Planetary Gear Contact Guide to Reduce Drive Load Friction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing pendulum gear mechanism in gear transmission devices experiences a constant friction force from a coil spring, which affects the drive load and can lead to inefficiencies and increased power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A gear transmission device is designed with a sun gear, driven gear, planetary gear, and a contact member that moves between meshing and farthest positions, utilizing guides to manage the contact member's position and reduce friction, allowing the planetary gear to move smoothly between these positions, thereby minimizing the drive load.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a coil spring is used to maintain contact between the mounting plate and pendulum gear, then the pendulum gear can move in the rotation direction of the drive gear, but a constant friction force is always exerted on the pendulum gear which increases the drive load
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the coil spring from the system and replaces it with a gravity-based mechanism. The planetary gear's own weight creates the necessary contact force with the driven gear, eliminating the constant friction force that the coil spring imposed on the drive load.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the elastic mechanical system (coil spring) with a gravitational mechanical system. Instead of using spring force to maintain contact, the system uses the gravitational force acting on the planetary gear to achieve the same functional outcome without the harmful friction side effect.
2Reliability
If a coil spring is used to maintain contact between the mounting plate and pendulum gear, then the gear mechanism can function, but the constant friction force leads to increased power consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The coil spring is extracted from the system and replaced with a gravity-based contact mechanism. The planetary gear's weight provides sufficient contact force to maintain gear engagement, eliminating the energy-wasting friction caused by the spring while preserving the mechanism's reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of gravity (which could cause excessive contact force) into a beneficial outcome. By allowing the planetary gear's weight to provide the contact force, the system eliminates the need for a coil spring and its associated friction, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining reliable operation.
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 configuration reduces the drive load and friction, enhancing the efficiency of the gear transmission device and reducing noise and power consumption, while also simplifying assembly and operation.
Implementation Method 1
a planetary gear supported by the frame rotatably about a second axis and movably around the sun gear between a meshing position and a farthest position, the planetary gear at the meshing position is in mesh with the driven gear
Implementation Method 2
A friction force exerted, by the coil spring, between the mounting plate and the pendulum gear allows the pendulum gear to move in a rotation direction of the drive gear
Data Source
AI summary
A gear transmission device includes a frame, a sun gear, a driven gear, a planetary gear, a contact member, and a guide. The guide guides the contact member as described below. When the planetary gear is at a meshing position, a first tooth portion and a first contact portion of the contact member are away from the planetary gear. When the planetary gear is at a farthest position, the first contact portion is in contact with the planetary gear and the first tooth portion is away from the planetary gear. When the planetary gear is between the meshing position and the farthest position, the first tooth portion moves in mesh with the planetary gear in a direction opposite to a moving direction of the planetary gear around the sun gear, and the first contact portion is switched between a state in contact with the planetary gear and a state away from the planetary gear.