Patent Publication Number: US-2020292031-A1

Title: Power transmission device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to a power transmission device and more particularly to a power transmission device that can maintain its moment of inertia and output energy stably once in operation. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     The law of the lever has long been applied in our daily lives to save the time and effort required for operating an implement. Some notable ancient examples of lever-assisted activities are, among others, drawing water from a well and removing a big rock. Recently, with the rapid development of motor vehicles, the law of the lever has been applied to the drivetrains of such vehicles, preferably in conjunction with gear trains, gearboxes, or gears of different sizes in order to change the speed and torque of motor output. 
     While applications of the law of the lever and gear-related applications abound in the modem society, implements that work on the very law or gears and are targeted at the general public can hardly find application in heavy industry or power plants because they are often small to meet consumers&#39; demand for user-friendliness, whereas implements designed to cater for heavy industry or power plants (e.g., steel bar carriers used in the steel industry) are generally much larger. 
     To increase the work efficiency or throughput of heavy industry or the power generation industry, those who work in the aforesaid industries are usually required to develop suitable implements on their own. Now that implements for use in those industries are in most cases of considerable size, it is imperative to design a device that can be applied to a heavy-industry or power generation implement, provide a sufficient amount of power for the implement, convert the power into another form of energy (e.g., electric power), and deliver the energy to the implement to enable efficient operation thereof. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In light of the above, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a power transmission device that can be applied to a large machine tool in heavy industry or to a power generation apparatus. The power transmission device of the invention can incessantly output the energy it generates, the working principles involved including inertia, the law of the lever, and a reduction in speed followed by an increase in speed. One advantage of the invention, therefore, is sustained output of energy. Moreover, as the major gears used in the invention have larger diameters than the gear trains used in motor vehicles, the power transmission device of the invention can generate more energy (e.g., larger torques) than those gear trains, and the generation of such relatively large torques is another advantage of the invention. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a power transmission device capable of torque amplification. The power transmission device of the invention uses a relatively large gear to drive a relatively small gear, so the torque of the relatively small gear increases with the torque of the relatively large gear, which renders the power transmission device suitable for use with a machine whose operation requires a large torque. The power transmission device of the invention is also applicable to power supply systems because the energy provided by the power transmission device can be further converted into electric energy. Moreover, in order for the power transmission device to supply and output energy continuously, the law of inertia is applied in the invention by rotating the relatively large gear with a motor so that the relatively large, and hence relatively heavy, gear will keep rotating and thus driving the other gears into rotation for energy generation. The energy thus generated will be collected by an energy output end device disposed alongside the last gear, in order for the energy output end device to convert the energy (e.g., into electric or thermal energy) for further use or storage. 
     According to the first aspect of the present invention, a power transmission device includes a box, a first platform, a second platform, a rotating shaft, a first gear, a second gear, a motor, and an energy output end. The box has a bottom panel, a first outer panel, a second outer panel, a left panel, a right panel, a first inner panel, and a second inner panel. The first outer panel, the second outer panel, the left panel, the right panel, the first inner panel, and the second inner panel are provided on the bottom panel. The bottom panel, the first inner panel, the second inner panel, the left panel, and the right panel form a first chamber. The top end of the first inner panel is provided with a first engaging groove, and the top end of the second inner panel is provided with a second engaging groove. The first platform is connected to the top edges of the first outer panel, of the left panel, and of the first inner panel. The second platform is connected to the top edges of the second outer panel, of the right panel, and of the second inner panel. The rotating shaft has two ends mounted respectively with a first bearing and a second bearing. The first bearing and the second bearing are fitted in the first engaging groove and the second engaging groove respectively. The first gear is mounted around the rotating shaft, and so is the second gear. The first gear and the second gear are located between the first bearing and the second bearing such that when the rotating shaft is placed in the first engaging groove and the second engaging groove via the first bearing and the second bearing respectively, a lower portion of the first gear and a lower portion the second gear are in the first chamber. The motor is provided on the first platform and includes a third gear. The third gear meshes directly with the first gear such that when the third gear is driven to rotate by the motor, the first gear is rotated as well and in turn rotates the rotating shaft and the second gear. The energy output end is provided on the second platform, has a gear structure for meshing with the second gear, and is configured to convert the energy generated by the rotation of the second gear and store the converted energy. In one embodiment, the energy output end further has a stop structure for contact with the second gear. In one embodiment, the rotating shaft, the first gear, the second gear, the first bearing, and the second bearing constitute a primary gear train. In some embodiments, the first platform is connected to the first outer panel and the first inner panel while the second platform is connected to the second outer panel and the second inner panel. In some embodiments, there may be one or more than one motor. 
     According to the second aspect of the present invention, a power transmission device includes at least one motor and a plurality of gear trains in order to output more energy. In one embodiment, a first rotating shaft, a first gear, a second gear, a first bearing, and a second bearing constitute a primary gear train, and a plurality of secondary gear trains are provided to increase the energy input into and output from the primary gear train. Each secondary gear train includes a second rotating shaft, a fourth gear, a fifth gear, a third bearing, and a fourth bearing, wherein the third bearing and the fourth bearing are mounted around the two ends of the second rotating shaft respectively and are fitted in a first engaging grove and a second engaging groove respectively, wherein the fourth gear and the fifth gear are mounted around the second rotating shaft and are located between the third bearing and the fourth bearing, and wherein a lower portion of the fourth gear and a lower portion of the fifth gear are located in the first chamber. In some embodiments, each fourth gear has a larger diameter than the corresponding fifth gear. In order to mount the multiple gear trains, the top end of the first inner panel of the box of the power transmission device is provided with a plurality of first engaging grooves, and the top end of the second inner panel of the box is provided with a plurality of second engaging grooves. In one embodiment, when a plurality of motors drive their respective third gears into rotation, the fourth gears are driven into rotation as well and in turn rotate the second rotating shafts and the fifth gears in the secondary gear trains respectively; as a result, the first gear in the primary gear train is rotated by the fifth gears and in turn rotates the first rotating shaft and the second gear in the primary gear train. 
     To draw more energy out of the foregoing power transmission device, the power transmission device is provided with at least one energy output end. The at least one energy output end functions as a stop, has a stop structure for contact with the periphery of the second gear (which periphery may be viewed as the periphery of the first rotating shaft) in order to draw energy from the second gear, and is configured to convert the energy generated by the rotation of the second gear and of the first rotating shaft and store the converted energy. In some embodiments, the at least one energy output end is electrically connected to the at least one motor in order to deliver energy (e.g., electricity) to the at least one motor. 
     In some embodiments, the bottom panel, the first outer panel, the second outer panel, the left panel, the right panel, the first inner panel, and the second inner panel are integrally formed. 
     In some embodiments, the first gear and the third gear rotate in opposite directions; for example, if the third gear rotates counterclockwise, then the first gear will rotate clockwise. In some embodiments, the first gear and the second gear rotate in the same direction; for example, if the first gear rotates clockwise, then the second gear will rotate clockwise too. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be detailed below with reference to some illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference numerals indicate similar elements. It should be understood, however, that the embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be restrictive of the scope of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the power transmission device according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the power transmission device in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  shows the relative positions of the first gear and the second gear in the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the power transmission device according to another embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 5( a )  and  FIG. 5( b )  show the power transmission device according to yet another embodiment of the invention, wherein the power transmission device includes more than one motor. 
         FIG. 6( a )  and  FIG. 6( b )  show the power transmission device according to still another embodiment of the invention, wherein the power transmission device includes more than one motor and more than one gear train. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention is given below to demonstrate feasible modes of implementing the invention. A person skilled in the art would have no problem understanding the effects and advantages of the invention from the disclosure of the present specification. The invention may have other embodiments, i.e., be used and implemented in a different way from those disclosed herein. The details stated in the specification may be applied to meet a different need and may be modified or changed in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. 
     Hereinafter, the present invention is described with reference to some preferred embodiments and preferred aspects of the invention. The following description, however, serves only to expound the structure of the invention but not to limit the scope of the invention. The invention can be carried out in many ways other than those of the preferred embodiments. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  for the power transmission device  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention, the power transmission device  100  includes a box  102 , a first platform  202  (see  FIG. 2 ), a second platform  204  (see  FIG. 2 ), a rotating shaft  206  (see  FIG. 2 ), a first gear  118 , a second gear  120 , a motor  122 , and an energy output end  124 . The box  102  has a bottom panel  104 , a first outer panel  106 , a second outer panel  108 , a left panel  110 , a right panel  112 , a first inner panel  114 , and a second inner panel  116 . The first outer panel  106 , the second outer panel  108 , the left panel  110 , the right panel  112 , the first inner panel  114 , and the second inner panel  116  are provided on the bottom panel  104 . The bottom panel  104 , the first inner panel  114 , the second inner panel  116 , the left panel  110 , and the right panel  112  form a first chamber C 1 . The top end of the first inner panel  114  is provided with a first engaging groove  212  (see  FIG. 2 ), and the top end of the second inner panel  116  is provided with a second engaging groove  126 . 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 2 , which is a top view of the power transmission device  200 , the first platform  202  is connected to the top edge of the first outer panel  106 , the top edge of the left panel  110 , and the top edge of the first inner panel  114 ; and the second platform  204  is connected to the top edge of the second outer panel  108 , the top edge of the right panel  112 , and the top edge of the second inner panel  116 . A first bearing  208  and a second bearing  210  are mounted around the two ends of the rotating shaft  206  respectively and are fitted in the first engaging groove  212  and the second engaging groove  214  respectively. The first gear  118  is mounted around the rotating shaft  206 , and so is the second gear  120 . The first gear  118  and the second gear  120  are located between the first bearing  208  and the second bearing  210  such that when the rotating shaft  206  is placed in the first engaging groove  212  and the second engaging groove  214  via the first bearing  208  and the second bearing  210  respectively, a lower portion of the first gear and a lower portion of the second gear are in the first chamber C 1 . The motor  122  is provided on the first platform  202  and includes a third gear  216 . The third gear  216  meshes directly with the first gear  118  such that when the motor  122  rotates the third gear  216 , the first gear  118  is simultaneously rotated by the third gear  216  and in turn rotates the rotating shaft  206  and the second gear  120 . The energy output end  124  is provided on the second platform  204  and functions as a stop. The energy output end  124  has a gear structure for meshing with the second gear and is configured to convert the energy generated by the rotation of the second gear  120  and store the converted energy. 
     In some embodiments, the first gear has a larger diameter than the second gear. More specifically, the diameter of the first gear in one embodiment is at least twice as large as the diameter of the second gear. 
     In another embodiment, the diameter of the first gear is 200 cm, and in order to drive the first gear, it is required that the motor in the invention have a rotation speed of at least 1600 revolutions per minute. 
     In one embodiment, referring back to  FIG. 2 , the bottom panel  104 , the first outer panel  106 , the first inner panel  114 , the left panel  110 , and the right panel  112  jointly form and surround a second chamber C 2 . In another embodiment, the bottom panel  104 , the second outer panel  108 , the second inner panel  116 , the left panel  110 , and the right panel  112  form a third chamber C 3 . 
       FIG. 3  shows the relative positions of the first gear  302  and the second gear  304  in the present invention. In one embodiment, the first gear  302  and the second gear  304  are spaced apart by a predetermined distance L. In some embodiments, the distance L is at least 4 cm. In one embodiment, the two ends of the rotating shaft  306  are mounted respectively with the first bearing  308  and the second bearing  310 , and both the first gear  302  and the second gear  304  are mounted around the rotating shaft  306  and are located between the first bearing  308  and the second bearing  310 . Some embodiments of the invention further include a first lining plate  312  and a second lining plate  314 . The first lining plate  312  is mounted around the rotating shaft  306  and is located between the first gear  302  and the first bearing  308 . The second lining plate  314  is also mounted around the rotating shaft  306  but is located between the second gear  304  and the second bearing  310 . In one embodiment, the outer surface of the first bearing  308  and the outer surface of the second bearing  310  define a thick D therebetween. 
       FIG. 4  shows the power transmission device according to another embodiment of the present invention. This power transmission device further includes a housing  402  for the sake of safety. The housing is mounted on the power transmission device such that an upper portion of the first gear and an upper portion of the second gear are located in the housing. The housing renders the first chamber into a closed structure, in which the first gear and the second gear can rotate continuously. In one embodiment, a bottom portion of the housing includes at least one locking hole  404 , and a locking screw can be inserted through the locking hole  404  to secure the housing  402  to the first inner panel and the second inner panel. Some embodiments of the invention further include at least one output hole  406 . 
       FIG. 5( a )  and  FIG. 5( b )  show the power transmission device according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment has a larger number of motors than the previous embodiments in order to increase the output energy effectively. The larger number of motors also result in a larger number of first platforms (where the motors are placed) than in the previous embodiments. It follows that the positions (or relative positions) of the first platforms in this embodiment are different from the position of the first platform in the previous embodiments. Moreover, the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5( a )  and  FIG. 5( b )  has a larger number of energy output ends (from which the energy output by the power transmission device can be drawn) than the previous embodiments. As shown in  FIG. 5( a )  and  FIG. 5( b ) , the power transmission device  500  includes a box  502 , a plurality of first platforms  522 , a second platform  524 , a rotating shaft  526  (see also  FIG. 5( b ) ), a first gear  532 , a second gear  534 , at least one motor  536 , and at least one energy output end  540 . The box  502  has a bottom panel  504 , a first outer panel  506 , a second outer panel  508 , a left panel  510 , a right panel  512 , a first inner panel  514 , and a second inner panel  516 . The first outer panel  506 , the second outer panel  508 , the left panel  510 , the right panel  512 , the first inner panel  514 , and the second inner panel  516  are provided on the bottom panel  504 . The bottom panel  504 , the first inner panel  514 , the second inner panel  516 , the left panel  510 , and the right panel  512  form a first chamber C 1 . The top end of the first inner panel  514  is provided with a first engaging groove  518  (see  FIG. 5( b ) ), and the top end of the second inner panel  516  is provided with a second engaging groove  520 . In one embodiment, the plural first platforms  522  are connected to the first outer panel  506  and the first inner panel  514 , and the second platform  524  is connected to the second outer panel  508  and the second inner panel  516 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5( b ) , which is a top view of the power transmission device  500 , the two ends of the rotating shaft  526  of the power transmission device  500  are mounted with a first bearing  528  and a second bearing  530  respectively. The first bearing  528  and the second bearing  530  are fitted in the first engaging groove  518  and the second engaging groove  520  respectively. The first gear  532  is mounted around the rotating shaft  526 , and so is the second gear  534 . The first gear  532  and the second gear  534  are located between the first bearing  528  and the second bearing  530  such that when the rotating shaft  526  is placed in the first engaging groove  518  and the second engaging groove  520  via the first bearing  528  and the second bearing  530  respectively, a lower portion of the first gear  532  and a lower portion of the second gear  534  are in the first chamber C 1 . The motors  536  in this embodiment are provided on the first platforms  522  respectively and each include a third gear  538 . The third gears  538  mesh directly with the first gear  532  such that when the motors  536  rotate their respective third gears  538 , the first gear  532  is simultaneously rotated by the third gears  538  and in turn rotates the rotating shaft  526  and the second gear  534 . The at least one energy output end  540  functions as a stop. More specifically, each energy output end  540  has a stop structure for contact with the periphery of the second gear  534  (which periphery may be viewed as the periphery of the rotating shaft  526 ) so as to draw energy from the rotating second gear  534 . The energy output ends  540  are configured to convert the energy generated by the rotation of the second gear  534  and of the rotating shaft  526  and store the converted energy. In one embodiment, the energy output ends  540  are provided on the second platform  524 . 
     In some embodiments, the device  500  further includes a first lining plate and a second lining plate. The first lining plate is mounted around the rotating shaft and is located between the first gear and the first bearing. The second lining plate is also mounted around the rotating shaft but is located between the second gear and the second bearing. 
     In order for the power transmission device of the present invention to output more energy, there may be an additional gear train besides an additional motor. For example,  FIG. 6( a )  and  FIG. 6( b )  show the power transmission device according to an embodiment that has more than one motor and more than one gear train.  FIG. 6( a )  and  FIG. 6( b )  also detail the relative positions of the gear trains in this power transmission device. As shown in the drawings, the power transmission device  600  has a primary gear train  602  that is composed of a rotating shaft  604 , a first gear  606 , a second gear  608 , a first bearing  610 , and a second bearing  612 . To increase the energy input into and output from the primary gear train  602 , the power transmission device  600  further has at least one secondary gear train  614  that includes a rotating shaft  616 , a fourth gear  618 , a fifth gear  620 , a third bearing  622 , and a fourth bearing  624 , wherein the third bearing  622  and the fourth bearing  624  are mounted around the two ends of the rotating shaft  616  respectively and are fitted in a first engaging groove  626  and a second engaging groove  628  respectively. The mounting of the primary gear train  602  and of the at least one secondary gear train  614  is made possible by the plurality of first engaging grooves  626  provided at the top end of the first inner panel  640  and the plurality of second engaging grooves  628  provided at the top end of the second inner panel  642 . In each secondary gear train  614  shown in the drawings, both the fourth gear  618  and the fifth gear  620  are mounted around the rotating shaft  616  and are located between the third bearing  622  and the fourth bearing  624 , with a lower portion of the fourth gear  618  and a lower portion of the fifth gear  620  in the first chamber. In some embodiments, each fourth gear  618  has a larger diameter than the corresponding fifth gear  620 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6( b ) , the motors  630  are provided on the first platforms  636  respectively. In one embodiment, the third gear  632  of each motor  630  of the power transmission device meshes directly with the corresponding fourth gear  618 , and each fifth gear  620  meshes directly with the first gear  606 . Therefore, when the motors  630  rotate their respective third gears  632 , the fourth gears  618  are rotated respectively by the third gears  632  and in turn rotate the rotating shafts  616  and the fifth gears  620  in their respective secondary gear trains  614 . As a result, the first gear  606  in the primary gear train  602  is rotated by the fifth gears  620  and in turn rotates the rotating shaft  604  and the second gear  608  in the primary gear train  602 . In some embodiments, the at least one energy output end  634  functions as a stop, has a stop structure for contact with the periphery of the second gear  608  (which periphery may be viewed as the periphery of the rotating shaft  604 ) so as to draw energy from the rotating second gear  608 , and is configured to convert the energy generated by the rotation of the second gear  608  and of the rotating shaft  604  and store the converted energy. In some embodiments, the at least one energy output end is electrically connected to the at least one motor in order to deliver energy (e.g., electricity) to the at least one motor. In one embodiment, the at least one energy output end is provided on the second platform  638 . 
     In some embodiments, referring back to  FIG. 6( a ) , when the motors  630  drive their respective third gears  632  into clockwise rotation (viewed from the second inner panel  642  toward the first inner panel  640 , i.e., in the direction of the arrow Y in  FIG. 6( a ) ), the fourth gears  618  are rotated counterclockwise and drive the rotating shafts  616  and the fifth gears  620  in their respective secondary gear trains  614  into counterclockwise rotation such that the first gear  606  in the primary gear train  602  is rotated clockwise by the fifth gears  620 . In some embodiments, the first gear  606  is adjacent to the first inner panel  640  while the fourth gears  618  are adjacent to the second inner panel  642 . 
     The present invention has been described above by way of some preferred embodiments of the invention. As a person skilled in the art would understand, the embodiments provided herein serve only to explain the invention but not to restrict the scope of the invention. The scope of the patent protection sought by the applicant is defined by, and encompasses equivalents of, the appended claims. A person skilled in the art may change or modify the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, and all such changes and modifications shall be viewed as equivalent changes or designs based on the spirit of the invention and therefore fall within the scope of the invention.