Abstract:
A variable-tooth-thickness worm-type tool comprises a main body and a spiral blade distributed on the main body and featuring variable tooth thickness. The main body and the spiral blade are respectively described with a rack cutter coordinate system and a tool coordinate system. The vector parameters based on the rack cutter coordinate system are transformed into vector parameters based on the tool coordinate system so as to simulate the main body with a rack cutter and develop the spiral blade to have variable tooth thickness. Thus, when a gear blank is tooled, the distance between the centers of the tool holder and the workpiece holder can be set as a constant, and the feed in the radial degree-of-freedom can be neglected, with twists of tooth flanks being inhibited.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a Divisional of co-pending application Ser. No. 13/425,048, filed on Mar. 20, 2012, for which priority is claimed under 35 U.S.C. §120; and this application claims priority of application Ser. No. 10/013,6599, filed in Taiwan, R.O.C. on Oct. 7, 2011 under 35 U.S.C. §119; the entire contents of all of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a tool for fabricating gears, particularly to a variable-tooth-thickness worm-type tool for fabricating gears. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Refer to  FIG. 1  for a conventional worm-type tool, which applies to a generative-type gear fabrication machine to produce various cylindrical gears. Cylindrical gears are indispensable components for automobile industry, machinery industry, electromechanical industry and even aerospace industry. The current industry normally installs a worm-type tool in a generative-type gear fabrication machine to perform precision crowning and tapering processes of cylindrical gears, wherein the lead crowing of cylindrical gears are realized via varying the distance between the centers of the tool and the worked gear. However, such a technology will cause twisted gear flanks unless the crossed angle of the axes of the tool and the worked gear is varied in a very complicated way. 
         [0006]    For an example, a U.S. Pat. No. 0,311,063 of the Fette GmbH and Liebherr-Verzahntechnik companies disclosed a technology for varying the pressure angle of the tool. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the tool machine drives the tool to move along the axis thereof to vary the distance between centers of the tool and the worked gear so as to reduce the tooth flank twist of the worked gear. The prior art has to modify the tilt direction of the pressure angle of the tool along the lead of the tool and thus needs an extra degree-of-freedom for that. Therefore, the prior art has to spend more money on modifying the tool. Further, programming and computation for too modification and gear fabrication is pretty complicated in the prior art. 
         [0007]    For another example, a U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,134 disclosed a technology, wherein the precision worm-type tool has different left and right pressure angles, and wherein the tool machine feeds the tool longitudinally and radially to process the gear flanks. However, the conventional technology only uses a single side of the tool to process the tooth flanks, and the other side of the tool does not undertake tooth flank processing. Although the conventional technology can prolong the service of the tool, it has lower fabrication efficiency. Further, it does not solve the problem of twisted gear flanks. 
         [0008]    For a further example, a U.S. Pat. No. 7,937,182 disclosed a technology, which varies the ratio of diagonals and the distance of centers of the tool and the workpiece to fabricate gears, wherein the amount and path of crowning and the diagonal ratio are coordinated to obtain the required twist of gear profiles. All the abovementioned conventional technologies are realized via varying the pressure angle and the tool feed. Therefore, the conventional technologies have relatively higher costs. However, they do not necessarily reduce the twist of tooth flanks. 
         [0009]    It can be commented that the industry normally lead-crowns cylindrical gears via varying the distance between the centers of the tool and the worked gear. However, the conventional technologies would cause twisted tooth flanks unless the crossed angle between the axes of the tool and the worked gear. In fact, the manufacturers normally maintain the crossed angle at a constant lest the rigidity of tool machine be affected. Consequently, the tooth flanks are usually twisted, and the precision of the assembled machine is likely to be affected by that. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    One objective of the present invention is to provide a variable-tooth-thickness (VTT) worm-type tool, which can solve the problem of twisted tooth flanks, neither needing an extra degree-of-freedom nor increasing the fabrication complexity. 
         [0011]    The present invention proposes a variable-tooth-thickness worm-type tool to fabricate a gear blank into a gear. In one embodiment, the VTT worm-type tool comprises a main body and a spiral blade. The spiral blade is distributed on the main body and features variable tooth thickness. 
         [0012]    In one embodiment, the tooth thickness is gradually decreased from one end of the main body to the other end. In one embodiment, the tooth thickness is gradually decreased from one end of the main body to the center, and then gradually increased from the center to the other end. In the present invention, the tooth thickness is varied linearly or nonlinearly. 
         [0013]    In one embodiment, the VTT worm-type tool cooperates with a generative-type tool machine to fabricate gears. The generative-type tool machine of the present invention comprises a tool holder, a DOF (degree-of-freedom) control mechanism, and a workpiece holder. The main body of the VTT worm-type tool is installed in the tool holder. The DOF control mechanism is used to control the tool holder and has a longitudinal feeding DOF, a tangential feeding DOF, and an inclined angle DOF. The gear blank is installed in the workpiece holder and tooled by the VTT worm-type tool. As the spiral blade has variable tooth thickness in the present invention, the distance between the centers of the tool holder and the workpiece holder remains constant. Thus, the VTT worm-type tool of the present invention can save the tool machine the radial feeding DOF that is used to vary the distance between centers. Further, the VTT worm-type tool of the present invention can crown gears and prevent from twists of tooth flanks. 
         [0014]    Another objective of the present invention is to provide a method for using a VTT worm-type tool to fabricate cylindrical gears, which can crown cylindrical gears in high efficiency and low cost. 
         [0015]    The present invention also proposes a method for using a VTT worm-type tool to fabricate a gear blank into a cylindrical gear. In one embodiment, the method of the present invention comprises steps: describing a main body of a worm-type tool with a rack cutter coordinate system; describing a spiral blade with a tool coordinate system; converting the vector parameters based on the rack cutter coordinate system into the vector parameters based on the tool coordinate system to simulate the main body of the worm-type tool with a rack cutter and develop the VTT feature of the spiral blade; and neglecting the radial feeding DOF, and setting the feeding amounts in the longitudinal feeding DOF, tangential feeding DOF, and inclined angle DOF according to the VTT feature, for crowning a gear and inhibiting tooth flank twist. 
         [0016]    In one embodiment, the rack cutter coordinate system S 7  has three axes x 7 , y 7  and z 7  vertical to each other. In the rack cutter coordinate system S 7 , the position vector of the main body of the worm-type tool is expressed by 
         [0000]    
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
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         [0000]    and the normal vector of the main body is expressed by 
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         [0000]    wherein u 1  and v 1  are the virtual rack cutter parameters of the rack cutter coordinate system S 7  which are used to simulate the main body with a rack cutter, and wherein α on  is the pressure angle in the normal direction, and wherein r o1  is the pitch radius of the tool. Via coordinate transformation, the main body, which is originally described by the rack cutter coordinate system S 7 , is described by the tool coordinate system as follows. 
         [0017]    In the tool coordinate system S 3 , the position vector of the main body is expressed by 
         [0000]        r   3   =[x   3 ( v   1 ,φ 1 ), y   3 ( v   1 ,φ 1 ), z   3 ( v   1 ,φ 1 ),1] T  
 
         [0000]    , and the normal vector of the main body is expressed by 
         [0000]        n   3   =[n   x3 ( v   1 ,φ 1 ), n   y3 ( v   1 ,φ 1 ), n   z3 ( v   1 ,φ 1 )] T  
 
         [0000]    , wherein the conversion of parameters is according to the following equations: 
         [0000]              u   1     =       sin                     α   on          (         s   on          (     v   1     )       -     2                   r     o                 1            ϕ   1       +     2                   v   1        sin                   β     o                 1           )           2        (       cos                   β     o                 1         -       bv   1          cos   2          α   on        sin                   β     o                 1           )                 x   3 ( r   o1   +u   1  cos α on )cos φ 1 +[2 r   o1 φ 1 −cos β o1 ( s   on ( v   1 )−2 u   1  sin α on )−2 v   1  sin β o1 ] sin φ 1 /2
 
         [0000]        y   3 =( r   o1   +u   1  cos α on )sin φ 1 +[cos β o1 ( s   on ( v   1 )−2 u   1  sin α on )+2 v   1  sin β o1 −2 r   o1 φ 1 ] cos φ 1 /2
 
         [0000]        z   3   =v   1  cos β o1   +u   1  sin α on  sin β o1  
 
         [0000]        n   x3 =sin α on  cos φ 1 +cos α on ( bv   1  sin β o1 −cos β o1 )sin φ 1  
 
         [0000]        n   y3 =cos β o1 (cos α on   −bv   1  sin β o1 )cos φ 1 +sin α on  sin φ 1  
 
         [0000]        n   z3 =cos α on (sin β o1   +bv   1  cos β o1 )
 
         [0018]    Thus, the radial feed E o −az a   2 (t) is converted into a constant value, wherein Z a (t), Z s (t) and E o  are respectively the longitudinal feed, tangential feed and center distance of an ordinary tool, and wherein z s (t)=cz a (t). 
         [0019]    The present invention, the VTT worm-type tool, such as a hob or a worm-type grinder, lead-crowns gears and modifies tooth profiles, cooperating with a tool machine affording the VTT worm-type tool longitudinal and tangential feeds. In the present invention, it is via varying tooth thickness of the tool to reduce the twist of tooth flanks of the worked gear. The present invention does not need an extra DOF to vary the distance between the centers of the tool and the worked gear but merely needs to enhance the control of the tool machine over the longitudinal movement of the tool. Therefore, the present invention is a low-cost and high-efficiency gear-crowing tool and method. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0020]    The embodiments are illustrated in detail to make easily understood the objectives, technical contents, characteristics and efficacies of the present invention in cooperation with the drawing briefly described below. 
           [0021]      FIG. 1  schematically shows the structure of a conventional worm-type tool; 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  schematically shows the structure of a VTT worm-type tool according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  schematically shows a generative-type tool machine according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  shows a coordinate system of an ordinary tool used to fabricate a VTT worm-type tool according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  shows a coordinate system for describing the operation of the ordinary tool (shown in  FIG. 4 ) used to fabricate a VTT worm-type tool according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 6  showing a coordinate system for describing the case that a VTT worm-type tool processes a gear blank according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 7  shows the topology of a tooth flank fabricated by a standard tool; and 
           [0028]      FIG. 8  shows the topology of a tooth flank fabricated by a VTT worm-type tool according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0029]    The present invention proposes a variable-tooth-thickness (VTT) worm-type tool, such as a hob, a blade-type tool or a worm-type grinder. The present invention also proposes a method for using a VTT worm-type tool to fabricate a gear. In the present invention, the VTT worm-type tool cooperates with the longitudinal and tangential feeds of a tool machine to lead-crown gears and modify tooth profile, whereby to reduce tooth flank twists. The present invention needn&#39;t vary the distance between the centers of the tool and the worked gear but mainly focuses on controlling the longitudinal movement of the tool machine. The present invention not only exempts the user from complicated DOF setting but also exempts the worked gear from tooth flank twist. Therefore, the present invention can crown cylindrical gears in low cost and high efficiency. 
         [0030]    Refer to  FIG. 2  showing the structure of a VTT worm-type tool according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , distinct from the standard tool  10  drawn with a dotted line, the VTT worm-type tool  20  of the present invention features variable tooth thickness along the spiral blade. In detail, the tooth thickness of the VTT worm-type tool of the present invention is decreased from one end of the tool to the center of the tool, and then increased from the center to the other end. 
         [0031]    Refer to  FIG. 3 . In one embodiment, the present invention also proposes a generative-type tool machine cooperating with the abovementioned VTT worm-type tool  20 . One side of the generative-type tool machine has a tool holder for installing the VTT worm-type tool  20  and a 3-DOF mechanism for providing the longitudinal feed, the tangential feed and the inclined angle variation. Another side of the generative-type tool machine has a workpiece holder  30  for installing a gear blank  21 . When to be tooled by the VTT worm-type tool  20 , the gear blank  21  is arranged in the workpiece holder  30  and rotated by the workpiece holder  30  to make the worked region face the tool holder. In details, the tool holder is rotated to the inclined angle  40  set for the VTT worm-type tool  20  and the gear blank  21 , and moved to make the VTT worm-type tool  20  and the gear blank  21  have a center distance  50 , whereby the VTT worm-type tool  20  contacts a region of the gear blank  21 , which is to be cut or to be machined in another way. Once the tooling is started, the VTT worm-type tool  20  is moved along the longitudinal feeding direction  51 . At the same time, the VTT worm-type tool  20  is moved along the tangential feeding direction  52  from one end thereof to the other end. 
         [0032]    Below is explained in detail why the VTT worm-type tool and the matching generative-type tool machine of the present invention can simplify DOF setting and avoid tooth flank twists simultaneously. Firstly is described the processes of designing and producing the VTT worm-type tool  20 . 
         [0033]    Refer to  FIG. 4  showing a coordinate system of an ordinary tool used to fabricate a VTT worm-type tool according to one embodiment of the present invention, wherein the normal vector parameters are used to describe the coordinate system of the ordinary tool. In the embodiment, it is supposed that the theoretical tooth profile of the VTT worm-type tool  20  of the present invention is created by a rack cutter  11 . The tooth thickness of the rack cutter  11  along the lead direction is described by a quadratic equation: 
         [0000]        s   on ( v   1 )= bv   1   2   (1)
 
         [0034]    Refer to  FIG. 5 .  FIG. 5  shows a coordinate system for describing the operation of the ordinary tool (shown in  FIG. 4 ) used to fabricate a VTT worm-type tool according to one embodiment of the present invention. In  FIG. 5 , S 7  is the rack cutter coordinate system whose original point is denoted by O 7 ; S 3  is the tool coordinate system whose original point is denoted by O 3 ; S 4  is a fixed coordinate system whose original point is denoted by O 4 ; the original points of the tool coordinate system S 3  and the fixed coordinate system S 4  coincide. When the rack cutter  11  is moved for a distance of r o1 φ 1 , the tool is rotated by an angle of φ 1  with respect to the Z axis Z 4  of the fixed coordinate system S 4 . Thus, the position vector and normal vector of the tool are respectively expressed by Equation (2) and Equation (3). 
         [0035]    Described by the rack cutter coordinate system S 7 , the position vector of the tool is expressed as 
         [0000]    
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
                     
                       
                         
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                           7 
                         
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         [0036]    Described by the rack cutter coordinate system S 7 , the normal vector of the tool is expressed as 
         [0000]    
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
                     
                       
                         
                           n 
                           7 
                         
                         = 
                           
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         [0037]    The rack cutter parameters are respectively denoted by u 1  and v 1 ; α on  is the pressure angle in the normal direction; r o1  is the pitch radius of the tool. 
         [0038]    Via coordinate transformation, the position vector and normal vector of the VTT worm-type tool  20  are respectively described by the tool coordinate system as follows. 
         [0039]    Described by the tool coordinate system S 3 , the position vector of the VTT worm-type tool  20  is expressed as 
         [0000]        r   3   =[x   3 ( v   1 ,φ 1 ), y   3 ( v   1 ,φ 1 ), z   3 ( v   1 ,φ 1 ),1] T   (4)
 
         [0040]    Described by the tool coordinate system S 3 , the normal vector of the VTT worm-type tool  20  is expressed as 
         [0000]        n   3   =[n   x3 ( v   1 ,φ 1 ), n   y3 ( v   1 ,φ 1 ), n   z3 ( v   1 ,φ 1 )] T   (5)
 
         [0041]    The conversion of parameters is according to the following equations: 
         [0000]              u   1     =       sin                     α   on          (         s   on          (     v   1     )       -     2                   r     o                 1            ϕ   1       +     2                   v   1        sin                   β     o                 1           )           2        (       cos                   β     o                 1         -       bv   1          cos   2          α   on        sin                   β     o                 1           )                 x   3 ( r   o1   +u   1  cos α on )cos φ 1 +[2 r   o1 φ 1 −cos β o1 ( s   on ( v   1 )−2 u   1  sin α on )−2 v   1  sin β o1 ] sin φ 1 /2
 
         [0000]        y   3 =( r   o1   +u   1  cos α on )sin φ 1 +[cos β o1 ( s   on ( v   1 )−2 u   1  sin α on )+2 v   1  sin β o1 −2 r   o1 φ 1 ] cos φ 1 /2
 
         [0000]        z   3   =v   1  cos β o1   +u   1  sin α on  sin β o1  
 
         [0000]        n   x3 =sin α on  cos φ 1 +cos α on ( bv   1  sin β o1 −cos β o1 )sin φ 1  
 
         [0000]        n   y3 =cos β o1 (cos α on   −bv   1  sin β o1 )cos φ 1 +sin α on  sin φ 1  
 
         [0000]        n   z3 =cos α on (sin β o1   +bv   1  cos β o1 )  (6)
 
         [0042]    Refer to  FIG. 6  showing a coordinate system for describing the case that the VTT worm-type tool  20  is fed diagonally to machine the gear blank  21  (i.e. the workpiece) according to one embodiment of the present invention. In  FIG. 6 , S 1  is the tool coordinate system (the coordinate system of the x 1  axis and the y 1  axis); S 2  is the workpiece coordinate system; S a  is the fixed coordinate system of the tool machine. The tool machine needs to provide three-DOF feeds for an ordinary tool, i.e. the longitudinal feed Z a (t) along the axis of the workpiece, the tangential feed Z s (t) along the axis of the ordinary tool, and the distance E o  between the centers of the ordinary tool and the workpiece. The inclined angle set for the ordinary tool and the workpiece is denoted by γ. When the worked gear is modified along the lead direction by a conventional hobbing process, the hobbing machine has to feed the tool along the longitudinal feeding direction  51  shown in  FIG. 3 , and the center distance  50  is set for radial feed. The radial feed amount is determined according to Equation (7): 
         [0000]        E   o   −az   a   2 ( t )  (7)
 
         [0043]    However, the conventional technology is likely to cause tooth flank twists. 
         [0044]    The measures that the VTT worm-type tool and the matching tool machine of the present invention overcomes the problem of twisted tooth flanks include setting the center distance  50  to be a constant; providing a tool having variable tooth thickness; and controlling the feeds in the longitudinal feeding direction  51  and the tangential feeding direction  52  according to Equation (8): 
         [0000]        z   s ( t )= cz   a ( t )  (8)
 
         [0045]    Thus, the profile of the teeth can be obtained via combining the gear theorem, the geometric theorem and Equations (1)-(8) to realize a VTT worm-type tool  20  featuring variable tooth thickness. 
         [0046]    Refer to  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 .  FIG. 7  shows the topology of a tooth flank fabricated by a standard tool.  FIG. 8  shows the topology of a tooth flank fabricated by the VTT worm-type tool of the present invention. 
         [0047]    Below are provided the examples of the gears respectively fabricated with a conventional standard tool and the VTT worm-type tool of the present invention. 
         [0048]    The data of the worked gear includes 
         [0049]    Number of teeth=50 
         [0050]    Normal module=3 mm 
         [0051]    Normal circular-teeth thickness=4.712 mm 
         [0052]    Normal pressure angle=20 degrees RH 
         [0053]    Helix angle=20 degrees 
         [0054]    Face width=15 mm 
         [0055]    The data of the tool includes 
         [0056]    Number of teeth=1 
         [0057]    Helix angle=87.888 degrees RH 
         [0058]    Normal circular-teeth thickness=4.712 mm 
         [0059]    The operating data of the tool machine includes 
         [0060]    Inclined angle of the tool holder=17.888 degrees 
         [0061]    Standard distance between the centers of the tool and the gear blank=120.510 mm 
         [0062]    When the gear is fabricated with a standard tool, the tool machine feeds the standard tool in the longitudinal feeding direction and the radial feeding direction according to the feeding parameters: a=1.34×10 −3 , b=0, and c=0, wherein a is the center distance variation coefficient, b the tooth thickness variation coefficient, and c the tangential feeding coefficient. As shown in  FIG. 7 , twists appear in the left and right tooth flanks. When the gear is fabricated with the VTT worm-type tool of the present invention, the tool machine feeds the VTT worm-type tool in the longitudinal feeding direction and the tangentially feeding direction according to the feeding parameters: a=0, b=1.46×10 −7 , and c=−3.256. As shown in  FIG. 8 , the VTT worm-type tool of the present invention can effectively inhibit the twists of the tooth flanks. Therefore, the present invention can achieve the objective of the lead modification. 
         [0063]    The present invention at least has the following advantages: 
         [0064]    1. The combination of the VTT worm-type tool and the matching tool machine of the present invention can achieve the target of gear crowning, merely using the longitudinal feed and the tangential feed. 
         [0065]    2. The present invention can inhibit tooth flank twist via merely varying the tooth thickness. 
         [0066]    3. It is unnecessary for the tool machine fabricating or using the VTT worm-type tool to have an extra DOF or vary the mechanism thereof. 
         [0067]    4. The tool machine using the VTT worm-type tool needn&#39;t vary the distance between the centers of the tool and the worked gear but only needs to feed the tool in the longitudinal direction and the tangential direction. 
         [0068]    In conclusion, the VTT worm-type tool and the matching tool machine of the present invention can crown gears and inhibit tooth flank twists in low cost and high efficiency, merely using the longitudinal feed and the tangential feed. Therefore, the present invention implies enormous economic profit and has great industrial utility. 
         [0069]    The present invention has been demonstrated in detail with the embodiments. However, the embodiments described abovementioned are only to exemplify the present invention but not to limit the scope of the present invention. According to the specification stated above, any person skilled in the art can easily make various modifications or variations of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, any modification or variation made according to the present invention is to be also included within the scope of the present invention.