Planetary Sun Gear Axial Bearing Casing for Wear Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drive devices for motor vehicles face challenges in effectively managing axial forces on the sun gear, leading to increased component wear and reduced lifespan, especially at high rotational speeds.
Innovation Solution
The axial bearing is positioned between the drive unit and the planetary gear set, with a separate bearing casing connected to the housing, allowing axial forces to be transferred directly to the housing, reducing the load on the drive device and minimizing component attrition through the use of a deep groove ball bearing and a support element that secures the bearing casing and hollow gear to the housing, enabling relative movements and tolerance compensation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the axial bearing is integrated into the housing, then the structure is simpler, but the axial forces increase the load on the drive device components leading to higher attrition and reduced lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing structure is segmented into a separate bearing casing (56) that is detachably connected to the housing (16). This allows the axial bearing (48) to be isolated in its own casing, which is then mounted to the housing via support elements (72) that provide flexible mounting. The segmentation enables the bearing assembly to be optimized independently from the drive device housing, reducing load transmission to critical drive components while maintaining structural integrity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If fixed mounting of the bearing casing to the housing is used, then the axial bearing position is stable, but tolerance accumulation and assembly difficulties increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system transitions from a fixed rigid connection to a dynamic flexible connection. The support elements (72) are designed to be flexible or elastomeric, allowing the bearing casing (56) to be mounted in a way that accommodates tolerances in the housing bore and bearing casing dimensions. This dynamic mounting provides stable bearing positioning while absorbing assembly tolerances and simplifying the manufacturing process.
3Ease of manufacture
If standard deep groove ball bearing is used with radial mounting, then the bearing is cost-effective and easy to mount, but it cannot effectively handle axial forces
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing casing (56) acts as an intermediary structure that enables the deep groove ball bearing (50) to effectively handle axial forces. By providing a dedicated casing with proper mounting via support elements (72), the bearing is positioned and supported in a way that allows it to accommodate axial loads from the sun gear (34) while maintaining the advantages of using a standard, cost-effective deep groove ball bearing design.
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
This configuration minimizes load on the drive device, reduces component attrition, and increases the lifespan of the roller bearing, while maintaining radial bearing functionality and tolerance compensation, thus providing a cost-effective and efficient axial bearing solution.
Implementation Method 1
a load of the drive device according to the invention is minimal even with the sun gear rotational speeds that are particularly high in comparison with drive devices with an internal combustion engine drive, whereby component attrition can be lowered and/or a lifetime can be increased
Data Source
AI summary
A drive device for a motor vehicle includes a drive unit with a driveshaft, a housing, and a planetary gear set disposed in the housing with a sun gear. A connection device allows relative movements, running in an axial direction of the driveshaft, between the sun gear and the driveshaft, via which the sun gear is drivable by the driveshaft. An axial bearing has a roller bearing for axially mounting the sun gear where the axial bearing is disposed in the axial direction between the drive unit and the planetary gear set. A bearing casing formed separately from the housing supports the roller bearing in the axial direction via an outer ring of the roller bearing non-rotationally connected to the bearing casing and the bearing casing is connected axially fixedly to the housing.