Shaft coupling structure with speed change function

Details Shaft coupling structure with speed change function Shaft coupling structure with speed change function

2000-10-03

2002-08-20

Estremsky, Sherry (Department: 3681)

Planetary gear transmission systems or components

Planet pinion is friction gear

C475S195000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06436000

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a shaft coupling structure for coupling two rotating shafts coaxially opposed to each other to transmit rotational power from one of the rotating shafts to the other.
2. Description of the Related Art
A rotating shaft for power transmission sometimes cannot be made long because of material measurements, overhauls, and the like. In such cases, shaft division is required, and a shaft coupling is widely used as a machine element for coupling the two shafts divided.
FIG. 9
shows a shaft coupling structure
1
in wide use heretofore. In this shaft coupling structure
1
, a first shaft
2
and a second shaft
4
for rotational power transmission are coaxially opposed to each other. The rotational power transmission between the first shaft
2
and the second shaft
4
is effected by a column-like member
8
having a shaft insertion hole
6
formed inside, to which the first shaft
2
and the second shaft
4
are inserted at the vicinities of their shaft ends.
To be more specific, the shaft insertion hole
6
is formed through the interior of the column-like member
8
, and hence the column-like member
8
actually has the shape of a cylinder. This shaft insertion hole
6
has a key slot
10
formed therein. Similarly, the first shaft
2
and the second shaft
4
each are provided with a key slot
12
. Accordingly, the first and second shafts
2
and
4
are individually engaged with the column-like member
8
in the direction of rotation via driving keys
14
.
Here, safety covers
16
of short cylindrical shape are mounted on both sides of the column-like member
8
so that the heads of the driving keys
14
are prevented from exposure to exterior.
In this shaft coupling structure
1
, the first shaft
2
and the second shaft
4
are coupled to each other in the direction of rotation via the column-like member
8
. Therefore,for example, rotational power input to the first shaft
2
is transmitted through the driving keys
14
and the column-like member
8
to the second shaft
4
with the same rotational speed.
While this shaft coupling structure
1
has been described with the case where the shaft insertion hole
6
is formed through the interior of the column-like member
8
, two shaft insertion holes may be independently formed in both ends of a column-like member
8
so as not to pass through.
Now, referring to
FIG. 10
, description will be given of another shaft coupling structure
20
in wide use here to fore. This shaft coupling structure
20
is of flange type. Here, a first shaft
2
and a second shaft
4
are coaxially opposed to each other. The rotational power transmission between the first shaft
2
and the second shaft
4
is effected by a first column-like member
22
having a shaft insertion hole
23
formed inside, to which the first shaft
2
is inserted at the vicinity of its shaft end, and a second column-like member
24
having a shaft insertion hole
25
formed inside, to which the second shaft
4
is inserted at the vicinity of its shaft end.
Specifically, the first and second column-like members
22
and
24
have a first flange portion
22
A and a second flange portion
24
A, both spreading radially outward, formed integrally on their opposing sides (the shaft-end sides of the first and second shafts
2
and
4
),respectively. Each of the flange portions
22
A and
24
A has a plurality of bolt holes
26
formed there through along the direction of the center axis L, at regular intervals along the circumferential direction.
The first shaft
2
and the shaft insertion hole
23
in the first column-like member
22
are provided with key slots
10
and
12
, respectively, so that they are engaged with each other in the direction of rotation via a parallel key
28
. The second shaft
4
and the second column-like member
24
are in the same relationship.
The first flange portion
22
A and the second flange portion
24
A are coupled to each other by bolts
30
inserted through the bolt holes
26
and nuts
32
threadedly engaged with the bolts
30
, so that the flange portions
22
A and
24
A make integral rotation.
Therefore, for example, rotational power input to the first shaft
2
is transmitted through the parallel key
28
, the first column-like member
22
, the bolts
30
and nuts
32
, the second flange portion
24
A, and the parallel key
28
in this order, to the second shaft
4
with the same rotational speed.
Here, though separate in form, the first column-like member
22
and the second column-like member
24
are substantially in an integral structure due to the bolts
30
and the nuts
32
, much the same as the shaft coupling structure
1
shown in FIG.
9
. Note that this shaft coupling structure
20
of flange type is particularly convenient when the first shaft
2
and the second shaft
4
have different shaft diameters, since the first column-like member
22
and the second column-like member
24
can be made of different members.
Next, description will be given of an example where the shaft coupling structure
1
shown in
FIG. 9
is applied to a driving apparatus for a rotary machine.
A rotary-machine driving apparatus
34
shown in
FIG. 11
comprises a motor
36
having a motor shaft
36
A, a speed reducer
42
having an input shaft
38
and an output shaft
40
in parallel, and a joint casing
44
for combining the motor
36
and the speed reducer
42
integrally. Here, the same shaft coupling structure
1
as that shown in
FIG. 9
is used to couple the motor shaft
36
A and the input shaft
38
to each other.
That is, turning to the relation between
FIGS. 9 and 11
, the first shaft
2
corresponds to the motor shaft
36
A, and the second shaft
4
to the input shaft
38
. Rotational power from the motor shaft
36
A is thus transmitted through this shaft coupling structure
1
to the input shaft
38
with the same rotational speed.
The role of the joint casing
44
is to couple the motor
36
and the speed reducer
42
integrally so as not to make relative rotations. The joint casing
44
typically uses a circular cylindrical or square cylindrical member. In this connection, while this driving apparatus
34
has a structure of mounting the motor
36
directly onto the speed reducer
42
via the joint casing
44
, the motor
36
and the speed reducer
42
may be separately fixed to an independent motor base, speed-reducer base, and the like. In such a case, a safety cover and the like may be installed to prevent the shaft coupling structure
1
from exposure.
Note that a shaft coupling structure sometimes functions to avoid a breakage of apparatuses to be connected. Suppose, for example, that the rotation of the speed reducer
42
in
FIG. 11
is suddenly locked in an accident. Even so, the column-like member
8
, the driving keys
14
, or other components in the shaft coupling structure
1
can break down first to avoid an overload on the motor
36
and the like.
Nevertheless, as is evident from
FIG. 11
, there is plenty of room around the shaft coupling structure
1
(including the internal space of the joint casing
44
and the joint casing
44
itself) which has not been put into any use at all.
The reason for this is that the motor
36
, the speed reducer
42
, and other apparatuses having rotating shafts (input shaft
38
, motor shaft
36
A) has certain dimensions while the shaft coupling structure
1
for coupling the rotating shafts has highly compact configuration. That is, the space between the apparatuses arranged on both sides of the shaft coupling structure
1
actually has had no particular uses beneficial, other than to arrange a simple joint casing
44
or to install a safety cover over the shaft coupling structure
1
at best.
On the contrary, if the space described above is utilized, such utilization as involves an axial extension of the shaft coupling structure
1
and/or production of greater noise would be nothing more than confusion even in terms of shaft coupling functions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been achiev

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