Soil Working Rotary Bearing Structure for Wear-Free Torque Transfer

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing soil tillage machines experience increased wear in the rotary bearing assembly due to relative rotation of the structure-side and assembly-side bearing formations during high radial loads, leading to undesirable wear patterns.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a driver formation with a driver surface and a driver counter-formation on the structure-side bearing formation, arranged in opposite circumferential directions around the drive axis, ensures synchronous rotation without relative rotation, reducing wear by allowing only limited relative rotation between the bearing formations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the bearing journal and bearing sleeve are frictionally coupled for common rotational movement, then the working assembly can rotate smoothly during soil cultivation, but under high radial loads relative rotation occurs between the bearing configurations causing increased wear

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverotational stabilityVSAvoidwear on bearing configurations
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The drive element and counter-drive element are pre-positioned in overlapping movement spaces around the drive axis before operation. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when high radial loads occur, the elements are already in position to engage and prevent relative rotation, avoiding wear before it happens.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The drive element and counter-drive element act as intermediary components between the bearing journal and bearing sleeve. These intermediaries transmit torque and constrain relative rotation by engaging when loads increase, protecting the bearing configurations from direct wear.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of repair

If the bearing configurations are designed to be axially removable for maintenance and conversion, then maintenance and component replacement become easier, but the connection between structure-side and assembly-side bearing formations must be secure to prevent relative rotation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaintenance accessibilityVSAvoidconnection stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of repairVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The rotary bearing arrangement is segmented into axially removable bearing configurations (bearing journal and bearing sleeve) that can be separated for maintenance. The drive element and counter-drive element provide secure connection when assembled, while allowing disassembly when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The drive and counter-drive elements are pre-positioned in overlapping movement spaces during assembly, ensuring that once assembled, the connection is secure and prevents relative rotation. This preliminary positioning maintains reliability while allowing future disassembly for maintenance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3872261B1Soil working machine and support structure with positive connection between rotating working assembly and its rotary bearing
Publication Date: 2023.03.22 WIRTGEN GMBH
  • EP3872261B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3872261B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3872261B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a soil cultivation machine (10) comprising a support structure (30) and a working assembly (28) rotatably mounted on the support structure (30) about a drive axis (A), wherein the working assembly (28) is rotatably mounted by means of a first rotary bearing (57) and by means of a rotary bearing arrangement (77), wherein the rotary bearing arrangement (77) comprises a second rotary bearing (76), a component-side bearing formation (74a) connected to the working assembly (28), and a structure-side bearing formation (86) connected to the support structure (30), wherein both the component-side bearing formation (74a) and the structure-side bearing formation (86) are rotatably arranged about the drive axis (A) relative to the second support structure area (30a) in the reference state, and wherein both the component-side and the structure-side bearing formation (74a, 86) are designed for maintenance,For conversion and assembly purposes, the components are axially removable from one another and thus separable. According to the invention, the assembly-side bearing formation (74a) has a drive element (88) with a drive surface (88a) pointing in a first circumferential direction (U1), and the structure-side bearing formation (86) has a drive counter-formation (90) with a drive counter-surface (90a) pointing in a second circumferential direction (U2) opposite to the first, wherein the movement spaces (92, 94) of the drive surface (88a) and the drive counter-surface (90a) overlap around the drive axis (A).