Spur Gear Radial Structure for Lightweight Load Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spur gears face a conflict between stability and material savings, particularly in automotive drive units where high mechanical stress is encountered, and existing designs struggle to achieve optimal stability while minimizing material usage.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a radial connection structure with a disc-shaped base body reinforced on one side with struts of two types: narrow and tall struts for tensile forces, and flat and wide struts for thrust forces, optimized for production by forming processes like forging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If the radial connection structure uses uniform struts for both tensile and thrust forces, then the design is simpler, but material savings are reduced and weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating strut designs based on their functional requirements. Struts are classified into two types: those optimized for tensile forces (narrower cross-section) and those optimized for thrust forces (wider cross-section). This localized differentiation allows each strut to use only the material necessary for its specific function, achieving significant material savings while maintaining structural integrity.
2Loss of substance
If the gear is made from plastic material with optimized shapes, then material savings and design flexibility are improved, but overall strength is extremely limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material construction by combining a disc-shaped base body made of metallic material (such as steel) with a radial connection structure that can be formed through forging. This composite approach leverages the high strength properties of metal for the load-critical components while allowing optimized geometries that reduce material usage, thereby achieving both strength and material efficiency.
3Ease of manufacture
If the radial connection structure is designed with asymmetric strut arrangements, then manufacturing by forging is enabled, but the design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements asymmetry in the radial connection structure by arranging struts of different types (tensile-optimized and thrust-optimized) in non-uniform patterns around the base body. This asymmetric arrangement reflects the actual asymmetric distribution of tensile and thrust forces during gear operation, enabling optimized material placement that facilitates forging manufacturing while accurately representing the functional requirements.
4Strength
If all struts are designed to handle both tensile and thrust forces, then the structure is more robust, but material usage increases and weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the radial connection structure into distinct strut types with specialized functions. Instead of using uniform struts that must handle all force types, the structure is segmented into tensile-force-optimized struts and thrust-force-optimized struts. This segmentation allows each component to be minimized in mass while maintaining adequate strength for its specific function, reducing overall gear weight.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a spur gear (10), comprising - a radially outer, spur-cut gear rim (30), - a radially inner hub (20), and - a rotationally symmetrical radial connecting structure (40) which integrally connects the gear rim (30) to the hub (20), the radial connecting structure (40) having mutually spaced struts (44, 46), which extend between the hub (20) and the gear rim (30), and axial holes (48), which are situated between the struts (44, 46). The invention is distinguished in that the radial connecting structure (40) has a disc-shaped main body (42), through which the axial holes (48) pass and which has an axial front side and an axial rear side, with the struts (44, 46) being situated on the front side.