Polygon Elastomer Track for Quieter Engine Toothed Wheels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional toothed wheels for internal combustion engines experience damage and noise due to non-uniform penetration of chain link plates on corrugated elastomer tracks, leading to suboptimal noise damping and reduced service life.
Innovation Solution
The elastomer track is designed as a regular polygon on the outer circumferential side, matching the number of teeth, with straight sides for uniform chain link plate overlap, minimizing excessive wear and noise generation, and optimized with hydrated acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) for enhanced robustness and damping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If a corrugated elastomer track is used, then noise damping is improved, but non-uniform chain link plate penetration causes damage and reduces service life
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomer track is designed with a curved profile featuring alternating corrugation peaks and troughs instead of straight lines. This curvature allows the chain link plate to penetrate uniformly through the elastomer material, preventing damage while maintaining noise damping effectiveness. The curved geometry distributes contact forces evenly across the chain link plate surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomer track has varying local properties through its corrugated structure, with peaks and troughs creating different contact zones. The corrugation peaks provide primary contact points while troughs allow controlled penetration, creating localized zones of different stiffness and damping characteristics that collectively reduce noise without compromising reliability.
2Ease of manufacture
If the elastomer track is made straight, then manufacturing is simplified, but noise damping effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomer track incorporates a corrugated curved profile with alternating peaks and troughs that wrap around the toothed wheel. This curved geometry is essential for effective noise damping as it allows the chain to engage smoothly while absorbing impact forces. The curvature is maintained consistently through the elastomer formulation and molding process.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomer track features a periodic corrugated pattern with regularly spaced peaks and troughs that correspond to the tooth spacing. This periodic structure creates consistent damping characteristics throughout the track, with each corrugation cycle absorbing noise energy in a predictable manner, while the pattern repeats uniformly around the entire toothed wheel circumference.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the elastomer track profile does not match the tooth system, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but form-fitting interaction is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomer track serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides noise damping, guides chain engagement, and complements the tooth system geometry. The corrugated profile is designed to work universally with standard toothed wheel configurations, providing form-fitting interaction while maintaining adaptability to different chain and tooth configurations through consistent geometric relationships.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomer track profile is asymmetric in its cross-sectional shape, with the corrugation peaks and troughs creating an irregular pattern that specifically complements the symmetric tooth geometry. This asymmetric profile ensures proper form-fitting engagement by matching the asymmetric contact forces generated during chain-tooth interaction, while the overall pattern maintains rotational symmetry around the wheel.
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 ensures uniform chain overlap, reduces noise, extends elastomer track life, and effectively dampens chain impact, resulting in improved robustness and noise behavior of the toothed wheel.
Implementation Method 1
at least one elastomer track which adjoins the tooth system in the axial direction... the elastomer track makes it possible for excess striking of the chain on the toothed wheel to be damped if the chain runs into the chain track. The generation of noise can be reduced as a result.
Implementation Method 2
The elastomer track makes it possible for excess striking of the chain on the toothed wheel to be damped if the chain runs into the chain track. The generation of noise can be reduced as a result.
Data Source
AI summary
A toothed wheel system for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle is provided. The least one tooth system has a plurality of teeth that follow one another in the circumferential direction of the gear wheel, and at least one elastomer track adjoining the tooth system in the axial direction. The elastomer track is formed as a regular polygon on the outer circumferential side. The number of sides of the polygon correspond to the number of teeth.