Gear lock
US4823633A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 23, 1987 |
| Grant date | Apr 25, 1989 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 23, 2007 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T74/214
- WIPO fieldMechanical elements
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A gear lock is moved between a free movement position, at which the gear is freely rotatable, and a locking position, at which the gear and gear lock become self-locking. The gear lock has two locking faces facing one another which fit around one or more teeth with the locking faces adjacent the sides of the gear teeth. The locking faces and the gear sides define tangent contact planes at the positions of contact. The tangent of the angle between the direction of movement of the gear tooth at the contact region and the contact plane is less than the coefficient of friction between the gear and the gear lock. Doing so makes the gear lock self-locking since the component of the gear force parallel to the contact plane does not exceed the frictional force between the two surfaces. The gear lock also provides any final positioning of the gear as it moves into the locking position with the gear teeth opposite the locking faces.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.