Patent ID: 9631252
Date: 2017-04-25
CPC Classifications: C21D,H05B,Y02P

Claim:
1. An induction heat treatment workstation for hardening a gear, the gear having an inner surface bearing a plurality of groups of splines, the groups of splines being separated by webs, the workstation comprising: an inductor coil including a plurality of heating loops and a plurality of non-heating loops, wherein the heating loops are adjacent to and alternate with the non-heating loops around a circumference of the gear, the inductor coil being energizable by an alternating current power source, the inductor coil being operable to create an alternating magnetic field when energized to a predetermined frequency, the alternating magnetic field being configured to induce an eddy current in the plurality of groups of splines of the gear to induction harden the gear at the plurality of groups of splines, wherein the non-heating loops comprise first and second portions that are parallel to each other, wherein the first and second portions of the non-heating loops are disposed parallel to an axis of rotation of the rotational mechanism, wherein each of the first and second portions of the non-heating loops creates a portion of the alternating magnetic field, wherein the portion of the alternating magnetic field created by the first portion cancels the portion of the alternating magnetic field created by the second portion; and a rotational mechanism operable to rotate the gear about an axis of rotation, the rotational mechanism operable to rotate the gear relative to the inductor coil.