IP Library Granted Patent US 8,057,341
Granted Patent B2
US 8,057,341 · App. 12/291,808 · Granted Nov 15, 2011

Low-noise chain actuation

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,057,341
App. No.
12/291,808
Granted
Nov 15, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A chain drive with at least two sprocket wheels provided with teeth having an evolvent spline, and a toothed chain that engages therewith, especially for a vehicle propulsion system, which toothed chain includes individual rows of link plates that have openings, wherein the link plates are movably connected with each other by rocker pieces penetrating the openings and have chain teeth. The chain drive is characterized in that the tooth flanks of at least one tooth of least one of the sprocket wheels are designed differently.

Claims (19)

1. A chain drive comprising:

at least two sprocket wheels with teeth having an evolvent spline; and

a toothed chain, engaging with the sprocket wheels, the toothed chain including individual rows of link plates that have openings, the link plates being movably connected with each other by rocker pieces penetrating the openings and have chain teeth, wherein front and back tooth flanks of at least one tooth of at least one of the sprocket wheels are designed differently.

2. The chain drive as recited in claim 1 wherein the differing front and back tooth flanks have different pressure angles.

3. The chain drive as recited in claim 2 wherein the pressure angle of a front flank in a drive direction is steeper than the pressure angle of a back flank in the drive direction.

4. The chain drive as recited in claim 3 wherein the pressure angles range from 0.2° to 7°.

5. The chain drive as recited in claim 2 wherein the pressure angles are 22° to 38°.

6. The chain drive as recited in claim 2 wherein the sprocket wheels are provided with teeth with different pressure angles, and the front flanks of the teeth in a direction of rotation have a smaller pressure angle.

7. The chain drive as recited in claim 2 wherein the pressure angles of the front and back teeth flanks of the at least one tooth of the at least one sprocket wheel are different, and/or the teeth of the at least one sprocket wheel having different pitches and/or the teeth of the at least one sprocket wheel are of different thickness.

8. The chain drive as recited in claim 1 wherein the teeth of the at least one sprocket wheel have different pitches.

9. The chain drive as recited in claim 1 wherein the thicknesses of at least two teeth of the at least one sprocket wheel are different.

10. The chain drive as recited in claim 9 wherein the difference in thickness is 0.1 mm to 0.7 mm.

11. The chain drive as recited in claim 1 wherein the at least two sprocket wheels have teeth with differently designed front and back flanks and/or different pitches.

12. The chain drive as recited in claim 1 wherein the at least two sprocket wheels include an externally driven sprocket wheel and a sprocket wheel driven by the toothed chain, the externally driven sprocket wheel being larger than the sprocket wheel driven by the toothed chain.

13. The chain drive as recited in claim 1 wherein the sprocket wheels have between 20 and 100 teeth.

14. The chain drive as recited in claim 1 wherein the sprocket wheels have a ratio of approximately 0.2 to 5.

15. A vehicle using the chain drive as recited in claim 1 .

16. A sprocket wheel for a chain drive as recited in claim 1 .

17. The chain drive as recited in claim 1 wherein the chain drive is for a vehicle propulsion system.

Assignments (6)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PROPERTY NUMBERS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 037732 FRAME 0347. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE APP. NO. 14/553248 SHOULD BE APP. NO. 14/553258. Recorded Oct 11, 2016
From: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
To: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 040404/0530 →
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 5, 2016
From: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG; SCHAEFFLER VERWALTUNGS 5 GMBH
To: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 037732/0228 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 5, 2016
From: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
To: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 037732/0347 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 23, 2012
From: LUK VERMOEGENSVERWALTUNGSGESELLSCHAFT MBH
To: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 027915/0892 →
MERGER Recorded Feb 29, 2012
From: LUK LAMELLEN UND KUPPLUNGSBAU BETEILIGUNGS KG
To: LUK VERMOEGENSVERWALTUNGSGESELLSCHAFT MBH
Reel/Frame 027781/0207 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 12, 2009
From: PENNER, STEPHAN; JUNIG, MARCUS; SIMONOV, ANTON; PICHURA, MICHAEL
To: LUK LAMELLEN UND KUPPLUNGSBAU BETEILIGUNGS KG
Reel/Frame 022268/0636 →