Universal Joint Protection Cone with Nested Adapter Ring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing protective arrangements for double universal joints do not provide complete protection, as there is a risk of operating personnel reaching into the rotating components, and they require a variety of parts for different sizes of joints, increasing complexity.
Innovation Solution
A protective arrangement featuring a tubular protective cone connected non-rotatably to a cardan shaft protector and a bellows connected to a standing component, with an adapter ring allowing a single boot size for different universal joints, and a bellows with foldable sections for adjustable length, reducing part variety and ensuring complete protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the protective cone protrudes over the sliding ring to cover the second universal joint, then protection coverage is improved, but the bellows length must be increased which complicates the structure
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter ring is nested within the protective cone structure, allowing the bellows to connect to the adapter ring rather than directly to the protective cone end. This nesting arrangement reduces the overall bellows length required while maintaining complete protection coverage of both universal joints.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter ring acts as an intermediary component between the protective cone and the bellows. It provides a connection interface that allows the bellows to be positioned optimally, reducing its required length while ensuring the protective cone can still cover the second universal joint effectively.
2Adaptability or versatility
If different sizes of protective cones and sliding rings are used for different double universal joint sizes, then adaptability is improved, but the variety of parts increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter ring is designed as a universal component that can be used with protective cones of different sizes. By standardizing the adapter ring interface, the system achieves multi-functionality where a single adapter ring design works across multiple protective cone sizes, reducing the overall part variety required.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective arrangement is segmented into modular components: protective cones of different sizes, standardized adapter rings, and a common bellows size. This segmentation allows different sized protective cones to be paired with the same adapter ring and bellows, reducing the number of unique parts needed while maintaining size adaptability.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4~5
AI summary
The arrangement has a tube shaped protection cone (15) that comprises a connection unit for connection of the protection cone with an articulated shaft protection unit of a shaft. A sliding ring (16) is rotatably supported at a dual cardan joint (1) for rotary bearing of the arrangement. An adapter ring (22) is connected with the protection cone in a torque proof manner. A bellow (23) is connected with the adapter ring in a torque proof manner. The bellow comprises a connection unit for connection of the bellow with a standing component in a torque proof manner.