Quasi Continuous, Positive Fit Satellite Gear Mechanism

Abstract

The invention relates to a continuous, positive fit gear mechanism which can be adjusted in a continuous manner by eccentrically offsetting transmissions between an input and an output. Said gear mechanism comprises an adjusting device which is used to control transmission such that, preferably, eccentric positions are adjusted enabling the gear mechanism to be operated in a particularly silent manner, and the peripheral length (17) of the charge arc represents an integral multiple of the positive fit (teeth).

Description

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing that shows a schematic view of a planetary-gear transmission.

The only FIGURE shows a star wheel 10 with radial grooves 11 in an eccentric position in relation to a ring gear 12 with teeth 13. The eccentric displacement in the illustrated example is 10 mm. For simplicity reasons, only three planetary gears are shown, of which the two planetary gears 14 are free-running and in the overrunning mode because they run in the load-free path. The illustrated planetary gear 15 is shown in the load path entrance in the locking position. Of course corresponding to the nine radial grooves 11 nine planetary gears are provided.

As the drawing illustrates, the load path is defined by two boundary lines 16 that are positioned symmetrically to the displacement direction of the eccentricity (around 10 mm) and mark the load path entrance and the load path exit. The load path angle is 360°/9=40° for nine planetary gears. When the peripheral length 17 is located inside the load path at the height of the radius on which the teeth 13 is mounted, a whole-number multiple of the tooth peripheral length (about the tooth width) exists, i.e. a whole-number uninterrupted number of teeth inside this zone, the coupling of the subsequent planetary gear is not impaired. The planetary gear is then coupled directly in the vicinity of the load path entrance, and the load path shift and consequently the secondary fluctuation are minimized. All eccentric positions for which this state can be achieved are preferred positions for the gear transmission with optimal running properties.

Claims

1. A quasi-continuous, positive mesh planetary-gear transmission, comprising an input element and an output element that can assume a plurality of concentric or eccentric positions at varying rotational speeds as a result of displacement, the rotating planetary gears (14, 15) being coupled cyclically through a load path (17) and in this coupled state directly or indirectly transmitting torque from the input element to the output element, characterized in thatthe load path length defined by eccentric displacements by means of a variable transmission is a whole-number multiple of the tooth width.

2. The planetary-gear transmission according to claim 1, characterized in that the variable transmission comprises a ratchet transmission that allows the eccentric positions to be adjusted and locked.

3. The planetary-gear transmission according to claim 1, characterized by a sensor, the vibration readings of which serve as adjusting variables for the detailed adjustment of the eccentric positions of the input and output elements at which the greatest running smoothness is achieved.

4. The planetary-gear transmission according to claim 1, characterized in that the displacement path, along which the input and output elements can be moved in order to vary the rotational gear ratio, is not linear, with the positions to be actuated, at which the greatest running smoothness is achieved, being preferably equidistant and/or with means being provided to be able to easily detect these positions.

5. The planetary-gear transmission according to claim 1, characterized in that a ring gear (12) with an annular groove and a star wheel (10) with radial grooves (11) as well as planetary gears (14, 15) are provided that are coupled to the ring gear (12), the radial grooves (11) in the star wheel (10) extending along a non-linear contour so that easy actuation of the positions with minimal fluctuations is possible and/or that these positions are positioned in an equidistant manner.

6. The planetary-gear transmission according to claim 1, characterized in that the radial grooves (11) in the star wheel (10) and the displacement paths of the eccentric positions do not extend in a straight manner, but extend in special contours, so that the positions with minimal fluctuations can be easily actuated, preferably achieving equidistant positions for minimal fluctuations.

7. The planetary-gear transmission according to claim 1, characterized in that the number of teeth is adjusted to the number of planetary gears such that the condition of a whole-number load path length is achieved in preferred gear ratios and/or eccentric positions.

8. The planetary-gear transmission according to claim 1, characterized in that the number of teeth is a whole-number multiple of the number of planetary gears.