Segmented Helical Gear Structure for Low-Noise Torque Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional segmented gears with straight toothing face challenges in minimizing noise during engagement due to the risk of broken teeth and inefficient force transmission, leading to increased noise and vibration.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a gear with helical toothing, where each segment features a toothing section connected via first and second webs and connecting sections, with axial and radial clearances, allowing for low-noise torque transmission by focusing force transmission on contact faces and minimizing direct contact between toothing sections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a segmented gear with straight toothing is used, then the gear can be manufactured with simpler processes, but noise and vibration increase during engagement
Solution Approach 1:
The gear is divided into multiple segments that can be manufactured separately and assembled together. Each segment contains a portion of the helical toothing, allowing the gear to achieve low-noise operation through helical engagement while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through modular production. The segments are connected via connecting sections with controlled clearances to enable proper force transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements helical toothing with curved tooth profiles instead of straight lines. The helical configuration allows gradual engagement of teeth along the helix angle, distributing contact forces over multiple teeth simultaneously. This curved geometry reduces impact loads and noise while maintaining the segmented structure for ease of manufacture.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If helical toothing is implemented on segmented gears, then noise transmission between segments increases, but load-bearing capacity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting sections between segments have different properties in different directions: they provide rigid contact in the circumferential direction to prevent noise transmission, while maintaining controlled clearances in radial and axial directions to allow thermal expansion and reduce stress. This anisotropic design optimizes both noise reduction and load-bearing capacity locally at each connection point.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent carefully controls the clearance parameters between segments, specifying that clearances in radial and axial directions should be larger than in the circumferential direction. By adjusting these dimensional parameters, the design achieves optimal balance between preventing noise transmission through rigid circumferential contact and accommodating thermal effects through larger radial and axial clearances.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If segments are connected with tight tolerances to reduce clearances, then noise transmission decreases, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Different clearance tolerances are specified for different directions: circumferential clearances are minimized to reduce noise transmission, while radial and axial clearances are intentionally larger to accommodate manufacturing variations and thermal expansion. This directional differentiation of tolerance requirements reduces overall manufacturing difficulty while maintaining noise reduction performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The gear is segmented to allow independent manufacturing of each section with standard tolerances. The connecting sections are designed with specific clearance characteristics that compensate for accumulated tolerances across multiple segments, enabling assembly without requiring extremely tight overall precision while still achieving low noise transmission through proper circumferential contact.
Data Source
AI summary
A gear includes helical toothing and is composed of segments, and each segment has a toothing section that has a helical toothing. Each toothing section of each segment is connected via first and second webs as well as connecting sections to the connection region, the connecting sections, and the first and the second webs are set apart from each other or are at least sectionally set apart from each other, e.g., such that the segment has a plurality of axially uninterrupted recesses, in particular three or more. The axial region covered by the first webs is set apart from the axial region covered by the second webs, in particular so that the segment has at least one recess that is uninterrupted in the circumferential direction.