Gear noise reduction in opposed-piston engines
AssigneeAchates Power, Inc.
InventorsBalazs V. Palfai, Michael S. Tebbe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A quiet-running, multi-layer gear assembly includes a compliant center member sandwiched between a pair of stiff outer members. The compliant center member has an outer peripheral surface with gear teeth. Each of the outer members has an outer peripheral surface with gear teeth disposed in a respective directed axial thrust pattern. The center and outer members are joined on a central hub with their outer peripheral surfaces aligned so as to form a gear assembly with low or no net axial thrust. In some aspects, the compliant center member and the hub include cooperating anti-turn constructions.
Claims10
A gear assembly, comprising:
- a center member of compliant material and including an outer peripheral surface with a plurality of teeth formed thereon;
- a pair of outer members of stiff material, each outer member including an outer peripheral surface with a plurality of teeth formed thereon and disposed in a respective directed axial thrust pattern, a first outer member of the pair of outer members comprising a plurality of threaded apertures circumferentially spaced on a first inwardly projecting flange and a second outer member of the pair of outer members comprising a plurality of countersunk apertures circumferentially spaced on a second inwardly projecting flange;
- a hub;
- an anti-turn mechanism comprising:
- a plurality of bosses spaced circumferentially on an inner surface portion of the center member, each boss having a sidewall portion that protrudes in an inward radial direction of the center member;
- and
- a plurality of semicircular indentations spaced circumferentially on an outwardly projecting flange situated on an outer sidewall of the hub;
- wherein the bosses and semicircular indentations are aligned, and the center member is fitted to the outwardly projecting flange with the sidewall portions of the bosses received in the plurality of indentations;
- and
- a plurality of threaded fasteners that secure the pair of outer members to each other, each threaded fastener situated through one threaded aperture, one countersunk aperture, and one of the plurality of bosses on an inner surface portion of the center member such that the outer members are secured together on the hub with the center member disposed therebetween.
An opposed-piston engine, comprising an engine housing and a gear train mounted on the engine housing, in which the gear train includes a plurality of gears for coupling a pair of crankshafts to an output drive, wherein, each of the gears includes:
- a center member of compliant material and including an outer peripheral surface with a plurality of teeth formed thereon;
- a pair of outer members of stiff material;
- each outer member including an outer peripheral surface with a plurality of teeth formed thereon and disposed in a respective directed axial thrust pattern, a first outer member of the pair of outer members comprising a plurality of threaded apertures circumferentially spaced on a first inwardly projecting flange and a second outer member of the pair of outer members comprising a plurality of countersunk apertures circumferentially spaced on a second inwardly projecting flange;
- a hub;
- an anti-turn mechanism comprising:
- a plurality of bosses spaced circumferentially on an inner surface portion of the center member, each boss having a sidewall portion that protrudes in an inward radial direction of the center member;
- and
- a plurality of semicircular indentations spaced circumferentially on an outwardly projecting flange situated on an outer sidewall of the hub;
- wherein the bosses and semicircular indentations are aligned, and the center member is fitted to the outwardly projecting flange with the sidewall portions of the bosses received in the plurality of indentations;
- and
- a plurality of threaded fasteners that secure the pair of outer members to each other, each threaded fastener situated through one threaded aperture, one countersunk aperture, and one of the plurality of bosses on an inner surface portion of the center member such that the outer members are secured together on the hub with the center member disposed therebetween.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.