Modular Precision Gearbox for Centric and Eccentric Drive Input
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Solution Overview
Problem
High precision gear boxes face increased complexity and inefficiency when switching between centric and eccentric motor positions, often requiring structural changes and additional components, leading to power loss and increased part count.
Innovation Solution
A modular high precision gear box arrangement comprising a first and second gear box with double planet stages, allowing for both centric and eccentric input drives with minimal changes, utilizing a shared main gear module and adaptable planet shaft configurations to maintain efficiency and reduce complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the gear box structure is changed to accommodate eccentric motor positioning, then the gear box can be driven eccentrically, but the structure complexity increases and requires more parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal input stage design that can accommodate both centric and eccentric motor positioning through a single configurable architecture. The input pinion can be positioned centrally or eccentrically relative to the sun wheel, and the carrier can be configured to receive planet shafts in different arrangements, allowing the same basic structure to serve multiple drive configurations without requiring fundamental structural changes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic configurability in the planet shaft arrangement, where the carrier can be designed to accommodate planet shafts in different positions and configurations. This allows the system to adapt between centric and eccentric drives by reconfiguring the planet shaft locations rather than requiring completely different structural designs for each drive type
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional gear stages or components are added to enable eccentric drive, then eccentric positioning is achieved, but power loss increases due to additional gear teeth contacts and bearings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the gear box into distinct functional modules: an input stage with sun wheel and planet shafts, a double planet stage with first and second planets, and a hollow wheel stage. This modular segmentation allows the system to achieve eccentric drive capability through selective configuration of these segments rather than adding unnecessary components throughout the entire system, thereby minimizing power loss from extraneous gear contacts
3Adaptability or versatility
If the input stage complexity is increased to accommodate eccentric motor positioning, then eccentric drive is enabled, but the number of parts increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the eccentric drive capability into the existing centric drive architecture by integrating the eccentric positioning option within the same input stage components. The sun wheel, planet shafts, and carrier form an integrated assembly that can accommodate both centric and eccentric configurations without requiring separate complete input stages, thereby reducing the total number of parts compared to having distinct designs for each drive type
Data Source
AI summary
A modular high precision gear box arrangement includes first and second gear boxes. The first gear box has a first rotatable hollow wheel, a second fixed hollow wheel and at least one double planet having a first planet and a second planet arranged on a planet shaft. The first planet meshes with the first hollow wheel, the second planet meshes with the second hollow wheel, and the first hollow wheel is coupled with an output. The second gear box includes a fixed hollow wheel that is the second hollow wheel of the first gear box and at least one planet that is the second planet of the at least one double planet of the first gear box. The second gear box further includes an input for driving the planet shaft, wherein the input is arranged centrically or eccentrically to a central rotation axis of the gear box arrangement.