Analytical solution to contact characteristics for a variable hyperbolic circular-arc-tooth-trace cylindrical gear

Abstract

The variable hyperbolic circular-arc-tooth-trace (VH-CATT) cylindrical gear is a new type of gear. In order to research the contact characteristics of the VH-CATT cylindrical gear, tooth surface mathematical models of this kind of gear pair are derived based on the forming principle of the rotating double-edged cutting method with great cutter head in this regard. Then, according to the differential geometry theory and Hertz theory, the formula of the induced normal curvature and equation of the contact ellipse are derived based on the condition of continuous tangency of two meshing surfaces, which proves that the contact form of VH-CATT cylindrical gear is point contact. The present work establishes analytical solutions to research the effect of different parameters for the contact characteristic of the VH-CATT cylindrical gear by incorporating elastic deformation on the tooth surface, which have shown that the module, tooth number and cutter radius have a crucial effect on the induced normal curvature and contact ellipse of the VH-CATT cylindrical gear in the direction of tooth trace and tooth profile. Moreover, a theoretical analysis solution, a finite element analysis and the gear tooth contact pattern are carried out to verify the correctness of the computerized model and to investigate the contact type of the gear; it is verified that the contact form on the concave surface of the driving VH-CATT cylindrical gear rotates from dedendum at the heel to the addendum at toe and is an instantaneous oblique ellipse due to elastic deformation of the contact tooth profile, and the connecting line of the ellipse center is the contact trace path. It is indicated that the research results are beneficial for research on tooth break reduction, pitting, wear resistance and fatigue life improvement of the VH-CATT cylindrical gear. The results also have a certain reference value for development of the VH-CATT cylindrical gear.