Mechanical Drive Lubrication Using Motion-Controlled Tooth Passages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drive systems with meshing tooth pairs that remain stationary for extended periods face issues with lubricant distribution, leading to wear, pitting, and tribocorrosion due to infrequent movement, making it difficult to maintain effective lubrication without complex and costly valve systems.
Innovation Solution
A lubricant distribution system where the drive element's relative movement controls the connection between a supply passage and integrated lubricant passages, allowing selective and variable lubricant supply to meshing tooth pairs, eliminating the need for complex valves and enabling lubrication of different tooth flank pairs without extensive adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a valve system is used to control lubricant supply to meshing tooth pairs, then lubrication precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the valve component from the lubrication system and replaces it with a direct lubricant passage that opens into the meshing region. This eliminates the need for complex valve mechanisms while maintaining precise lubrication control through the natural positioning of the lubricant passage opening.
Solution Approach 2:
The lubricant passage acts as an intermediary structure that directly delivers lubricant to the meshing tooth pairs without requiring valve mediation. The passage is positioned and oriented to ensure lubricant reaches the correct tooth flanks based on the drive elements' relative position.
2Reliability
If lubricant is supplied to a specific meshing tooth pair, then lubrication effectiveness is improved, but adaptability to different tooth pairs deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The lubricant passage is designed with dynamic positioning relative to the meshing region. As the drive elements move through different positions, the lubricant passage naturally aligns with different meshing tooth pairs, enabling automatic adaptation without requiring system reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes the periodic motion of the drive elements to sequentially bring different lubricant passages into alignment with the meshing region. This periodic alignment ensures that each tooth pair receives lubrication at the appropriate time in the operational cycle.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the plant is adjusted to lubricate different tooth pairs, then adaptability is improved, but construction size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lubrication system is designed with multi-functional lubricant passages that can serve different tooth pairs sequentially through the natural motion of the drive elements. This universal design eliminates the need for separate lubrication paths for each tooth pair, maintaining compact construction while achieving full adaptability.
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 ensures precise and efficient lubrication of drive elements, reducing wear and tribocorrosion while simplifying the lubrication process and maintaining a compact construction, even under changing conditions, thus enhancing the reliability and efficiency of drive systems in applications like wind turbines and construction machinery.
Implementation Method 1
a lubricating device for lubricating the drive elements, wherein at least one lubricant passage for the supply of lubricant to a meshing tooth pair is led through one of the drive elements
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a drive for reaching a desired position of a component such as of a rotor blade, a crane tower, a superstructure and the like, having at least two drive elements that are in toothed engagement with one another and of which at least one is drivable from a drive source and the other is connectable to the component, and having a lubricating device for lubricating the drive elements, wherein at least one lubricant passage for the supply of lubricant to a meshing tooth pair is led through one of the drive elements. It is proposed to effect the supply of the lubricant by a distributor that is connected upstream of the lubricant passage integrated in the drive element and to control the connection between a supply passage of the distributor and the at least one lubricant passage integrated in the drive element by a relative movement between the drive element and the distributor.