Stepped Drive Gear Sealing for Road Milling Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing road milling machines face challenges in achieving effective sealing of the drive side of the milling drum box due to limited vertical adjustment range and potential damage from the side plate getting caught on the road surface, with previous solutions being complex, prone to failure, and expensive.
Innovation Solution
A vertically stepped drive gear design with a side plate indentation in the housing allows the side plate to move vertically, increasing the adjustment range and enabling a larger, solid side shield for optimal sealing, while maintaining a robust and cost-effective structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the side plate is made narrow to accommodate the drive gear protruding from the milling drum box, then the drive gear can pass through the side wall, but the sealing effectiveness deteriorates and milled material escapes
Solution Approach 1:
The drive gear is designed with a stepped configuration where the upper part is positioned higher than the lower part in the vertical direction. This vertical dimensionality change allows the side plate to maintain a narrow profile while still providing effective sealing, as the stepped arrangement creates space for the drive gear passage without compromising the side plate's sealing surface area
Solution Approach 2:
The drive gear is segmented into an upper part and a lower part positioned at different vertical levels. This segmentation allows the side plate to be designed with a notch that accommodates the drive gear passage while maintaining sufficient height for effective sealing, resolving the contradiction between drive gear accessibility and sealing effectiveness
2Reliability
If the side plate is extended vertically to improve sealing, then sealing effectiveness improves, but the side plate gets caught on the road surface causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The stepped configuration of the drive gear utilizes the vertical dimension to create a notch in the side plate, allowing the side plate to achieve sufficient vertical height for effective sealing without extending so far forward that it contacts the road surface, thus preventing damage while maintaining sealing effectiveness
3Reliability
If a complex stacked lamellae structure is used for the side plate to achieve sealing, then sealing effectiveness improves, but device complexity increases and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a complex stacked lamellae structure, the invention segments the drive gear into upper and lower parts positioned at different vertical levels. This simpler segmentation approach achieves the same sealing effectiveness by creating space for the side plate with a notch, reducing device complexity and improving reliability compared to the lamellae alternative
Data Source
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AI summary
The construction machine has a horizontal rotatable and milling roller (13) arranged in a milling roller box (6). A driving device is provided with a drive arranged externally to the milling roller box. A drive shaft of the drive is provided in a machine longitudinal direction. A height adjustable side plate (16) is provided relative to the milling roller box.