Anti-backlash gear
OwnerJoel Scott Johnson, Kevin J. Knoxinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An anti-backlash gear system including a splined shaft and a gear is disclosed. The splined shaft has at least one spline. The gear has a splined bore having at least one spline, through which the splined shaft passes. The gear and the shaft have a clearance therebetween. The splined bore and the splined shaft are engaged in a driving direction, and the splined bore and the splined shaft are disengaged, thereby producing a backlash motion, in a direction opposite the driving direction.
Claims10
An anti-backlash gear system, comprising:
- a splined shaft having at least one spline thereon;
- and
- a gear having a splined bore therein, having at least one spline, through which the splined shaft passes, the gear and the shaft having a clearance therebetween, the splined bore and the splined shaft being engaged in a driving direction, and the splined bore and the splined shaft being disengaged, thereby producing a backlash motion, in a direction opposite the driving direction.
A torsionally elastic coupling, comprising:
- a driving shaft having at least one shaft backlash relief pocket;
- a driven ring surrounding the driving shaft and having at least one ring backlash relief pocket;
- and
- a radial member being attached to the driving shaft along a longitudinal direction adjacent to the shaft backlash relief pocket and contacting the driven ring adjacent the ring backlash relief pocket, the radial member engageable to transmit a driving force from the driving shaft to the driven ring in a driven direction and disengageable to cushion a backlash force between the driving shaft and the driven ring in a direction opposite the driving direction.
A method of cushioning a backlash force from a driven ring to a driving shaft, having at least one shaft backlash pocket, surrounded by the driven ring, having at least one ring backlash pocket, comprising the steps of:
- moving the driving shaft in a driving direction to produce a driving force;
- transmitting the driving force to the driven ring via a radial member contacting both the shaft backlash pocket and the ring backlash pocket in an initial position;
- providing a backlash force in a direction opposite the driving direction;
- responsively allowing the radial member to move from the initial position within at least one of the shaft backlash pocket and the ring backlash pocket;
- removing the backlash force;
- providing the driving force;
- and
- responsively allowing the radial member to return to the initial position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.