High Misalignment Wheel Drive Spline Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In automotive rear axle assemblies, especially in racing applications, existing technologies face challenges in achieving effective and durable power transmission between a driven axle shaft and a wheel hub when the wheel hub rotates about a different axis than the axle shaft, leading to issues with traction and wheel alignment.
Innovation Solution
A high misalignment wheel drive assembly that incorporates a spline drive system with an external crown spline and a drive plate, allowing rotational engagement between the axle shaft and wheel hub at an angle α, while maintaining a lubricant reservoir for superior lubrication and including thrust faces for axial retention and sliding motion accommodation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the wheel hub is mounted at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to the axle shaft to improve traction, then wheel alignment and traction are improved, but power transmission reliability deteriorates due to misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the mounting angle parameter of the wheel hub from the conventional perpendicular (90°) to a non-perpendicular angle (α ≠ 90°), allowing optimization of wheel alignment and traction while the universal joint compensates for the resulting misalignment to maintain power transmission reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The universal joint acts as an intermediary element between the axle shaft and wheel hub, accommodating the angular misalignment caused by non-perpendicular mounting while ensuring continuous and reliable power transmission, thus resolving the conflict between improved wheel alignment and maintained power transmission reliability
2Reliability
If a universal joint is used to accommodate angular misalignment, then power transmission is maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The universal joint introduces dynamic capability to the drive assembly, allowing it to adapt to varying angular misalignments during operation, which maintains power transmission reliability while the modular design keeps the added complexity manageable
3Adaptability or versatility
If the spline drive allows rotational engagement at an angle, then wheel alignment flexibility is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the mounting angle parameter from fixed perpendicular to variable non-perpendicular angles, and the spline drive design with crown spline geometry is specifically engineered to accommodate these angular variations while maintaining adequate manufacturing precision standards
Data Source
AI summary
A high misalignment wheel drive includes a spline drive with external crown spline for rotation around an axis of the axle shaft and a drive plate for rotation about a drive plate axis, the drive plate including an internal spline for engaging the external crown spline in a pivotable splined connection to allow the spline drive to rotationally drive the drive plate while the drive plate axis is non-aligned with respect to the axle axis by up to an angle α. First and second thrust faces are positioned with respect to the spline drive to rotate with the spline drive and define the angle α between which third and fourth thrust faces, positioned with respect to the drive plate to rotate with the drive plate and for engaging the first and second thrust faces respectively, can move.