Polymer-Coated Metal Worm Gear Teeth for Torque and NVH
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional worm gear designs with plastic teeth face durability limitations as customer demand for output torque increases, necessitating a more robust gear solution that maintains noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) performance.
Innovation Solution
A metallic gear hub with smaller metallic gear teeth that are co-planar or non-orthogonal to the axis, coated with a polymer layer to form the final gear teeth size, using methods such as blasting, priming, and dipping in a fluidized bed of polymer powder to create a robust and durable gear assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If plastic teeth are used in conventional worm gear designs, then noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) performance is improved, but durability and torque-carrying capacity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining a metallic core structure with a polymer outer layer. The metallic core (steel or aluminum) provides the necessary strength and durability for high torque applications, while the polymer layer maintains NVH performance by reducing noise and vibration. This composite construction resolves the contradiction between durability and NVH performance by integrating the advantages of both material types into a single gear component.
2Reliability
If metallic teeth are used to increase torque-carrying capacity, then durability is improved, but noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials with a metallic core and polymer coating to simultaneously achieve high durability and low NVH. The metallic core provides the structural strength for torque transmission, while the polymer layer acts as a damping material that reduces noise and vibration generation, thus resolving the trade-off between durability and NVH performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by giving different parts of the gear different material properties. The core structure uses metallic material for strength and load-bearing capacity, while the outer surface uses polymer material for noise reduction and vibration damping. This localized differentiation of material properties allows the gear to optimize both durability and NVH performance in their respective functional zones.
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
The solution enhances the torque-carrying capacity and durability of the gear while maintaining satisfactory NVH performance by combining the robustness of metallic teeth with a polymer exterior, providing redundancy in case of polymer failure.
Implementation Method 1
dipping the metallic gear teeth in a fluidized bed of polymer powder and forming a polymer coating on the metallic gear teeth
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of a system, method and apparatus for a gear are disclosed. For example, a metallic gear hub can include an axis of rotation and metallic gear teeth. The metallic gear teeth can be smaller than a final gear teeth size of the gear. The metallic gear teeth can be co-planar with the axis. In addition, the metallic gear teeth can be non-orthogonal to the axis. A polymer layer can be located on the metallic gear teeth to form polymer gear teeth on the metallic gear teeth. The polymer gear teeth can form the final gear teeth size of the gear.