Asymmetric Spur Gear Web for Stability With Less Material
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Solution Overview
Problem
Spur gears in motor vehicle drive units face a conflict between achieving stability and reducing material usage, particularly in metal components like steel, where existing designs either compromise on stability or are inefficient in material savings.
Innovation Solution
A radial connecting structure with a disk-shaped base body and asymmetrically arranged struts, where the front side acts like a spoke wheel and the rear side like a disk wheel, optimized to distribute force absorption and reduce material usage through specific strut configurations and perforations, allowing for forging processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a conventional radial connecting structure with axial symmetry is used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but material usage increases and stability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by designing the radial connecting structure with struts only on the front side of the disk-shaped base body, while the rear side remains perforated without struts. This asymmetric configuration optimizes the distribution of material, providing enhanced stability where needed (front side with struts) while reducing material usage (rear side with perforations). The asymmetric design allows the gear to maintain structural integrity under operational loads while minimizing material consumption compared to conventional symmetric designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the radial connecting structure into distinct functional zones: a front side with struts for strength and stability, and a rear side with perforations for material reduction. The struts themselves are segmented into multiple radial elements spaced around the disk, allowing forces to be distributed across multiple load paths. This segmentation enables the structure to achieve high stability with optimized material distribution.
2Weight of moving object
If material is reduced to save weight, then moving mass decreases, but stability and fatigue strength are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating material (struts) in specific locations where structural strength is most needed, while removing material (perforations) from areas where it is less critical. The front side of the disk-shaped base body features struts that provide local reinforcement for withstanding operational loads and fatigue, while the rear side features perforations that reduce weight. This localized optimization ensures that material is placed only where it contributes to fatigue strength and stability, achieving weight reduction without compromising overall strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite-like structure by integrating the disk-shaped base body with attached struts forming a unified radial connecting structure. This composite configuration combines the benefits of a solid disk (stability) with a spoke-wheel structure (material efficiency). The integrated design allows the structure to withstand high mechanical stresses while using less material than a conventional solid disk, effectively creating a hybrid form that optimizes both weight and strength.
3Quantity of substance
If a disk wheel design is used, then material savings are achieved, but stability under high mechanical stresses is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the advantages of two conventional designs: the disk wheel and the spoke wheel. The disk-shaped base body provides the stability and material efficiency of a disk wheel, while the attached struts on the front side provide the structural reinforcement typically associated with spoke wheels. This merging creates a hybrid structure that achieves material savings like the disk wheel while maintaining the stability and load-bearing capacity of the spoke wheel design, making it suitable for high-stress applications.
4Productivity
If forging processes are used for metal manufacturing, then production speed and cost are improved, but complex asymmetric shapes are difficult to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by designing the asymmetric radial connecting structure to be compatible with forging processes from the outset. The mold design incorporates the asymmetric strut configuration on the front side and perforations on the rear side, allowing the complex shape to be formed in a single forging operation. This preliminary consideration of manufacturing constraints enables the production of complex asymmetric shapes using high-speed, cost-effective forging processes, rather than requiring subsequent complex machining or assembly operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A spur gear includes a radially outer, spur-cut gear rim, a radially inner hub, and a rotationally symmetrical radial connecting structure which integrally connects the gear rim to the hub. The radial connecting structure has mutually spaced struts, which extend between the hub and the gear rim, and axial perforations or holes, which are situated between the struts. The radial connecting structure has a disk-shaped base body, through which the axial holes pass and which has an axial front side and an axial rear side, with the struts being situated on the front side.