Tool Holder Damping with Elastic Seals for Stable Machining

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing tool holding devices experience vibrations during machining, which degrade workpiece quality and damage tools, and current damping devices require manual adjustment to achieve optimal vibration damping, risking incorrect settings.

Innovation Solution

The damping device employs elastically deformable sealing rings with material connections to the bearing journal and bush, creating a sealed annular space filled with damping fluid, allowing for predictable and reproducible damping characteristics without manual adjustment, as the sealing rings' resilient effect is primarily from their intermediate deformable area.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual adjustment of preload or axial distance is implemented to optimize damping characteristics, then vibration damping effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and risk of incorrect adjustment increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevibration damping effectivenessVSAvoidadjustment mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing rings automatically adjust to the optimal axial distance through their elastic deformation characteristics, eliminating the need for manual adjustment by the user. The intermediate area of the sealing rings self-regulates the preload and axial positioning, making the damping device self-adjusting and self-optimizing without external intervention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the physical state of the sealing rings from rigid to elastically deformable, allowing them to automatically adapt their axial distance and preload parameters. This elastic deformation enables the sealing rings to maintain optimal damping characteristics without manual parameter adjustment, transforming a manually-adjusted system into a self-regulating one.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Manufacturing precision

If elastically deformable sealing rings with material connections are used, then manufacturing precision and reproducibility are improved, but sealing reliability under vibration may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedamping characteristic consistencyVSAvoidsealing reliability under vibration
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing ring is divided into three functional segments: a first contact area materially connected to the bearing journal, a second contact area materially connected to the bearing bush, and an intermediate area that is elastically deformable. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function - the contact areas provide stable mounting and sealing surfaces, while the intermediate area provides elastic compensation for vibrations and misalignments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing ring combines rigid material connections at the contact areas with elastic material properties in the intermediate area, creating a composite structure. This composite design integrates both rigid stability for manufacturing precision and elastic flexibility for vibration resistance, achieving both reliable sealing under vibration and consistent damping characteristics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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 ensures effective vibration damping without user-adjustment, maintaining consistent damping properties across manufactured devices, ensuring reliable sealing and calculable damping characteristics.

Implementation Method 1

an annular space filled with a damping fluid being arranged between the bearing journal and the bearing bush

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectViscous damping: Viscous Damping

Implementation Method 2

elastically deformable sealing rings is sealed... the intermediate area is arranged between the two abutment areas and is elastically deformable relative to the bearing pin and relative to the bearing bush

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3655678B1Damping device and tool-holding device having such a damping device
Publication Date: 2021.09.08 WOHLHAUPTER
  • EP3655678B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3655678B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3655678B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a damping device for damping vibrations of a tool-holding device (10) during the machining of a workpiece. The damping device (25) has a damping body (38) having two ends (39, 40), at each of which a damping apparatus (47, 48) is arranged, which has a bearing journal (51) rigidly connected to the damping body (38) and a bearing bush (64) surrounding the bearing journal (51) in the circumferential direction, wherein an annular space (71) filled with a damping fluid is arranged between the bearing journal (51) and the bearing bush (64), which annular space is sealed in the axial direction by two elastically deformable sealing rings (73, 74). In order to achieve effective vibration damping without manual adjustment by the user, the two sealing rings (73, 74) each have a first and a second contact region (76, 77) and a resilient intermediate region (78), the first contact region (76) being integrally bonded to the bearing journal (51) and the second contact region (77) being integrally bonded to the bearing bush (64), and the intermediate region (78) being arranged between the two contact regions (76, 77) and being elastically deformable relative to the bearing journal (51) and relative to the bearing bush (64). The invention further relates to a tool-holding device (10) having such a damping device (25).