LOW-FRICTION ROLLING-ELEMENT GEAR PROFILE GENERATION USING INSTANT CENTERS AND EQUIVALENT FOUR-BAR LINKAGE

摘要

A great deal of energy is lost to friction in power-transmitting devices, especially geared mechanisms. Based on a mechanism equivalence relationship between a four-bar mechanism and a geared mechanism, a procedure is developed for generating custom gear-tooth profiles using the concept of instant centers. These tooth profiles make use of roller elements between the teeth in order to eliminate the rolling-sliding contact which occurs in typical gear meshes, thus reducing power losses. Practical applicability and design constraints are investigated and preliminary results presented.