Link Plate Guide Surface Geometry for Low Friction and Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing link plates in power transmission mechanisms face challenges in balancing low friction resistance, surface pressure, and tensile strength, with designs being inflexible and costly due to variations in lubricating oil viscosity and temperature, and requiring increased height for strength around connection holes.
Innovation Solution
A link plate design featuring a flat guide-side end surface with extending end surface portions that converge towards the connection holes' line, maintaining low surface pressure and friction while ensuring tensile strength, and allowing for easy production and versatility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the guide-side end surface is made entirely convexly curved to reduce friction resistance, then friction resistance decreases, but surface pressure increases causing wear marks and wear powder
Solution Approach 1:
The guide-side end surface is divided into three distinct regions with different geometries: a large-radius convexly curved portion (R1) at the leading end for friction reduction, a flat portion (R2) in the middle to control surface pressure, and a small-radius convexly curved portion (R3) at the trailing end. Each region performs a specific function, allowing the surface to simultaneously reduce friction and control surface pressure distribution.
2Strength
If the maximum height of the link plate is increased to enhance plate strength around connection holes, then tensile strength increases, but the height becomes larger than necessary
Solution Approach 1:
The guide-side end surface utilizes convexly curved portions with specific radii (R1 and R3) to distribute stresses more effectively. The curvature allows the plate to maintain adequate strength around connection holes while reducing the overall maximum height compared to entirely flat designs, as the curved geometry provides structural efficiency.
3Loss of energy
If different link plate designs are created for different lubricating oil environments and guide member conditions, then friction resistance and surface pressure are optimized, but production cost increases and versatility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The link plate design with the three-region guide-side end surface configuration serves multiple functions simultaneously: it reduces friction resistance, controls surface pressure distribution, maintains plate strength, and works effectively across varying lubricating oil conditions and guide member surface conditions. This universal design eliminates the need for multiple specialized designs for different applications.
Data Source
AI summary
To provide a versatile and easy-to-produce link plate that can reduce frictional resistance and keep surface pressure low while maintaining a small height of a guide-side end surface, and can secure a tensile strength, and a chain. The guide-side end surface of the link plate is made up of a flat portion formed by a flat surface parallel to a line connecting centers of connection holes at leading and trailing ends, and both end surface portions on both ends in the chain longitudinal direction of the flat portion. The both end surface portions are formed to come closer to the line connecting the centers of the leading-end and trailing-end connection holes as the both end surface portions extend further from the flat portion.