Rotatable Drive Connection Reducing Chatter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible driveshafts in rotatable drive connections often experience chatter due to looseness between non-circular end portions and sockets, leading to noise and vibration, and existing solutions to reduce chatter increase manufacturing and assembly costs.
Innovation Solution
A rotatable drive connection design featuring a first component with a plurality of corners and a second component with a smaller end portion having a plurality of edges, where at least one edge is biased into engagement with a corner throughout rotation, reducing lateral movement and torsional deflection without increasing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a coating or clip is applied onto the end portion of the flexible driveshaft to reduce looseness, then chatter is reduced, but manufacturing and assembly costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by providing either the aperture or the end portion with non-circular cross-sectional shapes (such as square, rectangular, or other polygonal shapes). This asymmetric geometry creates natural engagement between corners and edges, eliminating the need for additional coatings or clips while reducing chatter. The non-circular shapes ensure that at least one corner of the aperture engages with at least one edge of the end portion throughout rotation, providing inherent chatter reduction.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a twist or helix is provided along the end portion to reduce looseness, then chatter is reduced, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses simple non-circular cross-sectional shapes (square, rectangular, or polygonal) instead of complex twists or helices. This asymmetric geometry achieves the same chatter reduction effect through corner-to-edge engagement while maintaining simple, easy-to-manufacture structures. The end portion and aperture are formed with straightforward geometric shapes that can be easily produced using conventional manufacturing processes.
3Ease of manufacture
If the hollow socket is made larger than the end portion to accommodate manufacturing tolerances, then assembly is easier, but looseness and chatter increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by using non-circular cross-sectional shapes for both the aperture and end portion. The asymmetric geometry (such as square or rectangular shapes) creates specific corner-to-edge engagement points that eliminate looseness even when the aperture is larger than the end portion. This allows manufacturing tolerances to be accommodated while preventing chatter through the geometric engagement of corners with edges during rotation.
Data Source
AI summary
A rotatable drive connection is provided for transmitting torque. The connection includes a first component having an aperture with a plurality of corners. The connection further includes a second component having an end portion with a plurality of edges. The end portion of the second component is smaller than the aperture of the first component. The end portion of the second component is disposed within the aperture of the first component such that at least one of the edges of the end portion is always biased into engagement with at least one of the corners of the aperture throughout a full rotation of the first and second components.