EP1960692A2

EP1960692A2 - Link plate element for a chain

Info

Publication number: EP1960692A2
Application number: EP06828587A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marcus Junig; Anton Simonov; Martin Vornehm; Olga Ispolatova; Michael Pichura; Christoph Mayerhofer
Original assignee: LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Beteiligungs KG; LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau GmbH
Current assignee: Schaeffler Buehl Verwaltungs GmbH; LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau GmbH
Priority date: 2005-12-07
Filing date: 2006-12-01
Publication date: 2008-08-27
Also published as: KR20080072901A; DE112006002815A5; CN101310125A; WO2007065406A1; WO2007065406A8; JP2009518590A

Abstract

Disclosed is a link plate element (10) for a chain, featuring an asymmetric functionality relative to an axis of symmetry (S) of the link plate element. Said link plate element is provided with a non-functional section (15) on which an orientation feature (30) is mounted asymmetrically relative to the axis of symmetry of the link plate element.

Description

Link element for a chain

The invention relates to a link element for a chain, in particular a tooth link for a tooth chain.

Such chains, which are used as power transmission elements in the construction of gears, are made up of link elements and rocking joints, the link elements having one or more recesses into which the rocking joints engage. Two tab elements are connected to one another by engagement of a rocking joint in both of the tab elements.

If tooth chains are constructed from a single type of toothed link plate which is symmetrical with respect to an axis perpendicular to the chain extension direction when the chain is straight, the chain generates undesirable noises during operation and is therefore inadequate in terms of its acoustic behavior.

It is therefore known to use so-called randomized tooth chains from at least two different tooth plate types. The two types of tabs differ by a functional feature, for example the tooth shapes. The direction of installation is irrelevant in this case and the randomization is achieved by randomly selecting the link elements and thus their sequence in the chain. Instead of using two or more different tooth plates, it is also known to form randomized tooth chains from an asymmetrical tooth plate type, the randomization being achieved by the tooth plates being installed in an oriented manner. The asymmetry of the tab is created, for example, by a functional feature that is asymmetrical, such as a different shape of the two tab teeth. The tab is put together in a certain pattern or randomly once with a first side up and once with a second side up to form a chain. The advantage over the use of two different types of toothed plates is that only one type of plate has to be kept in stock, which is advantageous with regard to the production of the plates, since no different punching tools are necessary, for example. However, the use of a tooth plate type requires an increased effort in assembly and quality assurance to ensure that the chain has been assembled randomly. Based on this, it is an object of the invention to provide a link element for a chain, in particular a toothed link for a tooth chain, with asymmetrical functionalities, which can be easily assembled into a chain.

This object is achieved with a tab element with the features of claim 1. Preferred embodiments are specified in the dependent claims.

Functionality is understood to be a feature of the link element that ensures that a random interaction of individual link elements of the chain with a counter element takes place during operation. Examples of such functionality are the tooth shape of the link elements in tooth links for tooth chains.

The axis of symmetry of the link element is usually an axis of symmetry that is perpendicular to a chain extension direction of the link element installed in a chain when the chain is straight.

The invention is based on the idea of using only a single link element which has asymmetrical functionality, so that it leads to a randomized chain when installed in one or another direction in a chain. In order to facilitate the installation direction or the sorting of the identical tab elements according to their orientation, an orientation feature is attached to the tab element according to the invention, which is also asymmetrical with respect to the axis of symmetry of the tab element. On the basis of this orientation feature, the orientation in which the link element is delivered or installed in a chain can be easily recognized, for example, visually or by automated sorting. The invention can particularly preferably be used for link elements which are tooth links for a tooth chain. If, for example, the tab element contains two teeth, this can have a configuration which differs from the other tooth profile of the tooth tab and thus can have asymmetrical functionality. The orientation feature helps to then recognize the orientation in which the toothed tongue element is provided.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the orientation feature is attached to a function-free section of the outer contour of the tab element or alternatively of the body of the tab element. For example, a toothed tongue element contains a section with a function, on which the teeth are provided, and a function-free section, which connects both sides of the functional areas. Along this external con structure, in which no functionality is provided, or in the interior of the toothed tongue element, the orientation feature can preferably be attached asymmetrically, without impairing the functionality of the tongue element.

For example, the orientation feature is an asymmetrical increase in mass of the tab element. This offers the advantage that the tab elements can be sorted using the shift in the center of gravity. The change in mass of one tooth element half compared to the other can e.g. by hollowing out a non-functional area of the body. Other options for the orientation feature are to produce a change in the reflection behavior of an incident light beam, depending on the orientation in which the tab element is transported, or the asymmetrical attachment of clearly visually recognizable contour shapes or mechanical gripping areas.

The invention is described below with reference to the attached figures, which serve only as an example, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a tooth chain with randomly introduced link elements;

Figure 2 is a prior art tab element with asymmetric functionality;

FIG. 3 is an asymmetrical tab element with an orientation feature;

Figure 4 shows another embodiment of an asymmetrical tab element

Orientation is;

FIG. 5 is yet another embodiment of an asymmetrical tab element with an orientation feature, which illustrates the reading out of the orientation feature in an optical way; and

FIG. 6 shows the tab element from FIG. 5 when the orientation feature is read out mechanically.

FIG. 1 shows a toothed chain 20, which is constructed from identical, asymmetrical link elements 10, which are formed as toothed links with two teeth 11, 12 each. A single toothed tongue element of this type is shown in FIG. 2. It can be seen that the teeth 11 and 12 have slightly different contours. In FIG. 2, the case is shown with dashed lines in which the tab element 10 instead of with the side A upwards, as with a solid line. - A - gene lines shown in Figure 2, with the opposite side B upwards, ie folded, positioned.

Figure 1 illustrates by letters A, B how the tooth elements 10 are randomly assembled, i.e. with sides A or B aligned in one direction, whereby, as shown in Figure 1, the arrangement is preferably random, i.e. uneven, alternating. As a result, different or identical tooth geometries of the teeth 11, 12 come to lie on one another when the tab elements 10 overlap, and thus form less noisy chains 20.

The individual tab elements furthermore have through openings 14 into which weighing elements, not shown, which form weighing joints with the contour of the through opening 14 and which connect the individual tab elements 10, can be inserted.

The tab elements usually have a functional area, namely, for example, the recesses or passage openings 14 and the toothing geometries of the teeth 11, 12, and an area without function, namely, for example, the contour side 15 opposite the toothing or the transition areas 16 between the contour side 15 and the toothing in the form of curves. Other non-functional areas of a tab element are also body areas, such as the inside of the tab element, i.e. area A or B.

According to the invention, an orientation feature 30 is now additionally provided in an asymmetrical tab element 10 according to FIG. 2 in a non-functional area.

Examples of such orientation features are shown in FIGS. 3 to 5.

The tooth plates 10 according to FIGS. 3 to 6 can be assembled into a chain 20 in the same way as the tooth plate 10 from FIG.

In FIG. 3, the orientation feature of the tab element 10 is a change in the contour of the non-functional peripheral region of the tab element 10, in particular the contour side 15 opposite the teeth 11, 12. The broken lines again show how the tab element 10 looks in the inverted orientation. The asymmetry of the tooth geometry of the teeth 11, 12 with respect to the axis of symmetry S is in FIGS. 3 to 6 are not repeated, but are, for example, similar to that in FIG. 2. Alternatively, another function-influencing, asymmetrical feature with respect to the axis of symmetry S is present.

The orientation feature 30 is also asymmetrical with respect to the same axis of symmetry S. The change in contour 31 of the contour side 15 of the tab element consists of a bulge in one half of the symmetry and a depression in the other half of the symmetry. The remaining features of the tab element 10 are the same as in FIG. 2.

The contour of the link element is understood to mean the outline of the link element which results in the plane of movement of a chain 20 with assembled link elements 10 when viewed from above.

FIG. 4 shows an alternative change in contour on the strap back or the contour side 15, which consists of a waveform 32. In FIG. 4, too, features identical to those in FIG. 2 are omitted and are not described again.

As a result of the change in contour on the link plate back, the orientations of the individual link elements 10 can easily be recognized when the chain 20 is in the assembled state, for example, when viewed visually.

Another alternative is to carry out mass compaction asymmetrically to the axis of symmetry S in the non-functional surface area 17 of the tab element 10.

A further alternative for an orientation feature 30 is shown in FIG. 5, in which a transition region 16 between the teeth 11, 12 and the tab back, i.e. the function-free contour side 15 is rounded, while the other transition area 33 as a corner, i.e. is designed differently from the monotonously curved first transition region 16. The other features are again identical to those from FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 also shows how the orientation feature 30, ie the deviation between the two transition regions 33, can be read out and assigned to an orientation of the tab element 10. This can be done optically, for example, by causing an incident light beam L to reflect on the contour, in particular the transition region 16 or 33. The direction of reflection of the light beam L is for the alignment in the illustration with solid lines in FIG. 5, ie surface A after above, also denoted by solid lines as arrow R, while the reflection is indicated with R 'when the tab element 10 is arranged in reverse, ie with surface B upwards in FIG. 5. The reflected light beam can be fed to an analysis unit which, depending on the detected reflection direction, assigns it to an orientation of the tab element 10 and, for example, controls a mechanical switch on a conveyor belt of the tab elements 10 for sorting the tabs. Alternatively, the tab itself can also be detected by recording the top view, and its orientation can be recognized in the case of different contours according to FIGS. 3 to 5, for example by means of an image recognition system.

A further way of reading out the orientation feature is shown in FIG. 6, where a mechanical deflector of a sorting unit 40 leads to a tab element 10, which has the orientation shown in solid lines in FIG. 6, coming into contact with the deflector of the sorting unit 40 and is rotated and can thus be fed to a sorting direction, while a tab element 10 with the opposite orientation (surface B upwards) passes the sorting unit 40 without rotation.

The essential aspect of the invention is therefore to provide an orientation feature in a non-functional section of a tab element that is easier to read out or visually detect than the asymmetry feature required for the asymmetrical functionality.

Reference list

Tab element

tooth

Passage opening

Contour side

Transition area

non-functional section

Tooth chain

Orientation feature

Contour change

asymmetrical contour

Transition area

Sorting unit

Claims

1. link element (10) for a chain (20) with an asymmetrical functionality with respect to an axis of symmetry (S) of the link element (10), the link element (10) having a function-free section (15, 16, 17) on which an orientation feature (30) is mounted asymmetrically with respect to the axis of symmetry (S) of the tab element (10).

2. link element (10) for a chain (20), characterized in that the link element (10) is a toothed link for a toothed chain.

3. tab element (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the orientation feature (30) is attached to a function-free section (15, 16) of the outer contour of the tab element (10).

4. tab element (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the orientation feature (30) includes an increase in mass of a symmetry half of the tab element (10) with respect to the other symmetry half.

5. tab element (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the orientation feature (30) contains an asymmetrical contour (31, 32, 33) of the tab element.

6. tab element (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the orientation feature (30) is a bulge or notch (31, 32) on a substantially straight contour side (15) of the tab element.

7. tab member (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said orientation feature (30) an asymmetrical design of two corner regions (16, 33) of the tab ^'enelements contains, in particular, a monotonically curved first corner portion (16) and a deviating from first curved second corner region (33).

8. tab element (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the orientation feature (30) contains an asymmetrical hole in the tab (10).

9. chain (20) with link elements (10) and with, the link elements connecting rocker joints which engage in recesses (14) in the link elements (10), wherein at least one link element (10) is a link element (10) according to any one of the preceding claims is.