Machine element or mechanism – Elements – Flywheel – motion smoothing-type
Patent
1998-07-13
2000-09-19
Luong, Vinh T.
Machine element or mechanism
Elements
Flywheel, motion smoothing-type
74572, 74574, 68 232, 464 36, 464 38, 210144, 210363, 210364, F16F 1522, G05G 100
Patent
active
061195472
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
The present invention refers to an auto-balancing device for rotary units or systems, having an annular outer race track disposed in a closed, substantially annular housing arranged substantially concentric with and attached to the rotary unit or system, for rotating with the rotary unit or system, and a number of rolling bodies disposed in the housing and freely movable along the race track for dynamic and/or static contact therewith during rotation of the rotary system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In different rotary units or systems, such as rotating washing machine drums, bladed ceiling fans, vehicle wheels, etcetera, there occur large unbalance forces, which should be eliminated as far as possible to give a reduced operation noise for the rotary system, a reduction of vibrations, thereby also reducing the necessity of using other stabilizing means, such as heavy machine beds, etcetera, and also to allow a high rotational speed, which at least for a washing machine drum, is essential for obtaining a desired centrfugal force for expelling water from the material washed in the machine, and for preventing damages to the machine base and the shaft bearings wherein the rotary system is supported. For this purpose it has earlier been proposed auto-balancing devices having a ringformed, sealed and fluid-filled chamber and inserted therein a number of rolling bodies not filling more than a portion of the said chamber and moving independently to different positions along the annular chamber to counter-act unbalance during rotation.
Thus U.S. Pat. No. 2,984,094 refers to a washing machine having a race track formed by a flat steel band applied elastically to the wall of the housing. The large rolling elements used in this earlier known device thus roll against a flat surface, whereby the rolling bodies have small stability in the axial direction.
GB-A-832,048 proposes for a similar purpose using commercially available anti-friction bearing parts as housing and race track for such auto-balancing devices, but such solutions would be very expensive and heavy if used in large diameter applications.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The purpose of the present invention is to provide an auto-balancing device for rotary systems, by means of which the rolling bodies will have a radially and axially exactly positioned race track, thereby reducing contact stresses, whereas the entire device is simple and therefore highly flexible in design and provides an efficient and yet in-expensive solution. This has been obtained by a device having the features described below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Hereinafter the invention will be further described with reference to embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 shows schematically a washing machine drum, with bearings and auto-balancing devices according to the invention intimated one at each gable wall of the drum.
FIG. 2 is a larger scale cross-sectional view through a portion of the auto-balancing device intimated in FIG. 1, taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 shows schematically a planar view of one embodiment of a race track ring forming part of the auto-balancing device according to the invention,
FIG. 4 is a modified embodiment of an auto-balancing device according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows in a diagrammatic manner a rotary system, such as a cylindrical washing machine drum 1, having concentric stub axles 2 extending one form each gable wall of the drum 1 and being journalled in a housing (not shown) in rolling bearings 3. It is evident that such a rotary system, will be subjected to large unbalance forces during rotation as the washing goods seldom will be evenly distributed throughout the drum, but will often gather at a small sector of the drum, displaced and well spaced from the centre of the drum. Similar phenomena caused by manufacturing tolerances, by dirt and the like, applies also to other types of rotary systems, such as bladed ceiling fans, vehicle w
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Goransson Bo
Nilsag.ang.rd Jonas
Aktiebolaget SKF
Luong Vinh T.
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