Plug-In Motor-Gearbox Coupling for Misalignment-Tolerant Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drive units with shaft couplings face challenges in automated assembly due to alignment and angular errors, and require significant installation space, limiting flexibility in combining different motors and transmissions.
Innovation Solution
A drive unit system featuring a clutch with a spur gear and coupling sleeve that allows for a compact, plug-in connection with play, enabling easy assembly and tolerance compensation, allowing for the combination of various motors and transmissions with different dimensions and performance data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If shaft couplings are used to connect motor and gearbox, then alignment and angular errors can be compensated to a certain extent, but automated assembly becomes hardly feasible and installation space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling element acts as an intermediary component with a standardized interface that mediates between the motor shaft and gearbox input shaft. It provides alignment error compensation while enabling automated assembly through its standardized, pre-configured connection geometry that can be automatically positioned and secured.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling element changes the geometric parameters of the connection interface by providing a standardized flange or mounting surface with predetermined hole patterns and dimensional tolerances. This standardization allows automated assembly systems to reliably position and secure the coupling without complex alignment procedures.
2Reliability
If shaft couplings are used to connect motor and gearbox, then alignment errors can be compensated, but the coupling size becomes comparatively large requiring more installation space
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling element is designed to nest efficiently with the motor and gearbox interfaces, fitting into the existing spatial envelope without requiring additional installation space. The compact design allows the coupling to be integrated within the minimal clearance between the motor shaft and gearbox input shaft.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling element optimizes its dimensional parameters by providing a standardized interface with minimized outer dimensions while maintaining sufficient alignment error compensation capability. The flange diameter, thickness, and mounting hole positions are precisely defined to achieve compact size without sacrificing alignment tolerance.
3Adaptability or versatility
If standardized interfaces are used for motor and gearbox connection, then different motors can be combined with different gearboxes, but existing couplings require complex friction-fit clamping connections
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling element serves as a standardized intermediary that simplifies the connection between motor and gearbox. It replaces complex friction-fit clamping mechanisms with a simple, pre-configured interface that may use basic fasteners or even tool-free attachment methods, reducing assembly complexity while maintaining versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling element is designed as a universal component with a standardized interface that can accommodate different motor and gearbox combinations. The same coupling design can be used across multiple applications, eliminating the need for application-specific custom couplings and simplifying inventory management.
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
Enables cost-effective, compact, and automated assembly of drive units with uniform torque transmission, reducing inventory needs and shortening delivery times by allowing flexible combinations of motors and transmissions.
Implementation Method 1
The spur gear also has spur teeth, and the clutch sleeve has internal teeth, which are configured to correspond to each other, form a plug connection
Implementation Method 2
designed such that the spur teeth can be inserted into the internal teeth without force... enabling easy assembly and tolerance compensation
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to a drive unit (1) comprising a motor (10), a gearbox (20), and a clutch (30) configured to transmit a drive torque from a shaft (11) of the motor (10) to a drive shaft (21) of the gearbox (20). The clutch (30) comprises a spur gear (31) and a clutch sleeve (32), wherein the spur gear (31) is rotationally fixed to the shaft (11) of the motor (10) and the clutch sleeve (32) is rotationally fixed to the drive shaft (21) of the gearbox (20). The spur gear (31) has spur teeth and the clutch sleeve (32) has internal teeth, which are configured to correspond to each other and form a plug connection such that the spur teeth can be inserted into the internal teeth without force. With such an interface between a motor and a gearbox, different motors can be combined with different gearboxes.