Vertical Assembly Apparatus for Composite Shaft Components

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing apparatuses for assembling composite arrangements of functional elements on a shaft require laborious horizontal alignment and supporting during thermal joining, which complicates the process and reduces accessibility and maintainability.

Innovation Solution

The apparatus modifies the assembly to allow vertical mounting of functional elements, utilizing a separate heating device and vertically aligned retaining devices, enabling gravity-assisted alignment and independent heating of functional elements, thus simplifying the thermal joining process and improving accessibility and maintainability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If horizontal alignment and supporting is used during thermal joining, then the shaft can be assembled with functional elements, but the process becomes laborious and complex with reduced accessibility and maintainability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal joining processVSAvoidalignment and supporting structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the traditional horizontal assembly approach by implementing vertical assembly. The shaft is inserted from above through function elements that are vertically arranged on the crankshaft journal, eliminating the need for complex lateral alignment and supporting structures during thermal joining.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from horizontal (2D plane) assembly to vertical (3D space) assembly. By arranging function elements vertically above the crankshaft journal and inserting the shaft from above, the invention utilizes the vertical dimension to simplify alignment and eliminate complex supporting mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Productivity

If horizontal joining is used, then functional elements can be assembled on the shaft, but frequent and laborious supporting of the shaft is required during joining

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly speedVSAvoidshaft supporting operation

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Adaptability or versatility

If separate heating device is used, then functional elements can be heated independently, but additional handling steps are required to transfer elements between heating device and retaining devices

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheating capabilityVSAvoidhandling system

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the thermal joining process into two independent stations: a heating device for heating function elements and an assembly device with retaining devices for positioning and assembling them on the shaft. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each station and improves overall process flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a gripping device as an intermediary mechanism to transfer heated function elements from the heating device to the retaining devices. This intermediary handling system enables smooth transition between stations while maintaining process automation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 vertical joining process eliminates the need for manual alignment, enhances accessibility and maintainability, and allows for a fully automatic assembly of cams, balancing masses, toothed wheels, and bearings in a predefined angular position on the shaft.

Implementation Method 1

a separately arranged heating device (9) is provided for heating the functional elements (4)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal heating: Heating

Implementation Method 2

the inserting of the cooled shaft from above into the heated functional elements which are arranged vertically one above the other, in particular a high-outlay guidance of the shaft, which has been necessary hitherto, can be dispensed with, because the guiding of the shaft is already undertaken by gravity

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentUS10029335B2Apparatus for assembling a composite arrangement

Publication Date: 2018.07.24 MAHLE INT GMBH

AI summary

An apparatus for assembling a composite arrangement including a plurality of functional elements each having an aperture for a shaft, in a predetermined angular position on the shaft, may include a plurality of retaining devices each intended for accommodating a functional element. The retaining devices may be arranged vertically one above another such that the apertures of the functional elements may lie on a vertical line. The apparatus may also include a vertically movable guide slide for the shaft so that a joining of the shaft with the functional elements may take place in a vertical direction. The apparatus may also include a heating device by which at least two functional elements may be heated simultaneously. The apparatus may further include a gripping device by which at least two functional elements which are to be joined may be removed together from the heating device and introduced into the retaining devices.