Spin-Formed Ring Gear-Flange Body for Shaftless Torque Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mechanical drive systems require intermediary shafts for torque transmission, leading to increased manufacturing and assembly time, costs, and weight due to the need for individual hardware components and multiple mounting structures.
Innovation Solution
A unitary ring gear-flange body is formed through spin-forming and welding, eliminating the need for intermediary shafts by integrating a ring gear and flange into a single, cost-efficient, weight-efficient assembly that can transmit torque directly, reducing assembly time and weight by eliminating bolts and mounting structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional mechanical drive systems use intermediary shafts and separate mounting structures, then torque transmission function is achieved, but manufacturing and assembly time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the ring gear and flange mounting structure into a single unitary body, eliminating the need for separate intermediary shafts and multiple mounting components. This merging of functions directly reduces manufacturing and assembly time while maintaining torque transmission capability.
2Weight of stationary object
If traditional systems use multiple hardware components and mounting structures, then structural stability is achieved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the flange and ring gear into one unitary structure, the patent eliminates redundant hardware components and mounting structures, thereby reducing overall system weight while preserving structural integrity through the unified design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes unnecessary intermediary shafts and separate mounting structures from the traditional system, extracting only the essential torque transmission function and implementing it through a streamlined unitary body.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional systems use separate components, then ease of manufacturing individual parts is achieved, but total manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The unitary body design consolidates multiple components into one manufacturable piece, reducing the total number of parts that need to be produced, inventoried, and assembled, thereby lowering overall manufacturing costs despite the integrated complexity.
4Ease of operation
If multiple separate components are used, then ease of assembly is achieved, but assembly time and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
By providing a single unitary body that integrates both the flange and ring gear, the patent eliminates the need for separate assembly steps involving multiple components, thereby reducing assembly time and labor requirements while simplifying the installation process.
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 reduces manufacturing and assembly time, costs, and weight by integrating the ring gear and flange into a single unitary body, providing a cost-effective, lightweight torque-transmission system with reduced crevice corrosion risks and improved structural stability.
Implementation Method 1
the flange body may be spin-formed
Implementation Method 2
To the riser body may be welded a ring gear to form a unitary assembly
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and associated methods relate to a unitary ring gear-flange body (URGFB). In an illustrative example, the flange body may be spin-formed and may, for example, include a riser body extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis and a flange extending substantially radially outward from the riser body. To the riser body may, for example, be welded a ring gear to form a unitary assembly, the ring gear having an axis of revolution aligned with the longitudinal axis. A continuous coating may, for example, be applied to at least a selected portion of a surface of the unitary assembly. Various embodiments may advantageously provide a cost-efficient, weight-efficient, and/or time-efficient unitary body which may, for example, be coupled to machinery to provide a shaftless torque-transmitter.