Grease Nozzle with Protruding Wall for Worm Wheel Lubrication

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing nozzle designs fail to uniformly apply high-viscosity grease into concave portions of gear components, such as worm wheels, leading to inefficiencies and potential contamination from excess grease.

Innovation Solution

A nozzle with a discharge port and a grease-pushing surface that rakes and levels the grease as it is applied, combined with a protruding wall to prevent excess grease from moving rearward, ensuring uniform distribution and preventing contamination.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If high-viscosity grease is discharged towards the concave-convex part, then the grease can be applied to the surface, but the grease cannot be sufficiently pushed into the concave portions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegrease application uniformityVSAvoidgrease penetration into concave portions
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The nozzle tip is segmented into distinct functional zones: a discharge port for grease ejection, a grease-pushing surface part for forward propulsion, and a protruding wall part for containment. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function optimally, ensuring grease is pushed into concave portions while preventing excess grease from moving rearward.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the nozzle tip are given different local qualities and geometries. The grease-pushing surface part has a specific orientation and shape designed to push grease forward into concave portions, while the protruding wall part has a geometry that prevents rearward movement of excess grease. This local differentiation solves the contradiction by optimizing each region for its specific purpose.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If grease is applied to the concave-convex part, then lubrication is achieved, but excess grease causes contamination of the member and application device

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelubrication effectivenessVSAvoidcontamination from excess grease
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The protruding wall part is positioned to preemptively block and contain excess grease before it can move rearward and cause contamination. This preliminary anti-action prevents the harmful effect of grease accumulation on the application device and member surfaces while allowing sufficient grease to penetrate concave portions for effective lubrication.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

3Productivity

If the discharge port is brought close to the concave-convex part, then grease application efficiency is improved, but uniform distribution of grease becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegrease application efficiencyVSAvoidgrease distribution uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The grease-pushing surface part extends in the rotational direction of the member, creating a dimensional advantage that allows uniform distribution of grease across the concave-convex part. This dimensional extension enables the nozzle to efficiently apply grease while maintaining uniform distribution, resolving the contradiction between application efficiency and distribution uniformity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP3260753B1Nozzle for grease application
Publication Date: 2020.03.04 NSK LTD
  • EP3260753B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3260753B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3260753B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In the distal end surface of a body part (13), a protruding part (16) is provided to a portion that is forward in the rotational direction of a worm wheel (2) from a discharge port, and the distal end surface of the protruding part (16) is provided with a grease-pressing surface part (17) for pressing grease (1) into the concave parts of worm wheel teeth (3) while spreading the grease over the worm wheel teeth (3) so that the grease is substantially uniform in the width direction and circumferential direction. Alternatively, in the distal end surface of the body part (13), a protruding wall part (18) for preventing the grease (1) from moving rearward in the rotational direction of the worm wheel (2) is provided to the portion that is rearward in the rotational direction of the worm wheel (2) from the discharge port.