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US-20260126107-A1 - RACK AND PINION DRIVE APPARATUS

US20260126107A1US 20260126107 A1US20260126107 A1US 20260126107A1US-20260126107-A1

Abstract

Disclosed is a rack and pinion drive apparatus ( 100 ). The rack and pinion drive apparatus ( 100 ) includes a pinion ( 102 ) provided with a number of pinion teeth ( 108 ) such that each pinion teeth of the plurality of pinion teeth ( 108 ) comprises a top land ( 202 ) and a bottom land ( 204 ). A rack ( 104 ) provided with a number of rack teeth ( 106 ) such that a set of rack teeth of the plurality of rack teeth ( 106 ) includes a rack chamfered edge ( 112 ). The top land ( 202 ) of each pinion teeth of the number of teeth ( 108 ) includes a pinion chamfered edge ( 202 A) such that the pinion chamfered edge ( 202 A) is configured to engage with the rack chamfered edge ( 112 ) of the set of rack teeth of the number of rack teeth ( 106 ) to facilitate meshing of the plurality of pinion teeth ( 108 ) with the number of rack teeth ( 106 ).

Inventors

  • Dheeraj VERMA
  • Sonu YADAV
  • Ravi RAVI
  • Shanky Kumar MANGLA

Assignees

  • FALCON AUTOTECH PRIVATE LIMITED

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20230525

Claims (9)

  1. 1 . A rack and pinion drive apparatus ( 100 ) comprising: a pinion ( 102 ) having a plurality of pinion teeth ( 108 ) in a manner that each pinion teeth of the plurality of pinion teeth ( 108 ) comprise a top land ( 202 ) and a bottom land ( 204 ); a rack ( 104 ) having a plurality of rack teeth ( 106 ) in a manner that a set of rack teeth of the plurality of rack teeth ( 106 ) comprise a rack chamfered edge ( 112 ); wherein the top land ( 202 ) of each pinion teeth of the plurality of pinion teeth ( 108 ) comprises a pinion chamfered edge ( 202 A) in a manner that the pinion chamfered edge ( 202 A) is configured to engage with the rack chamfered edge ( 112 ) of the set of rack teeth of the plurality of rack teeth ( 106 ) to facilitate meshing of the plurality of pinion teeth ( 108 ) with the plurality of rack teeth ( 106 ); wherein a chamfer angle of the pinion chamfered edge ( 202 A) of the top land ( 202 ) of the pinon tooth ( 108 ) lie between from about 5 degrees (5°) to about 45 degrees (45)°.
  2. 2 . The rack and pinion drive apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein height of the plurality of pinion teeth ( 108 ) lie between from about 6 milli-meter (6 mm) to about 8 mm.
  3. 3 . The rack and pinion drive apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pinion chamfered edge ( 202 A) of the top land ( 202 ) of the pinion tooth ( 108 ) is configured to shift the direction of reaction force from the radial direction of the pinion ( 102 ) such that the degree of shift of the direction of the reaction force lie between from 35° to about 45° from the radial direction of the pinion ( 102 ).
  4. 4 . The rack and pinion drive apparatus ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the width of the plurality of pinion teeth ( 108 ) lie between from about 4.5 mm to about 5 mm.
  5. 5 . A storage facility ( 400 ) of warehouse comprising: a robot ( 404 ) having a robot wheel ( 406 ) operatively coupled to a pinion ( 102 configured to rotate on the rack ( 104 ); the pinion ( 102 ) having a plurality of pinion teeth ( 108 ) in a manner that each pinion teeth of the plurality of pinion teeth ( 108 ) comprises a top land ( 202 ) and a bottom land ( 204 ); a plurality of shelf ( 402 ) having a rack ( 104 ); the rack ( 104 ) having a plurality of rack teeth ( 106 ) in a manner that a set of rack teeth of the plurality of rack teeth ( 106 ) comprising a rack chamfered edge ( 112 ); wherein the top land ( 202 ) of each pinion teeth of the plurality of pinion teeth ( 108 ) comprises a pinion chamfered edge ( 202 A) in a manner such that the pinion chamfered edge ( 202 A) is configured to engage with the rack chamfered edge ( 112 ) of the set of rack teeth of the plurality of rack teeth ( 106 ) to facilitate meshing of the plurality of pinion teeth ( 108 ) with the plurality of rack teeth ( 106 ).
  6. 6 . The storage facility ( 400 ) as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the pinion chamfered edge ( 202 A) of the top land ( 202 ) of the pinion tooth ( 108 ) is configured to shift the direction of reaction force from the radial direction of the pinion ( 102 ) such that the degree of shift of the direction of the reaction force lie between from 35° to about 45° from the radial direction of the pinion ( 102 ).
  7. 7 . A method ( 400 ) for meshing a pinion ( 102 ) with a rack ( 104 ), the method ( 400 ) comprising: chamfering ( 402 ) a pinion chamfered edge ( 202 A) of a top land ( 202 ) of each pinion teeth of a plurality of pinion teeth ( 108 ); chamfering ( 404 ) a rack chamfered edge ( 112 ) of a set of rack teeth of a plurality of rack teeth ( 106 ); and meshing ( 406 ) the plurality of the pinion teeth ( 108 ) with the plurality of rack teeth ( 106 ) by engaging the chamfered edge ( 202 A) of the top land ( 202 ) of each pinion teeth of the plurality of teeth ( 108 ) with the rack chamfered edge ( 112 ) of the set of rack teeth of the plurality of rack teeth ( 106 ).
  8. 8 . The method ( 400 ) as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising: shifting the direction of reaction force from the radial direction of the pinion ( 102 ) such that the degree of shift of the direction of the reaction force lie between from 35° to about 45° from the radial direction of the pinion ( 102 ).
  9. 9 . The method ( 400 ) as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the pinion ( 102 ) is configured to mesh with the rack ( 104 ) from either of a first end ( 402 ) or a second end ( 404 ) of the rack ( 104 ) such that the pinion ( 102 ) rolls in direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the pinion ( 102 ) and parallel to the pitch line of rack teeth while meshing with the rack ( 104 ).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to rack and pinion. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a rack and pinion drive apparatus. BACKGROUND Rack and pinion arrangement is an important transmission mode in field of mechanical transmission, and has a wide range of applications in the fields of mechanical equipment, stairlifts, actuators and so on. The rack and pinion arrangement are widely used transmission mechanism for converting rotary motion into linear motion and vice versa. The meshing of rack and pinion teeth is not a problem unless the pinion is allowed to move up to the length of rack. There are certain situations such as pinion is moved more than the length of rack and then re-engaged there are chances of improper meshing of top surface of rack and pinion teeth due to which a deadlock is created or the pinion may run over the rack and engages with sudden jerk. The reason of this sudden jerk is that when the top surface of engaging teeth of pinion comes within contact of engaging teeth of rack a reaction force is generated at contact point which is normal to the top surface of pinion teeth. Since the normal to the top surface of pinion teeth is always directed towards the pinion centre, this force will not rotate pinion to engage properly. This problem can be solved by increasing the number of teeth on pinion or by making the initial few teeth of rack in increasing order in terms of their size. This necessitates the length of the rack to increase beyond the desired length of the rack, which may not be a suitable approach while using the rack and pinion arrangement. In view of the above stated problem, there remains a need for the requirement of a rack and pinion drive apparatus that is able to overcome the issue of deadlock (sudden jerk) and increased length of the rack and pinion arrangement. SUMMARY In view of the foregoing, a rack and pinion drive apparatus has been provided. The rack and pinion drive apparatus includes a pinion having a plurality of pinion teeth in a manner that each pinion teeth of the plurality of pinion teeth comprises a top land and a bottom land. A rack having a plurality of rack teeth in a manner that a set of rack teeth of the plurality of rack teeth comprises a rack chamfered edge. The top land of each pinion teeth of the plurality of pinion teeth comprises a pinion chamfered edge in a manner that the pinion chamfered edge is configured to engage with the rack chamfered edge of the set of rack teeth of the plurality of rack teeth to facilitate meshing of the plurality of pinion teeth with the plurality of rack teeth. A chamfer angle of the pinion chamfered edge of the top land of the pinion tooth lies between from about 5 degrees (5°) to about 45 degrees (45°). The height of the plurality of pinion teeth lies between from about 6 millimetre (6 mm) to about 8 mm. The pinion chamfered edge of the top land of the pinion tooth is configured to shift the direction of reaction force from the radial direction of the pinion such that the degree of shift of the direction of the reaction force lie between from 35° to about 45° from the radial direction of the pinion. The width of the plurality of pinion teeth (108) lies between from about 4.5 mm to about 5 mm. In an aspect, a storage facility of warehouse includes a robot having a robot wheel that is operatively coupled to a pinion that is configured to rotate on the rack. The pinion having a plurality of pinion teeth in a manner that each pinion teeth of the plurality of pinion teeth comprises a top land and a bottom land. A plurality of shelf having a rack and the rack having a plurality of rack teeth in a manner that a set of rack teeth of the plurality of rack teeth comprising a rack chamfered edge. The top land of each pinion teeth of the plurality of pinion teeth comprises a pinion chamfered edge in a manner such that the pinion chamfered edge is configured to engage with the rack chamfered edge of the set of rack teeth of the plurality of rack teeth to facilitate meshing of the plurality of pinion teeth with the plurality of rack teeth. The pinion chamfered edge of the top land of the pinion tooth is configured to shift the direction of reaction force from the radial direction of the pinion such that the degree of shift of the direction of the reaction force lie between from 35° to about 45° from the radial direction of the pinion. In an aspect, a method for meshing a pinion with a rack has been provided. The method includes steps of chamfering a pinion chamfered edge of a top land of each pinion teeth of a plurality of pinion teeth; the chamfering a rack chamfered edge of a set of rack teeth of a plurality of rack teeth; meshing the plurality of the pinion teeth with the plurality of rack teeth by engaging the chamfered edge of the top land of each pinion teeth of the plurality of teeth with the rack chamfered edge of the set of rack teeth of the plurality of rack teeth. The method further includes