Radial Gear Tooth Mounting With Articulated Bearing Segments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gear mechanisms experience undesirable wear and complex installation due to axial mounting of bearing segments, particularly in gear mechanisms with radially displaceable teeth and profiling drive input elements.
Innovation Solution
A gear mechanism design featuring radially displaceable teeth mounted on a tooth carrier with bearing segments that include a cylindrical bead for articulated mounting, allowing for pivoting of teeth relative to the bearing segments while maintaining axial support through a holding ring, which reduces wear and simplifies installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If thrust washers are inserted to the side of the bearing segments for axial mounting, then the bearing segments can be axially mounted, but undesirable wear occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a holding ring as an intermediary component between the bearing segment and the tooth carrier. The holding ring features a bearing surface that provides axial support for the bearing segment, eliminating the need for thrust washers. This intermediary element transfers axial loads through its own bearing surface, preventing direct contact and wear between the bearing segment and tooth carrier, thereby resolving the contradiction between axial mounting capability and wear resistance.
2Stability of the object's composition
If teeth are rigidly mounted in the tooth carrier, then structural stability is improved, but friction resistance and wear increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic mounting solution where teeth are articulated on the bearing segments rather than rigidly fixed. The bearing segments can pivot slightly, allowing the teeth to adapt to load variations and misalignments. This dynamic capability reduces friction and wear by enabling micro-adjustments that prevent binding, while the overall structural stability is maintained through the constrained pivot motion and proper positioning of the bearing segments in the tooth carrier.
3Reliability
If complex mounting arrangements are used for bearing segments, then axial support is achieved, but installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the axial support function from the tooth carrier structure and consolidates it into a separate holding ring component. The holding ring is designed with an inner circumference that fits onto the outer circumference of the bearing segment, and its bearing surface provides the necessary axial support. This separation of functions simplifies the overall assembly, as the holding ring can be independently manufactured and installed, reducing installation complexity while maintaining reliable axial support.
Data Source
AI summary
Gear mechanism (1) having a toothing (5), a tooth carrier (11) accommodating a plurality of teeth (7) for engagement with the toothing, the teeth (7) being radially displaceable relative to the tooth carrier (11), a drive input with a profiling (22) for radially driving the teeth (7), and bearing segments (24) for mounting the teeth on the profiling. Each bearing segment includes a running side oriented in the direction of the profiling and a bearing side opposite the running side, a tooth bearing arranged on the bearing side for articulated mounting of at least one of the teeth, the tooth bearing including a bead which is at least substantially in the shape of a cylinder section and arranged from a first side edge to a second side edge of the bearing segment transverse to a running direction of the bearing segment. The bead is in a central region between the first and second side edges and has a first and/or second recess on a first and/or second side of the central region.