Hoisting Gear Body Drillings for Precise Rope Drum Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing hoisting machine arrangements face challenges in aligning gearwheels accurately, leading to rapid wear and increased complexity in assembly and maintenance due to the need for precise shaft alignment and additional components, which complicates the process and increases costs.

Innovation Solution

Drillings are made on the gear body to match the shafts of the driving gearwheel and rope drum, ensuring identical axial lines and correct center distances, eliminating the need for clutches and aligning work, allowing for easier assembly and reducing wear by ensuring proper tooth contact.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If traditional alignment methods with intermediate branches are used, then shaft angles and distances can be adjusted, but assembly complexity and manufacturing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly easeVSAvoidassembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the intermediate alignment branch from the system entirely. Instead of using a separate alignment component with precise surfaces, the invention integrates the alignment function directly into the gear body through drillings, eliminating the need for the intermediate branch and its associated complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines the alignment function with the gear body structure. The drillings in the gear body serve dual purposes: they define the mounting positions for the shafts and simultaneously establish the correct axial alignment and center distances, merging what were previously separate alignment and structural functions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Manufacturing precision

If precise alignment work is performed during mounting, then shaft positions can be adjusted, but assembly time and labor requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveshaft alignment precisionVSAvoidassembly time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs the alignment function during the manufacturing of the gear body itself, not during assembly. The drillings are precisely positioned and drilled in the gear body before assembly, so that when the shafts are mounted, the correct alignment and center distances are automatically achieved without requiring time-consuming adjustment work during assembly

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If additional alignment components are used, then shaft positioning can be improved, but the number of parts and procurement complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetooth contact accuracyVSAvoidnumber of components
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent eliminates the need for intermediate alignment branches and additional positioning components. The alignment function is achieved solely through the drillings in the gear body, reducing the total number of components and simplifying the supply chain while maintaining reliable tooth contact between gearwheels

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3102528B1Hoisting machine arrangement and method for preparing gear thereof
Publication Date: 2021.11.17 KONECRANES GLOBAL OY
  • EP3102528B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3102528B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3102528B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a hoisting machine arrangement (1) comprising a rope drum (2), which has a driven gearwheel (3); a hoisting motor for driving the rope drum; and a gear (5) between the hoisting motor (4) and the rope drum, the gear having a body (6) and a driving gearwheel (7), the driving gearwheel (7) of the gear (5) being coupled to the driven gearwheel (3) of the rope drum (2). The body (6) of the gear has a first drilling (8), which is arranged for fitting a shaft (9) of the driving gearwheel (7); and a second drilling (10), which is parallel to the first drilling (8) and arranged for fitting a shaft of the rope drum (2) or the like (11). The invention also relates to a method for preparing a gear of a hoisting machine arrangement (1 ) of this type.