-based speed reducers are used, then speed reduction or increase is achieved, but manufacturing precision and positioning accuracy deteriorate due to play between gears
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the gears from the speed reduction system, replacing the traditional gear-based mechanism with a direct shaft connection system that uses tilted shafts and ball bearings to achieve speed reduction without gear play, thereby eliminating the source of positioning inaccuracies
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs ball bearings as spherical elements to facilitate smooth rotation and reduce friction between the tilted shafts, allowing for precise motion transmission without the sliding contact and play associated with traditional gear teeth
2Manufacturing precision
If gears with no play are manufactured, then positioning accuracy improves, but manufacturing complexity and difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes gears entirely from the system, replacing the complex precision gear manufacturing process with a simpler mechanism using tilted shafts and standard ball bearings, thereby eliminating the need for difficult precision gear machining while maintaining positioning accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental operating parameters from gear tooth engagement to ball bearing rotation between tilted shafts, allowing for acceptable manufacturing tolerances in the shafts and races while achieving the same speed reduction function with much lower manufacturing complexity
3Ease of manufacture
If gearless speed reducer with tilted shafts is used, then manufacturing simplicity and durability improve, but device complexity increases due to shaft tilting mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the speed reduction function with the shaft tilting arrangement, where the tilting of the shafts relative to each other inherently creates the speed reduction ratio through the geometry of the ball bearing contact paths, combining multiple functions into a unified simple structure
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses the spherical geometry of ball bearings to simplify the shaft tilting mechanism, where the balls naturally accommodate the tilted shaft configuration and transmit motion smoothly, reducing the complexity of the tilting mechanism compared to traditional mechanical linkages
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 solution achieves precise rotational motion transmission with minimal play, reducing wear and manufacturing complexity, making it ideal for applications requiring accurate positioning while being simpler and more durable than traditional gear systems.
Implementation Method 1
Two ball bearings are loosely disposed between the races. After the ball bearings have been inserted, the shafts are tilted relative to each other to form a pocket for the balls so that the balls are held in place
Implementation Method 2
Rotating one of the shafts thus rotates the other shaft, since the balls do not slip when they are confined within the pocket between the races
Data Source
AI summary
A gearless speed reducer or increaser consists of an input shaft, an output shaft, and a motor connected to the input shaft. There is an external race connected to one of the shafts, and an internal race attached to the other shaft. Two ball bearings are disposed between the races and held in place by a finger assist. After the ball bearings have been inserted, the shafts are tilted relative to each other so that the balls become fixed in pockets created between the races and cannot slide within the races.