Spur Gear Assembly Flanged Bushing Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for bearings for spur gears with small shaft diameters that offer high mechanical strength, require minimal space, are easy to assemble, and can be produced cost-effectively, particularly in the context of planetary gears for wind turbines.
Innovation Solution
A spur gear arrangement where a spur gear is rotatably mounted on a shaft with collar bushings that form a plain bearing, supported by flanged bushings on a support body, allowing for increased load-bearing capacity without the need for thrust washers, enabling more compact and cost-effective design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a shaft with small diameter is used for the spur gear, then the space requirement is reduced and the design becomes more compact, but the mechanical load-bearing capacity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent increases the bearing diameter in the radial dimension rather than increasing the shaft diameter. By extending the bearing surface radially outward from the shaft, the load-bearing capacity is enhanced without increasing the axial or radial envelope dimensions of the overall assembly, thus maintaining compactness while improving strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The flanged bushing serves multiple functions: it provides a sliding bearing surface for load support, acts as a spacer to maintain axial positioning, and its flange provides additional structural support. This multi-functionality allows the small-diameter shaft to achieve high load-bearing capacity through the integrated bushing design.
2Strength
If traditional thrust washers are used to support axial loads, then the load-bearing capacity is sufficient, but the axial space requirement increases and the assembly becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the thrust washer function with the flanged bushing into a single integrated component. The flange of the bushing directly contacts the spur gear to support axial loads, eliminating the need for separate thrust washers. This merging reduces the number of parts and decreases the axial space requirement while maintaining adequate axial load-bearing capacity.
3Strength
If multiple separate components (thrust washers, bushings, support bodies) are used, then the load distribution is improved, but the number of parts increases and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the support body and flanged bushing into an integrated component where the bushing is directly attached to the support body. This integration maintains the load-distributing function of having separate components while reducing the total part count and simplifying assembly procedures.
4Strength
If a larger diameter plain bearing is used, then the load-bearing capacity increases, but the material usage increases and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the bearing function from the shaft by using a separate flanged bushing component. This allows the bearing surface to have a larger diameter for improved load-bearing capacity while the shaft itself remains small-diameter, reducing overall material usage. The bushing material is used only where needed for bearing surfaces rather than throughout the entire shaft.
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 provides increased load-bearing capacity, reduces material usage, and allows for the construction of smaller, more efficient gears with improved assembly and repair efficiency, while maintaining mechanical performance and resilience.
Implementation Method 1
The spur gear contacts the radial outer surfaces of two flanged bushings with a radial inner surface, where a lubricating film, and thus a sliding bearing, can be formed
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The invention relates to a spur gear assembly (40) comprising a spur gear (10) rotatably mounted on a shaft (12) via two flanged bushings (24, 26). Two support bodies (31, 33) are arranged on the shaft (12), and the flanged bushings (24, 26) are each arranged to axially support the spur gear (10) with their flange (34, 36) on the support bodies (31, 33). The invention also relates to a transmission (50) having at least one such spur gear assembly (40). Furthermore, the invention relates to a wind turbine (70) having a planetary transmission (50) equipped with a claimed spur gear assembly (40).