Plate Cylinder Helical Gear Rollers for Backlash and Wear Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The relative rotational angle between the drive gear and the anti-backlash gear in printing machines causes friction, leading to wear and cancellation of the biasing force from springs, which hinders the prevention of backlash between the gears.
Innovation Solution
A plate with rollers is introduced between the drive helical gear and the anti-backlash helical gear, reducing friction and supporting relative rotation, while the biasing force from springs keeps the anti-backlash gear aligned with the main gear to prevent backlash, using a simple bearing system with rollers that contact the gears without sliding, reducing wear and supporting load with line contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the anti-backlash gear is biased by springs to prevent backlash, then the backlash prevention is improved, but friction between the gears causes wear and cancels the biasing force
Solution Approach 1:
A plate with rollers is introduced as an intermediary component between the drive helical gear and the anti-backlash helical gear. The rollers act as mediators that support the relative rotation between the two gears, reducing direct friction contact while maintaining the biasing force from springs for backlash prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the direct mechanical contact between helical gears with a roller-based support system. The rollers, made of hard materials or ceramics, substitute for the direct gear-to-gear friction contact, reducing wear while maintaining the mechanical function of backlash prevention.
2Reliability
If the anti-backlash gear is biased by springs to prevent backlash, then the backlash prevention is improved, but friction cancels the biasing force from the springs
Solution Approach 1:
The plate with rollers serves as an intermediary that reduces friction between the drive gear and anti-backlash gear. By minimizing friction, the biasing force from the springs is preserved and not canceled out, maintaining effective backlash prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The roller support system replaces the direct friction-based mechanical contact, substituting it with a low-friction rolling contact. This substitution preserves the spring biasing force by eliminating the friction that would otherwise cancel it out.
3Device complexity
If normal bearings are used, then the structure becomes complex, but a simple bearing system is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing function is segmented into a simple plate structure with holes accommodating rollers. Instead of using a complex integrated bearing, the solution divides the rotation support function into discrete rollers that can be easily manufactured and assembled into a simple plate.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a simple plate with rollers instead of expensive, complex normal bearings. The simple bearing structure is easier to manufacture, maintain, and replace if needed, while still providing reliable rotation support for the anti-backlash gear.
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 effectively reduces gear wear and maintains the biasing force, ensuring accurate stopping of the drive shaft without backlash, even at elevated temperatures, by using self-lubricating synthetic resin and hard material rollers.
Implementation Method 1
an anti-backlash helical gear which is rotatably connected to the drive shaft and is biased by at least a spring towards a direction for preventing backlash
Implementation Method 2
the relative rotation between the two helical gears is supported by the rollers in the plate. Therefore, the friction between the gears is reduced
Implementation Method 3
A plate made of self-lubricating synthetic resin is further preferable
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Plate cylinder driving devices of a printing machine are provided with a drive shaft driving the plate cylinder, a drive helical gear fixed to the drive shaft, and an anti-backlash helical gear rotatably connected to the drive shaft and is biased by at least a spring towards a direction for preventing backlash. Both the drive helical gear and the anti-backlash helical gear are engaged with the main gear, and a plate provided with plural holes accommodating rollers is provided between the drive helical gear and the anti-backlash helical gear. Friction between the anti-backlash gear and the drive gear is reduced by a simple mechanism in the plate cylinder driving devices in a printing machine.