COUPLING ELEMENT HAVING VIBRATION DAMPING

Abstract

A coupling for connection of an encoder to an electrical machine includes an encoder shaft end piece for coupling to a shaft of the encoder, and a machine shaft end piece for coupling to a shaft of the electrical machine. At least one of the end pieces has a carrier which is formed with a cavity filled with granular material, preferably steel powder, to effect a dampening of vibrations and impacts.

Claims

1.-16. (canceled)

17. A coupling for connecting an encoder to an electrical machine, said coupling comprising: an encoder shaft end piece configured for coupling to a shaft of the encoder; a machine shaft end piece configured for coupling to a shaft of the electric machine; wherein at least one member selected from the group consisting of the encoder shaft end piece and the machine shaft end piece includes a carrier formed in one piece with the member, said carrier having a fully enclosed cavity; a granular material filled in the cavity; and a torque transmission element mounted between the encoder shaft end piece and the machine shaft end piece.

18. The coupling of claim 17, wherein the carrier is coupled to a slot of the torque transmission element.

19. The coupling of claim 17, wherein the torque transmission element is made of plastic.

20. The coupling of claim 17, constructed for damping vibrations or impacts.

21. The coupling of claim 17, constructed for damping excess vibration stress at a resonance frequency caused by an oscillating system comprised of the coupling and a mass inertia of the encoder connected to the coupling.

22. A shaft end piece for a coupling to connect a shaft of an encoder to a shaft of an electrical machine, said shaft end piece comprising: a carrier having a fully enclosed cavity; and a granular material filled in the cavity.

23. The shaft end piece of claim 22, further comprising a further said carrier so that the shaft end piece has exactly two carriers.

24. The shaft end piece of claim 22, wherein the carrier has exactly one cavity filled with the granular material.

25. The shaft end piece of claim 22, formed from steel.

26. The shaft end piece of claim 22, wherein the granular material completely fills the cavity.

27. The shaft end piece of claim 22, wherein the granular material is steel powder.

28. The shaft end piece of claim 22, wherein the shaft end piece is embodied as an end piece of the shaft of the encoder or the shaft of the electric machine.

29. A method for producing a shaft end piece for a coupling to connect a shaft of an encoder to a shaft of an electrical machine, said method comprising: forming a completely enclosed cavity in a baseplate; and leaving or adding granular material in the cavity.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the cavity is formed by additive production.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the additive production includes selective laser melting (SLM) or selective laser sintering (SLS).

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the granular material is steel powder.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the additive production includes building up layer by layer from the granular material, recessing a region to form the cavity, and filling the cavity with the granular material as layer by layer is built up.

Description

[0022] The invention is described and explained in more detail below on the basis of the exemplary embodiments shown in the figures, in which:

[0023] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a coupling consisting of an encoder shaft end piece, a torque transmission element and a machine shaft end piece for connecting an encoder to an electrical machine,

[0024] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the two end pieces, which are provided with powder-filled cavities, and

[0025] FIG. 3 shows the sequence of the production method.

[0026] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a coupling for connecting an encoder 11 with an encoder shaft 10 to an electrical machine 1 with a machine shaft 2. The coupling comprises an encoder shaft end piece 9, a machine shaft end piece 3 and a torque transmission element 6. The encoder shaft end piece 9 has two carriers 8. The machine shaft end piece 3 has two carriers 4. The carriers 8 of the encoder shaft end piece 9 are coupled to the slot 7 of the torque transmission element 6, the carriers 4 of the machine shaft end piece 3 are coupled to the slot 5 of the torque transmission element 6.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the encoder shaft end piece 9 and of the machine shaft end piece 3. The encoder shaft end piece 9 has two carriers 8, which are each provided with a powder-filled cavity 13. The machine shaft end piece 3 has two carriers 4, which are each provided with a powder-filled cavity 12.

[0028] FIG. 3 describes the sequence of the production method. As is customary in an additive production method, a doctor blade first applies a thin layer of granular material, preferably steel powder, onto a baseplate during the selective laser melting in a first method step S1. Then according to the technical specification the powder is melted by means of laser radiation and after setting forms a solid material layer, Powder which has not been fused remains there in method step S2 and is not blown out. Then in method step S3 the baseplate is lowered by the amount of the layer thickness and powder is again applied in method step S1, if during the status inquiry E it is established that the component has not yet been completed, characterized in FIG. 3 by n. These procedures are repeated layer by layer. During the layered construction of the end piece a cavity becomes apparent, which is not blown out in method step S2. The procedures are repeated until the end piece is completed as per specification in method step S4, characterized in FIG. 3 by y. The result is a shaft end piece which has a cavity that is filled with the steel powder.