Slanted-Link Torque Coupling for Rotary Misalignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing couplings face challenges in accommodating misalignment between rotary components while maintaining dynamic stress resistance, low friction, and minimizing weight, particularly in aeronautical applications where precise axis alignment is difficult to achieve.

Innovation Solution

A coupling design featuring a female and male member with circumferentially arranged links that are slanted off the radial orientation, subjected to compression, allowing for torque transmission while accommodating misalignment, and utilizing materials with lower Young's modulus and higher thermal expansion for improved deformation and assembly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the degree of tolerance to misalignment is increased, then the coupling can accommodate greater misalignment between rotary components, but dynamic stress resistance and friction performance deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemisalignment toleranceVSAvoiddynamic stress resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The coupling is divided into multiple independent links arranged circumferentially between the male and female members. Each link can independently deform to accommodate misalignment, distributing the stress across multiple segments rather than concentrating it in a single rigid structure. This segmentation allows the coupling to tolerate misalignment while maintaining dynamic stress resistance through the collective behavior of the link assembly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The links are designed to be flexible rather than rigid, allowing them to dynamically adjust their position and orientation in response to misalignment conditions. This dynamic flexibility enables the coupling to accommodate varying degrees of misalignment while maintaining reliable torque transmission, as the links can deform elastically to absorb misalignment stresses without compromising overall structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Strength

If traditional rigid link designs are used, then structural strength is maintained, but the coupling cannot accommodate misalignment and requires precise axis alignment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural strengthVSAvoidmisalignment accommodation

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The material properties of the links are specifically selected to optimize the balance between strength and flexibility. Links are made from materials with controlled elastic modulus and yield strength that allow sufficient flexibility for misalignment accommodation while maintaining adequate structural strength for torque transmission. This parameter optimization enables the links to deform elastically within safe stress limits, accommodating misalignment without compromising structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The coupling employs composite construction combining rigid male and female members with flexible links. This composite approach integrates materials and structures with different mechanical properties - the rigid members provide structural strength and torque transmission capability, while the flexible links provide misalignment accommodation. The combination of rigid and flexible components in a single coupling system resolves the contradiction between maintaining strength and enabling misalignment tolerance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

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 design effectively transfers torque while accommodating misalignment, reducing compressive stress density and allowing for greater torsion, thus enhancing the coupling's ability to handle operational variations and misalignment, while maintaining low friction and weight efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

the links being slanted off the radial orientation, with the inner end being circumferentially offset from the outer end, the links subjected to compression when transmitting torque between the female member and male member

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCompression: Compression

Implementation Method 2

utilizing materials with lower Young's modulus and higher thermal expansion for improved deformation and assembly

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Implementation Method 3

utilizing materials with lower Young's modulus and higher thermal expansion for improved deformation and assembly

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Data Source

PatentUS11401870B2Coupling and associated method of transferring torque

Publication Date: 2022.08.02 PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP

AI summary

The coupling can have a female member configured to rotate around an axis, defining an axial recess, and having a plurality of connections circumferentially arranged along a radially inner face; a male member extending inside the axial recess concentrically to the female member and having a plurality of connections circumferentially arranged along a radially outer face; and a plurality of circumferentially arranged links, each link having an inner end engaged with a corresponding one of the male member connections, and an outer end engaged with a corresponding female member connection, the links being slanted off the radial orientation, with the inner end being circumferentially offset from the outer end, the links subjected to compression when transmitting torque between the female member and male member.