Variator Lever Control with Damper for Roller Load Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Variators with a single roller control mechanism suffer from unequal load sharing between rollers due to manufacturing tolerances, leading to speed mismatches and resulting in poor performance and excessive wear, along with unwanted vibrations.
Innovation Solution
A variator design incorporating a lever control part that allows both rotation and translation, with a damper to dampen translation movements, ensuring balanced load distribution between rollers and reducing vibrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single roller control mechanism is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but unequal load sharing between rollers occurs leading to poor performance and excessive wear
Solution Approach 1:
The control mechanism is segmented into separate control paths for each roller. Each roller has its own control arm (22a, 22b) that can independently adjust the roller position and tilt angle, allowing each roller to be controlled individually rather than through a single shared mechanism. This segmentation enables equal load sharing while maintaining reasonable device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The control mechanism allows independent adjustment of multiple parameters for each roller: the position along the circular path (controlled by radial translation of control arms) and the tilt angle (controlled by rotation of control arms). By independently adjusting these parameters for each roller, the system can equalize load distribution while maintaining a relatively simple mechanical structure.
2Ease of manufacture
If manufacturing tolerances are present, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but speed mismatches between rollers occur resulting in poor performance
Solution Approach 1:
The control mechanism enables each roller to self-adjust its position and tilt angle to achieve equal load sharing and matched speed ratios. The independent control arms allow each roller to find its optimal position automatically based on the mechanical constraints and load distribution, compensating for manufacturing tolerances without requiring high-precision manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static, fixed-position roller arrangement to a dynamic system where each roller can independently adjust its position and orientation. The control arms provide degrees of freedom that allow rollers to dynamically adapt to manufacturing variations and achieve optimal performance through self-adjustment during operation.
3Device complexity
If rollers are constrained to fixed positions, then the device complexity is reduced, but unwanted vibrations occur due to inability to balance load
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning system is segmented into independent control mechanisms for each roller, allowing individual adjustment of position and tilt angle. This segmentation enables the system to actively counteract vibrations by allowing rollers to move to positions that balance load distribution, rather than being constrained to fixed positions that may cause unbalanced forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows dynamic changes in roller position parameters (angular position along circular path and tilt angle) to counteract harmful vibrations. By adjusting these parameters independently for each roller, the system can achieve vibration reduction through balanced load distribution while maintaining a relatively simple mechanical control structure.
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
The solution effectively balances load sharing between rollers and minimizes unwanted vibrations, enhancing the performance and longevity of the variator by allowing rollers to adjust their positions for equal load distribution and dampening oscillatory movements.
Implementation Method 1
a damper to damp translation of the control part
Data Source
AI summary
Variators that include a damped roller control part.