Slotted Hollow-Shaft Clamping Ring for Low-Inertia Drive Coupling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clamping connections for drives lack the dynamic response and low mass/inertia required for high-performance applications, as they often result in increased stability and moment of inertia due to their design.
Innovation Solution
A clamping connection featuring a hollow shaft with an axial slot, a clamping screw with a screw thread and head, and a clamping ring, where the screw rests against a flattening on the hollow shaft to prevent rotation and is positively connected to the ring, ensuring a friction-locked connection with low mass and inertia, and a set screw for axial locking, minimizing the radially outer region to reduce moment of inertia.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a conventional clamping connection design is used, then the connection provides sufficient clamping force, but the mass and moment of inertia increase, reducing dynamic response
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping ring is designed with a thin-walled cylindrical structure that provides sufficient clamping force while minimizing mass. The thin-walled design reduces the moment of inertia significantly, enabling high dynamic response of the drive system while maintaining the necessary clamping function.
Solution Approach 2:
The wall thickness of the clamping ring is optimized to achieve the right balance between clamping force and mass reduction. By carefully selecting the wall thickness parameter, the design maintains structural integrity and clamping capability while minimizing the moment of inertia for improved dynamic performance.
2Reliability
If the screw rests against the flattening to prevent rotation, then anti-rotation is achieved, but the hollow shaft structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the entire hollow shaft complex, only a local flattening feature is introduced at the specific location where the screw needs to rest. This localized modification provides the necessary anti-rotation capability without significantly increasing the overall structural complexity of the hollow shaft.
Solution Approach 2:
The flattening on the hollow shaft serves dual purposes: it provides the bearing surface for the screw to prevent rotation, and it is integrated into the existing hollow shaft structure without requiring separate anti-rotation components. The structure serves itself by incorporating the anti-rotation feature directly into the shaft geometry.
3Speed
If the radially outer region is minimized to reduce moment of inertia, then dynamic response improves, but the contact area for the screw head is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The contact area for the screw head is extended in the axial direction rather than relying solely on radial dimension. By increasing the axial length of the contact surface, sufficient contact area is provided while keeping the radial outer region minimal, thus maintaining low moment of inertia for high dynamic response.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact area between the screw head and clamping ring is designed with a curved surface that distributes the contact over a larger area. This curved contact surface provides adequate support for the screw head while minimizing the radial outer region, achieving both low moment of inertia and sufficient contact area.
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 achieves a high dynamic response of the drive with low mass and moment of inertia, maintaining stability while reducing the outer region's mass and inertia, thus enhancing the drive's operational dynamics.
Implementation Method 1
The screw (2) has a screw thread and a screw head (2a)
Implementation Method 2
The clamping connection connects the shaft to the hollow shaft region in a friction-locked manner
Data Source
AI summary
A clamping connection includes a hollow shaft region, a shaft at least partially introduced into the hollow shaft region, a screw, and a clamping ring. The hollow shaft region has an axial slot radially extending through the hollow shaft region. The screw has a screw thread and a screw head, which is larger than the largest diameter of the screw thread. The hollow shaft region has a flattening, the screw rests at least partially against the flattening, and the screw is set apart from the shaft.