Worm Drive Bracket for Chain Actuator Vibration Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing building chain actuator drive arrangements face issues with reduced service life due to vibrations and reaction forces from electric motors, leading to component deformation, noise, and power loss, which complicates manufacturing and assembly.
Innovation Solution
A drive arrangement featuring a worm drive with a worm screw and wheel connected to a motor, a bearing system with a bracket element that supports the worm screw, and radial damping elements to distribute and dampen vibrations, ensuring alignment without inducing tension and reducing wear on motor bearings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If components are assembled with tight fit and fixedly attached to achieve stiffness and prevent displacement, then alignment and stability are improved, but manufacturing and assembly complexity increases due to high tolerance demands
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a bracket as an intermediary component that connects the motor to the housing and supports the worm drive. This bracket serves as a mediator that absorbs misalignments and reduces the tolerance demands between motor and worm drive components, thereby simplifying manufacturing and assembly while maintaining stability
Solution Approach 2:
The drive arrangement is divided into separate functional modules: motor, bracket, worm drive, and housing. The bracket is designed as a separate component with integrated bearing supports, allowing independent manufacturing and assembly of each module with relaxed tolerances, rather than requiring tight integration of all components
2Device complexity
If motor internal bearings absorb all vibration and reaction forces, then drive arrangement simplicity is maintained, but motor bearing wear increases and service life reduces
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket acts as an intermediary structure that introduces additional bearing support points for the worm screw. This distributes the vibration and reaction forces across multiple bearings (including those in the bracket) rather than concentrating all loads on the motor internal bearings, reducing wear and extending service life
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket provides localized bearing support at specific positions along the worm screw, creating different support conditions in different regions of the drive arrangement. This local quality enhancement allows force distribution without requiring complete redesign of the entire motor assembly
3Stability of the object's composition
If components are rigidly connected to prevent displacement, then alignment is maintained, but vibration transmission increases causing noise and component deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket serves as a vibration-dampening intermediary between the motor and worm drive. By incorporating bearings and mounting features, it decouples rigid connections and allows controlled movement, thereby reducing vibration transmission while maintaining functional alignment
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket is designed with bearing supports that provide cushioning against vibrations and shocks before they can propagate through the entire drive arrangement. This prior cushioning prevents vibration-induced noise and component deformation
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 extends the service life of the drive arrangement, simplifies manufacturing and assembly, and enhances operational reliability by distributing vibrations across multiple components rather than relying solely on motor bearings.
Implementation Method 1
The vibrations generated by the motor are distributed and dampened by means of several components and not only the motor bearings, reducing the wear on the motor
Implementation Method 2
a worm drive comprising a worm screw having a center axis and a worm wheel configured to engage the worm screw
Implementation Method 3
a motor operatively connected to a proximal end of the worm screw and configured to rotate the worm screw around the center axis
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A building chain actuator drive arrangement (1) comprising a worm screw (2) having a center axis (C) and a worm wheel (3) configured to engage the worm screw (2). The worm wheel (3) is operatively connected to a chain actuator (4). A motor (5) is operatively connected to the worm screw (2) and configured to rotate the worm screw (2) around the center axis (C). At least one bearing (6) has a center axis coaxial with the center axis (C) of the worm screw (2). A bracket element (7) is fixed to a center shaft (3a) of the worm wheel (3) by means of an opening in the bracket element (7) configured to accommodate the center shaft (3a). The bracket element (7) comprises at least one axially extending recess (8) configured to accommodate the at least one bearing (6), the bearing (6) being configured to support the worm screw (2).