Method for the Forming Manufacturing of a Gear Toothing and Tool Device for the Calibration of the Gear Cutting Inlet and/or Gear Cutting Outlet

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a gear toothing on a metallic workpiece and a tool device for calibration of a gear toothing inlet and/or a gear toothing outlet of a gear of the metallic workpiece. The method includes producing the gear toothing by forming manufacturing and performing a compression process to calibrate a gear toothing inlet and/or a gear toothing outlet of the gear toothing, wherein a gear tooth shape and a gear tooth length are adjusted during the compression process. The tool device includes a workpiece location for accommodating the workpiece, an axially movable die selectively engageable with the gear toothing, the die supporting the gear toothing and predefining the gear tooth shape to be adjusted on the gear toothing inlet and/or on the gear toothing outlet, and at least one axially movable compression ring which calibrates the gear toothing inlet and/or gear toothing outlet by a compression process.

Claims

1-10: (canceled)

11. A method for manufacturing a gear toothing (220) on a metallic workpiece (200), the method comprising; producing the gear toothing (220) by forming manufacturing using a gear toothing-producing tool device; and performing a compression process to calibrate one or more of a gear toothing inlet (221) and a gear toothing outlet (222) of the gear toothing (220), wherein a gear tooth shape and a gear tooth length are adjusted during the performing of the compression process.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the gear toothing (220) is supported during the performing of the compression process by a die (130), the die (130) predefining the gear tooth shape to be adjusted on the one or more of the gear toothing inlet (221) and the gear toothing outlet (222).

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the calibration of the one or more of the gear toothing inlet (221) and the gear toothing outlet (222) is carried out in a separate tool device (100).

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the calibration of the one or more of the gear toothing inlet (221) and the gear toothing outlet (222) is carried out in the gear toothing-producing tool device.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the workpiece (200) is a sheet material.

16. A tool device (100) for calibration of one or more of a gear toothing inlet (221) and a gear toothing outlet (222) of a gear toothing (220) of a metallic workpiece (200), comprising: a workpiece location (150) for accommodating the workpiece (200); an axially movable die (130) selectively engageable with the gear toothing (220) on the workpiece (200), the die (130) supporting the gear toothing (220) on the workpiece (200) and predefining the gear tooth shape to be adjusted on the one or more of the gear toothing inlet (221) and the gear toothing outlet (222) during calibration; and at least one axially movable compression ring (140) which calibrates the one or more of the gear toothing inlet (221) and the gear toothing outlet (222) on the workpiece (200) by a compression process.

17. The tool device (100) of claim 16, wherein the die (130) and the compression ring (140) are attached to an axially movable punch (120) such that the die (130), the compression ring (140) and the axially movable punch (120) are moved together to implement the calibration.

18. The tool device (100) of claim 16, wherein the die (130) and the compression ring (140) are attached to different punches such that the die (130) and the compression ring (140) are separately movable.

19. The tool device (100) of claim 16, wherein the die (130) has a tapered toothing contour (135).

20. The tool device (100) of claim 16, wherein the die (130) has one degree of rotational freedom.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Preferred embodiments will be explained in greater detail in the following in a non-restrictive way with reference to the figures. The features shown in the figures and/or explained in the following can be general features of the invention and can refine the invention, also independently of specific combinations of features. Features or components that are the same or similar are labeled using the same reference characters. In the drawings, the following is shown:

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a section view of a sectioning of a tool device for calibrating a gear toothing outlet according to aspects of the present invention; and

[0019] FIG. 2 shows a detail view of section A shown in FIG. 1 according to aspects of the present subject matter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Reference will now be made to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are shown in the drawings. Each embodiment is provided by way of explanation of the invention, and not as a limitation of the invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be combined with another embodiment to yield still another embodiment. It is intended that the present invention include these and other modifications and variations to the embodiments described herein.

[0021] The direction and location indications utilized in the following relate, in a non-restrictive way, to the representations shown in the figures.

[0022] The section of a tool device 100 according to the invention shown in FIG. 1 includes a holder 110 and a punch 120 longitudinally movably guided therein. A mandrel-like die 130 and a compression ring 140 are attached to the punch 120. The punch 120 is movable together with the die 130 and the compression ring 140 in the axial direction L, as illustrated by the double arrow D. A punch guide and anti-torsion mechanism is marked with 125. The tool 100 is installed in a forming machine (for example, an axial forming machine), by which the punch motion D is also brought about.

[0023] FIG. 1 further shows a sheet workpiece 200 including a collar-like pulled-through portion 210, on the inner circumferential surface of which a gear toothing (internal spline) 220 is formed, the gear toothing having been previously produced by forming. The workpiece toothing 220 was produced from the bottom toward the top and includes a lower gear toothing inlet 221 (see FIG. 2), an upper gear toothing outlet 222 (see FIG. 2), and a supporting section lying therebetween. Due to the forming manufacturing, an undefined deformation has occurred on the gear toothing outlet 222, which will now be calibrated with the aid of the die 130 and the compression ring 140. For this purpose, the workpiece 200 is fixed in a workpiece location 150 which belongs to the tool device 100 and is not represented further. The calibration process is explained in greater detail in the following with reference to FIG. 2.

[0024] After the workpiece 200 has been placed into the workpiece location 150 and has been fixed in position, the punch 120 is moved, together with the die 130 and the compression ring 140, downward in the axial direction L, wherein the die 130 initially enters the pulled-through portion 210. The die 130 is tapered and, on its tapered outer circumferential surface, has a toothing contour 135 which corresponds to the workpiece toothing 220 and successively enters into engagement with the workpiece toothing 220, with increasing cross-sections, as the punch 120 advances. The axial movement L of the punch 120 and the die 130 attached thereto corresponds to the central axis of the workpiece toothing 220. In order to prevent a misalignment, the die 130 has slight rotational play (rotational degree of freedom) within the tool device 100.

[0025] The gear toothing outlet 222, due to its tapered and expanding design in the radial transverse direction R, is already formed during the penetration by the die 130 into the workpiece toothing 220. At the end of the axial advancing motion, the compression ring 140 presses in the axial direction L against the end of the gear toothing on the upper gear toothing outlet 222 of the workpiece toothing 220, wherein compression-forming occurs, in which the workpiece material flows in the axial direction L as well as in the radial direction R and any gear tooth overhangs are reshaped. Furthermore, the individual tooth ends of the gear toothing 220 are leveled and are subsequently located in one plane. In this calibrating compression process, the gear tooth shape and the gear tooth length are adjusted on the gear toothing outlet 222 to a defined dimension (at least in the range of ten percent of the defined dimension).

[0026] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 each show the punch 120 at the end of its axial advancing motion D. The die 130 and the compression ring 140 can also be moved individually, as explained above, in an appropriate embodiment of the tool device 100.

[0027] In the approach according to the invention, the workpiece toothing 220 is to be calibrated not in entirety, but rather only in areas, i.e., on the gear toothing outlet 222 (as explained above) and/or on the gear toothing inlet 221. During the calibration, the gear toothing 220 is supportable in the sections which are not to be calibrated, in order to prevent an unintentional deformation.

[0028] Proceeding from the design option shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 for the calibration of a gear toothing outlet, the toolmaking- and process-related transfer for the calibration of a gear toothing inlet or for an essentially simultaneous calibration of the gear toothing inlet and outlet can be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0029] Modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments illustrated or described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0030] 100 tool device [0031] 110 holder [0032] 120 punch [0033] 125 punch guide [0034] 130 die [0035] 135 toothing contour [0036] 140 compression ring [0037] 150 workpiece location [0038] 200 workpiece [0039] 210 pulled-through portion [0040] 220 gear toothing [0041] 221 gear toothing inlet [0042] 222 gear toothing outlet [0043] A detail [0044] D punch motion [0045] L axis of movement (axial direction) [0046] R radial direction