Title: Topological synthesis of compound geared differential mechanisms

Authors: Dar-Zen Chen, Kang-Li Yao

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10660, Taiwan. Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10660, Taiwan

Abstract: In this article, a methodology on the topological synthesis of admissible n-terminal (n≥4) compound geared differential mechanisms is presented. Based on the characteristics of geared differential mechanisms, it is shown that a compound geared differential mechanism can be composed by adding a geared kinematic chain as the main component on a base geared differential mechanism. Admissible compound geared differential mechanisms with four and five terminals are enumerated systematically by selecting proper base geared differential mechanism and proper main component from the existing atlases and sharing the connecting links of each component as a common link. The decomposition-based methodology presented here is systematic and innovative, and can be applied to the enumeration of geared differential mechanisms with multiple terminals.

Keywords: differential mechanism; topological synthesis; geared mechanism; kinematic chain.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.2003.003355

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 2003 Vol.31 No.4, pp.427 - 439

Published online: 04 Sep 2003 *

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