Europäisches Patentamt

(19) European Patent Office &

Office européen des brevets (11) EP 1 348 891 B1
(12) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION

(45) Date of publication and mention (51) Int Cl.:

of the grant of the patent: F16H 55/30 (2006.01)
12.04.2006 Bulletin 2006/15

(21) Application number: 03251788.0

(22) Date of filing: 21.03.2003

(54) Sprocket tooth profile

Zahnprofil eines Zahnrads
Profil de dent d’une roue dentée

(84) Designated Contracting States: • Rong, Liu Gui

AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR Singapore (SG)
HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PT RO SE SI SK TR • Chun, Lu
Singapore (SG)
(30) Priority: 27.03.2002 SG 200201763 • Peng, Quek Kwang
Singapore (SG)
(43) Date of publication of application: • Noguchi, Yoshihisa
01.10.2003 Bulletin 2003/40 Otsu-shi,
Shiga-ken (JP)
(73) Proprietors:
• Institute of High Performance Computing (74) Representative: Driver, Virginia Rozanne et al
Singapore (SG) Page White & Farrer
• Sunstar Logistic Singapore Pte Ltd 54 Doughty Street
Singapore (SG) London WC1N 2LS (GB)

(72) Inventors: (56) References cited:

• Yong, Wang Yu EP-A- 0 414 907 EP-A- 0 886 085
Singapore (SG) DE-A- 2 821 945 US-A- 5 993 344
EP 1 348 891 B1

Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give
notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in
a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art.
99(1) European Patent Convention).

Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR)

 1 EP 1 348 891 B1
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates generally to
sprockets for use with roller chains, and more specifically
to the design of a sprocket tooth profile to reduce noise.
The present invention also relates to a chain-drive sys-
tem incorporating at least one sprocket having the new
tooth profile, as well as to a method or system for design-
ing such a sprocket tooth profile, corresponding to the
preamble of claims 1, 13 and 18 and as disclosed in DE
2821945 A.
Background Art
[0002] Noise reduction has emerged as a paramount
criterion in the design of roller chain drive systems in
recent years. It is generally recognized that in roller chain
systems, the two most significant noise sources are from
the polygonal action and intensive impacts due to relative
velocity between the chain rollers and sprocket teeth dur-
ing their meshing process. Polygonal action is the effect
of the fluctuation of the position in which the chain and
sprockets engage due to the wrapping of the chain in a
polygonal manner, causing both longitudinal and trans-
verse chain span vibrations. The vibrations result in un-
steady chain speeds which affect the engagement proc-
ess as well as the impact levels.
[0003] The effect of impact due to relative velocity (see
FIG.1) may be thus elucidated: the drive sprocket rotates
at a constant velocity, and in converting rotational power
to pulling power, the rollers are seated on the sprocket
teeth in turn and follow the motion of the sprocket. At the
moment that a sprocket tooth engages a roller, there is
an instantaneous change in the direction of roller motion,
resulting in an intensive impact.
[0004] In the prior art, standard approaches to improve
the noise characteristics of chain-drive systems include
increasing teeth number, manipulating parameters which
affect the performance of the system and improving the
roller-tooth engaging mechanism. Increasing teeth
number is the most direct and effective method to reduce
polygonal action, especially in the case of high speed
chain drives. Design parameters which are commonly
manipulated are the centre distance (which controls initial
tension) and inertia of sprocket. The engaging mecha-
nism can be improved by the use of intensified lubrication,
silent chains, wheel guides and the like.
[0005] The aforementioned techniques improve the
noise characteristics of chain-drive systems to an extent,
but there are certain limitations. For instance, increasing
the number of teeth requires an increased sprocket di-
mension, and installation of guide wheel requires addi-
tional space. Moreover, the methods by no means always
function properly. In particular, the wheel guide installed
in the tight span may guide the roller to move tangentially
to the pitch circle of the sprocket under certain conditions,
2
but not always. In general, the methods of the prior art
are passive, i.e. they provide remedies based on the
standard tooth profile design, which is a major drawback.
An active approach would be to tackle the root of the
5 problem of noise right from the initial stage of design,
such as by designing a new tooth profile to minimise im-
pact. As will be appreciated, the term "tooth profile" herein
refers generally to the two-dimensional shape or profile
of the sprocket tooth in a plane substantially perpendic-
10 ular to the rotational axis of the sprocket.
[0006] The design of a new teeth profile is of no easy
task, since design methods have been developed for
many years and are recognized by various standards,
such as ISO (International Standard Organisation) stand-
15 ard 606:1994(E) and JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard)
B 1802-1981. These are reproduced in FIGS. 3-4, re-
spectively. Nevertheless, there is still much scope for the
development of tooth profile design and the art of tooth
profile design to reduce noise has been substantially re-
20 searched and refined in recent years.
[0007] U.S. Pat, No.4,758,209, to Ledvina, describes
a sprocket for use with a silent timing chain wherein the
sprocket is formed with an even number of teeth of which
there are alternating tooth profiles.
25 [0008] U.S. Pat No.5,397,278, to Suzuki et al, de-
scribes an improved sprocket which decreases the im-
pact between the rollers and the sprocket during mesh-
ing. The vibration noise caused by polygonal action is
not addressed.
30 [0009] US. Pat. No.6,036,614, to Baddaria, describes
a symmetrical sprocket tooth with a complex profile which
addresses both impact noise as well as the noise arising
from polygonal action. The profile has a roller scating
angle exceeding that recommended by ISO, which may
35 be a source of problems during disengagement. Moreo-
ver, the determination of the connecting point between
the seating portion and impact portion is not straightfor-
ward and the complexity in defining the profile may also
be objectionable, at least to designers.
40 [0010] A series of patents, U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,879,
U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,344, U.S. Pat. No. 6,090,003 to
Young, describe a roller chain sprocket having improved
noise characteristics. The underlying principle is the pro-
vision of an asymmetrical tooth space that includes a flat
45 surface, providing a "staged" roller impact wherein a tan-
gential impact occurs first, followed by a radial impact.
Although this technique splits a single impact into two
occurring at different times, both the tangential and radial
impacts are nonetheless instantaneous.
50 [0011] US 4116081 describes a sprocket profile for a
chain drive sprocket.
[0012] An object of the present invention is to provide
an improved sprocket with reduced noise generated
when used in a unidirectional roller chain drive system.
55 [0013] A further object of the present invention is to
provide an improved sprocket with reduced roller-tooth
impact by designing a new tooth profile.
2
 3 EP 1 348 891 B1
Summary of the Invention
[0014] The objects are achieved by the subject matter
of claims 1, 11, 12, 13 and 18.
[0015] The impact point is located on a line tangent to
a circular seating portion of the tooth profile, which tan-
gent line intersects a centre or rotational axis of the
sprocket.
[0016] The engaging flank profile preferably comprises
three regions or portions which include the seating (bot-
tom) portion, an impact (intermediate) portion and a distal
(tooth top) portion. The seating portion is preferably de-
fined by a circular arc with a radius slightly larger than
that of the chain rollers. The seating portion preferably
extends upwardly from the tooth root, and may actually
form or define the root circle.
[0017] The impact portion is preferably defined by an-
other arc that connects the seating portion at its tangent
point from the centre of the sprocket, with the arc centre
being located along the centre line of that particular tooth.
[0018] The distal portion is preferably yet another arc
whose arc centre is determined by the JIS standard. The
radius is determined by the end point of the impact portion
that is the intersection of the impact portion and the ex-
tension of the line connecting the centres of the impact
and distal portion.
[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the
engaging flank of the tooth profile includes an impact
portion adjacent the seating portion, and a distal portion
adjacent the impact portion, and each of the seating por-
tion, impact portion and distal portion of the engaging
flank profile comprises a circular arc defined by a radius
and an arc centre.
[0020] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the
impact point on the engaging flank of each tooth lies
above (ie radially outwardly of) a hypothetical line which
joins an arc centre of the seating portion (ie pitch centre)
of the respective tooth and an arc centre of the seating
portion (ie pitch centre) of an adjacent tooth. The distal
portion, impact portion and the seating portion of the en-
gaging flank desirably therefore join smoothly with one
another, and the impact point is located where the impact
portion joins the seating portion.
[0021] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the
arc centre for the impact portion lies at the intersection
of a hypothetical line which extends from the arc centre
of the seating portion (ie pitch centre) of the respective
tooth through the impact point, and the radial centre line
of that tooth.
[0022] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the
arc centre of the distal portion is defined according to JIS
standard B 1802-1981, and the distal portion preferably
joins the impact portion of the engaging flank at a location
where a hypothetical line which extends between the arc
centre of the distal portion and the arc centre of the impact
portion would intersect the circular arc of the impact por-
tion. The circular arc of the distal portion preferably ter-
minates at an outer circle of the sprocket.
4
[0023] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the
pitch of said sprocket is smaller than the pitch of said
rollers, and thus pitch circle radius of the sprocket is mod-
ified to be smaller than that dictated by JIS standard
5 B1802-1981.
[0024] The tooth profile of the sprocket according to
the invention is preferably asymmetrical, and the disen-
gaging flank is preferably designed according to JIS
standard B 1802-1981 using a modified tooth root radius
10 and the modified pitch circle radius.
[0025] According to a further embodiment, the present
invention provides a chain-drive system including at least
one sprocket according to the invention as described
generally above, and a complementary roller chain for
15 engagement therewith. In yet another aspect, the present
invention also provides a machine that includes a chain-
drive system according to the invention.
[0026] According to still another embodiment, the
present invention provides a method of designing a
20 sprocket tooth profile for a sprocket in a chain drive sys-
tem, the sprocket tooth profile including an engaging
flank adapted to contact a chain roller as that roller moves
into engagement with the tooth, and a disengaging flank,
the method including the steps of: determining a root cir-
25 cle radius for the sprocket tooth to define a circular seat-
ing portion for a roller at a base of the engaging flank
profile; and defining the location of an impact point for
initial engagement with a roller on a line tangent to the
circular seating portion, which tangent line also intersects
30 a centre or rotational axis of the sprocket.
[0027] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the
method further includes the step of: defining the impact
point on the engaging flank of each tooth as lying above
(ie radially outwardly of) a hypothetical line which joins
35 an arc centre of the seating portion (ie pitch centre) of
the respective tooth and an arc centre of the seating por-
tion (ie pitch centre) of an adjacent tooth.
[0028] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the
method further includes the step of: defining the engaging
40 flank of said tooth profile as having an impact portion
adjacent said seating portion, and a distal portion adja-
cent the impact portion, each of said seating portion, im-
pact portion and distal portion of said engaging flank pro-
file comprising a circular arc defined by a radius and an
45 arc centre.
[0029] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the
method further includes the step of: defining the arc cen-
tre for the impact portion as lying at the intersection of a
hypothetical line which extends from the arc centre of the
50 seating portion (ie pitch centre) of the respective tooth
through the impact point, and the radial centre line of that
tooth.
[0030] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the
method further includes the step of: defining the arc cen-
55 tre of the distal portion according to JIS standard B
1802-1981, such that the distal portion joins the impact
portion of the engaging flank at a location where a hypo-
thetical line which extends between the arc centre of the
3
 5 EP 1 348 891 B1
distal portion and the arc centre of the impact portion
would intersect the circular arc of the impact portion.
[0031] Thus, the present invention provides a new
tooth profile for a roller chain sprocket. A step-by-step
methodology for defining the new profile is also provided.
Noise levels have been shown to be significantly reduced
through the underlying mechanics, numerical simulation
as well as prototype testing. Although the profile has been
developed primarily for the drive sprocket, it is equally
applicable to the driven sprocket.
[0032] The new sprocket tooth profile naturally in-
cludes both an engaging and a disengaging flank, al-
though the present invention focuses predominantly on
the engaging flank. The tooth profile according to the
invention is preferably asymmetrical, with the design of
the disengaging flank preferably determined according
to the method stated in the JIS standard. In such a pre-
ferred embodiment the noise reduction is only unidirec-
tional, and although the chain sprocket system may still
operate in the other direction (wherein the engaging and
disengaging flanks are interchanged), it does not receive
any noise reduction benefits in that case.
[0033] One manner in which the present invention dif-
fers from conventional design methods is that the pitch
of the sprocket of the present invention is smaller than
the roller chain pitch, whereas the reverse is true for the
conventional sprocket. This is a necessary condition for
a proper engagement process, as ascertained by finite
element analysis.
[0034] The principle underlying such a profile is to dis-
tribute the instantaneous impact of the conventional
sprocket design during the engagement over a period of
time, allowing a gradual change in direction of the chain
roller. The velocity of the chain roller may be resolved
into two components that are radial and tangent to the
tooth surface at the impact point. At the beginning of the
impact duration, there is change in only the tangent di-
rection; thereafter, the change in the tangent direction
decreases, while that of the radial direction increases. A
gradual overall change in velocity reduces the impact
level significantly and leads to a noise reduction. A new
tangent point is herein defined, and by establishing the
impact point at the tangent point, or at least near it, the
velocity change is minimised for the initial impact.
[0035] Thus, an advantage of the present invention is
the provision of a tangent point as the impact point, al-
lowing a minimum initial impact and a gradual change in
the velocity of the chain roller during engagement, result-
ing in reduced impact and noise reduction.
[0036] Another advantage of the present invention is
that the chain roller impacts the sprocket tooth at the
tangent point first, and then falls downwards onto the
seating portion gradually, thereby reducing the polygonal
action and vertical vibrations of the chain.
[0037] Yet another advantage of the present invention
is that the engaging flank preferably consists of three
arcs with arc centres which may be determined in a
straightforward manner, thereby facilitating the ease of
6
design and manufacture.
[0038] Yet still another advantage of the present in-
vention is the full contact of the roller and the seating
portion along the curvature after engagement, thus al-
5 lowing slight dimensional tolerances, leading to a reduc-
tion in broad-band mechanical noise caused by dimen-
sional inaccuracies.
[0039] The above and further features and advantages
of the present invention will become apparent to those
10 skilled in the art from the following detailed description
of the invention when taken in conjunction with the ac-
companying drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings
15
[0040] The above and further features and advantages
of the present invention will be more fully appreciated
from the following detailed description of preferred em-
bodiments of the invention with reference to the accom-
20 panying drawings, in which like reference characters in-
dicate like parts, and in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates the engagement process for a con-
ventional chain sprocket system;
25
FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of the engaging roller
and sprocket tooth, together with the components of
the velocity change;
30 FIG. 3 shows the tooth profile and some of the design
parameters according to the IS0-606 standard;
FIG. 4 shows the "S" type tooth profiles and the de-
sign parameters for a JIS compliant roller chain
35 sprocket;
FIG. 5 is a pictorial comparison of the tooth profile
according to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention and the JIS standard;
40
FIG. 6 shows the ideal limits of the tooth profile shape
assuming that the sprocket tooth and roller chain are
rigid bodies; and
45 FIG. 7 illustrates a new sprocket tooth profile accord-
ing to a preferred embodiment of the present inven-
tion.
Detailed Description of the Invention
50
[0041] Reference is now made to FIG. 1, which illus-
trates the engagement process for a conventional chain
sprocket system. A drive sprocket 110 rotates at a con-
stant velocity Ω and each point on the sprocket moves
55 along its tangential direction. Fully seated rollers 121 fol-
low the motion of the sprocket teeth 112. Rollers 123
which are not yet engaged move at a roller velocity Vr.
A roller 122 is at the point of engagement with a sprocket
4
 7 EP 1 348 891 B1
tooth 112, impacting at an impact point 114. Immediately
after impact, the roller velocity Vr changes to coincide
with the tooth velocity Vt of the sprocket tooth 112 at the
impact point 114. Thus, there is a change in velocity, Vs,
which is the result of a sudden impact. It is useful to depict
this relationship in a closed vector polygon 131.
[0042] Reference is now made to FIG. 2, which shows
an enlarged view of the engaging roller and sprocket
tooth, as well as the components of the change in velocity
Vs. One method of resolving the vector Vs is shown in a
vector diagram 132, which are in the radial and tangential
direction with respect to the sprocket centre, denoted by
Vsr and Vst respectively. The angle which the component
Vst makes with Vs is further denoted by ψ. Another meth-
od, as shown in another vector diagram 133, uses the
tooth profile gradient at the impact point 114 as reference.
The component normal to the tooth profile is denoted by
Vsn. The component with the perpendicular to the normal
direction is denoted by Vsp, hereinafter referred to as the
perpendicular direction for simplicity. The use of "tangen-
tial direction" is avoided here to avert an ambiguity in
nomenclature since this term is strictly reserved for Vst
in the vector diagram 132. The angle between Vsn, and
Vs is further denoted by φ. It is apparent that φ is a function
of the tooth profile gradient at the impact point, whereas
ψ is independent of the gradient and is constant for a
given impact point. When the tooth surface gradient at
impact point 114 is aligned in the radial direction, φ and
ψ are equal and the vector diagrams 132 and 133 are
coincident.
[0043] For the conventional sprocket design, Vsn and
Vsp occur virtually simultaneously, resulting in a large
impact. Hitherto, there have been attempts to stagger
the impacts into two stages, as disclosed in U.S. Patent
No, 5,993,344 by Young. The drawback to such an ap-
proach is that each of the two stages consists of a distinct
impact of a very short impact time. A more gradual
change in normal and perpendicular velocity over a pro-
longed impact time will reduce the impact noise more
significantly. The present invention is directed towards
this task by describing an improved tooth profile.
[0044] The new profile should meet the following basic
requirements, which will then be elaborated:
• Continuous curvature of the tooth profile
• Standards on tooth profile design, namely the ISO
and JIS standards
• Minimum tooth shape to allow engagement and dis-
engagement of the roller with the sprocket.
[0045] A continuous curvature is essential to maintain
a smooth contact between the roller and tooth without
inducing additional impacts. Kinks must be avoided, es-
pecially between the different sections of the profile.
[0046] FIG. 3 shows the ISO standard. Of specific in-
terest to the present invention is the roller seating angle,
α, which should lie within the limits:
8
120°-(90°/Z)<α<140°-(90°/Z), where Z is the teeth
number.
[0047] The upper bound is imperative to ensure a prop-
5 er engaging and disengaging mechanism.
[0048] FIG. 4 shows the JIS standard, with the diagram
and equations being hereby reproduced. The tooth pro-
file of the present invention is founded primarily on the
JIS standard. In particular, the disengaging flank profile
10 follows a modified form of the JIS standard. Aspects in
which the two differ will be pointed out subsequently,
while Fig. 5 facilitates a visual comparison between the
JIS standard and the new profile.
[0049] Reference is now made to FIG. 6, which shows
15 the ideal case of the limits of the tooth profile shape in
which the sprocket 110 and chain rollers are treated as
rigid bodies, The dotted circles depict the motion of a
roller 124 of relative position to the sprocket 110 as the
roller 124 moves outwards during disengagement. This
20 imposes a constraint on the profile of the engagement
flank 115, since the route of the roller 124 will be obstruct-
ed should the limiting profile shape be exceeded. Simi-
larly, a limiting profile for the disengaging flank 116 exists
for proper engagement, which is a mirror image of FIG.
25 6 about the vertical axis. The latter constraint is of lesser
relevance to the profile of the invention, since the disen-
gaging flank 116 follows the JIS standard closely.
[0050] Having laid down the key requisites, a discus-
sion of the design considerations is now in order. Refer-
30 ence is now made back to FIG, 2. It is apparent that at
the exact instant of initial impact at impact point 114, as-
suming an ideal frictionless scenario, there is only the
Vsn component (in practice friction will attribute to Vsp,
but the latter is much smaller in magnitude) which is the
35 main contribution to impact noise. Thereafter, the roller
122 "rolls" downwards slightly to a lower point and the
contact point changes. At this moment, the direction of
Vt would have shifted due to the rotation of the sprocket
Vr would also have changed. The process is repeated
40 until the roller 122-is fully seated such that Vr and Vt are
equal. For the conventional sprocket design, the entire
duration is very short. In practice, owing to dimensional
tolerances and uncertainties in the engagement mecha-
nism, impact does not always occur at the design impact
45 point 114, which only adds to the complexity of the en-
gaging process. It suffices to construe that impact noise
can be limited by minimising Vsn, although the detailed
mechanism cannot be described this simply.
[0051] Reference is now made to Fig. 7, which shows
50 the new profile of the present invention. The profile of the
engaging flank comprises three distinct portions; namely,
a seating (bottom) portion 211, an impact (intermediate)
portion 212 and a distal (tooth top) portion 213. The seat-
ing portion 211 is an arc AB of root radius R and centre
55 O1, the impact portion 212 is another arc BC of radius
OBCC and centre OBC, while the distal portion 213 is yet
another arc CD of radius OCDC and centre Oco.
[0052] The fundamental idea for the improved profile
5
 9 EP 1 348 891 B1
emanates from the concept of changing the velocity grad-
ually by minimising Vsn. It is apparent to those skilled in
the art that Vsn is minimised when the tooth profile gra-
dient at the impact point 114 is aligned in the radial di-
rection such that φ equals ψ. This is achieved by estab-
lishing the impact point 114 at a tangent point 210 at B,
defined by taking a line passing though the centre of
sprocket O touching the arc AB. In the prior art, the impact
point and hypothetical tangent point arc not necessarily
coincidental. In practice, the impact point 114 cannot be
predicted with certainty owing to dimensional tolerances,
inter alia, but it should be consistently close to the tangent
point 210.
[0053] The initial impact sees a change of velocity in
the tangential (also normal to the tooth surface) direction
first, followed by a gradual change in the radial (also par-
allel to the tooth surface) direction. As the direction of
initial impact Vsn is coincident with Vt, there is constraint
to the roller only tangentially, and not in the radial direc-
tion. The roller is allowed to "roll" into the seating position
gradually over a prolonged impact duration, thus lessen-
ing -the impact noise. It transpires that there is an added
benefit of reducing transverse vibrations due to polygonal
action.
[0054] The design of the profile beyond the impact
point 114 is constrained by two conflicting requirements.
On the one hand, there is a limiting profile which may not
be exceeded lest the disengaging mechanism is imped-
ed. On the other hand, a continuous curvature will result
in the profile being exceeded, at least if conventional de-
sign approaches are applied. These requirements are
found to be satisfied by provision of an arc BC at the
impact portion instead of a straight line.
[0055] The sprocket pitch to roller chain pitch ratio for
the present invention differs from the conventional de-
sign. For the conventional design, the impact point 114
is located below the line O1,O2 connecting the two adja-
cent pitch centres. Thus, the sprocket pitch should be
slightly longer than the roller chain pitch to account for
the tensile deformation in the roller chain, Conversely,
for the new design, the impact point is now located above
the line O1,O2, which means that the sprocket pitch be-
comes too large and should be less than the roller chain
pitch so that they can match each other during the en-
gaging process. As a corollary, the pitch cycle radius O,
O1, will be smaller than the JIS standard to accommodate
the smaller sprocket pitch.
[0056] The disengaging flank 215 follows a modified
JIS standard using a modified tooth root radius and a
reduced pitch cycle radius. There is little necessity for
further modifications since impact is not considered dur-
ing disengagement, and a symmetrical profile based on
the new profile only interferes with the engaging process.
The asymmetrical profile of the present invention is thus
able to exploit favourable aspects of the engaging and
disengaging flank design. For instance, the ISO standard
on the maximum roller seating angle α need not be con-
formed to in the new asymmetrical profile.
10
[0057] The methodology for the new profile design is
outlined herein below as a step-by-step procedure:
1. Draw pitch circle with radius Rp’ = Rp - ∆R, where
5 ∆R is determined from the tooth radius R and roller
radius Rr.
2. Draw a circle with tooth root radius R and the cen-
tre at O1, where R is slightly larger than the roller
radius Rr. [See, for example, Fig. 7 in which R = O1A
10 = 1.01 Rr + 0.065(2Rr)1/3]
3. Find the tangent line OB of the above circle to
determine the tangent point B.
4. Plot line O1 B and extend it to intersect with tooth
centre line OOBC at OBC
15 5. Draw an arc with radius OBCB and centre at OBC.
6. Determine point OCD according to JIS standard.
7. Plot line OCDOBC and extend it to intersect with
above curve BC at the point C.
8. Draw arc with radius OCDC and centre at OCD with
20 the arc intersecting with the outer circle 118 at point
D.
9. Determine the profile of the disengaging flank 215
according to the modified JIS standard in which
sprocket pitch is smaller than roller chain pitch.
25
[0058] Reference is now made back to FIG. 5, which
gives a pictorial comparison of the new profile and JIS
standard, and which is useful to distinguish the key char-
acteristics of the new profile. Dotted lines are used for
30 the JIS profile 117, while solid lines represent the modi-
fied JIS profile 217. The primary distinction of the new
profile is the addition of a portion 220 to the engaging
flank 115 of the modified JIS profile 217. There is little
modification to the profile of the disengaging flank 116.
35 [0059] Thus, a new and improved tooth profile for a
sprocket has been described which reduces noise during
the meshing process, and this has been corroborated by
finite element analysis, as well as by prototype testing.
The experimental results showed that the particular
40 sprocket tested having the new and improved tooth pro-
file of the invention reduced the system noise from a level
of 90.82 dB to a level of 86.33 dB. This represents an
approx. 5% reduction in system noise.
[0060] Although a specific methodology for drawing
45 the tooth profile has been described, it is possible to make
modifications to that methodology without departing from
the spirit of the invention. For example, the arc centre
OCD of the distal portion may be located by means apart
from JIS standard, since a slight shift in the location of
50 OCD is not deemed to have any significantly effects on
the noise reduction mechanism.
Claims
55
1. A sprocket (110) for use with a roller chain having a
succession of serially connected rollers (121), said
sprocket comprising: a plurality of teeth (112) spaced
6
 11 EP 1 348 891 B1
apart around a periphery thereof for driving engage-
ment with the rollers, at least one of said teeth having
a tooth profile including an engaging flank (115)
adapted to contact a roller as that roller moves into
engagement with said at least one tooth, and a dis-
engaging flank (116); wherein said engaging flank
has an impact point (114) for initial engagement with
a roller, characterised in that said impact point is
located on a line tangent to a circular seating portion
(211) of the tooth profile, which tangent line inter-
sects a centre or rotational axis of the sprocket.
2. A sprocket according to claim 1, wherein the engag-
ing flank of said tooth profile includes an impact por-
tion (212) adjacent said seating portion, and a distal
portion (213) adjacent the impact portion, each of
said seating portion, impact portion and distal portion
of said engaging flank profile comprising a circular
arc defined by a radius and an arc centre.
3. A sprocket according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein
the impact point is located where the impact portion
joins the seating portion.
4. A sprocket according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
wherein the impact point on the engaging flank of
each tooth lies above a hypothetical line which joins
the arc centre of the seating portion of the respective
tooth and the arc centre of the seating portion of an
adjacent tooth.
5. A sprocket according to any claim 2, wherein the
distal portion, impact portion and the seating portion
of the engaging flank join smoothly, preferably tan-
gentially, with one another.
6. A sprocket according to claim 2, wherein the arc cen-
tre for the impact portion lies at the intersection of a
hypothetical line which extends from the arc centre
of the seating portion of the respective tooth through
the impact point, and the radial centre line of that
tooth.
7. A sprocket according to claim 2, wherein said arc
centre of the distal portion is defined according to
JIS standard B1802-1981, and wherein the distal
portion joins the impact portion of the engaging flank
at a location where a hypothetical line which extends
between the arc centre of the distal portion and the
arc centre of the impact portion would intersect the
circular arc of the impact portion.
8. A sprocket according to claim 7, wherein the circular
arc of the distal portion terminates at an outer circle
of the sprocket.
9. A sprocket according to any preceding claim, where-
in the pitch of said sprocket is smaller than the pitch
12
of said rollers, and thus pitch circle radius of the
sprocket is modified to be smaller than that dictated
by JIS standard B1802-1981.
5 10. A sprocket according to claim 9, wherein the tooth
profile is asymmetrical, and the disengaging flank is
designed according to JIS standard B1802-1981 us-
ing a modified tooth root radius and said modified
pitch circle radius.
10
11. A chain-drive system including at least one sprocket
according to any one of the preceding claims, and a
complementary roller chain for engagement there-
with.
15
12. A machine having a chain-drive system according
to claim 11.
13. A method of designing a sprocket tooth profile for a
20 sprocket (110) in a chain drive system, the sprocket
tooth profile including an engaging flank (115) adapt-
ed to contact a chain roller as that roller moves into
engagement with the tooth, and a disengaging flank
(116), the method including the step of: determining
25 a root circle radius for the sprocket tooth (112) to
define a circular seating portion (211) for a roller at
a base of the engaging flank profile; and character-
ised by the step of defining the location of an impact
point (114) for initial engagement with a roller on a
30 line tangent to the circular seating portion, which tan-
gent line also intersects a centre or rotational axis of
the sprocket.
14. A method according to claim 13, further including the
35 step of:
defining the impact point on the engaging flank
of each tooth as lying above a hypothetical line
which joins an arc centre of the seating portion
40 of the respective tooth and an arc centre of the
seating portion of an adjacent tooth.
15. A method according to claim 14, further including the
step of:
45
defining the engaging flank of said tooth profile
as having an impact portion (212) adjacent said
seating portion, and a distal portion (213) adja-
cent the impact portion, each of said seating por-
50 tion, impact portion and distal portion of said en-
gaging flank profile comprising a circular arc de-
fined by a radius and an arc centre.
16. A method according to claim 15, further including the
55 step of:
defining the arc centre for the impact portion as
lying at the intersection of a hypothetical line
7
 13 EP 1 348 891 B1
which extends from the arc centre of the seating
portion (i.e. pitch centre) of the respective tooth
through the impact point, and the radial centre
line of that tooth.
17. A method according to claim 16, further including the
step of:
defining the arc centre of the distal portion ac-
cording to JIS standard B1802-1981, such that
the distal portion joins the impact portion of the
engaging flank at a location where a hypothetical
line which extends between the arc centre of the
distal portion and the arc centre of the impact
portion would intersect the circular arc of the im-
pact portion.
18. A method of producing a sprocket for a chain drive
system, including designing a sprocket tooth profile
for the sprocket according to a method of any of
claims 13 to 17, and producing the sprocket accord-
ing to such design.
Patentansprüche
1. Kettenrad (110) zur Verwendung mit einer Rollen-
kette mit einer Folge von aufeinanderfolgend ver-
bundenen Rollen (121), besagtes Kettenrad umfas-
send: eine Mehrzahl von um seinen Umfang herum
mit Zwischenraum angeordneten Zähnen (112) zum
Antriebseingriff mit den Rollen, wobei mindestens
einer der besagten Zähne ein Zahnprofil aufweist,
welches eine Eingreifflanke (115), die angepasst ist,
eine Rolle zu berühren, während sich jene Rolle in
Eingriff mit besagtem mindestens einen Zahn begibt,
und eine Auslöseflanke (116) einschließt; wobei be-
sagte Eingreifflanke einen Auftreffpunkt (114) zum
anfänglichen Eingriff mit einer Rolle aufweist, da-
durch gekennzeichnet, dass besagter Auftreff-
punkt auf einer einen kreisförmigen Sitzabschnitt
(211) des Zahnprofils tangierenden Linie angeord-
net ist, wobei die Tangentiallinie einen Mittelpunkt
oder Rotationsachse des Kettenrades schneidet.
2. Kettenrad nach Anspruch 1, wobei die Eingreifflanke
des besagten Zahnprofils einen Auftreffabschnitt
(212) angrenzend an besagtem Sitzabschnitt und ei-
nen Distalabschnitt (213) angrenzend an den Auf-
treffabschnitt einschließt, wobei jeder von besagtem
Sitzabschnitt, Auftreffabschnitt und Distalabschnitt
des besagten Eingreifflankenprofils einen durch ei-
nen Radius und einen Bogenmittelpunkt definierten
Kreisbogen umfasst.
3. Kettenrad nach Anspruch 1 oder Anspruch 2, wobei
der Auftreffpunkt dort angeordnet ist, wo der Auftref-
fabschnitt an den Sitzabschnitt angrenzt.
14
4. Kettenrad nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 3, wobei
der Auftreffpunkt auf der Eingreifflanke jedes Zah-
nes über einer hypothetischen Linie liegt, welche den
Bogenmittelpunkt des Sitzabschnittes des entspre-
5 chenden Zahnes und den Bogenmittelpunkt des
Sitzabschnittes eines benachbarten Zahnes verbin-
det.
5. Kettenrad nach einem Anspruch 2, wobei der Distal-
10 abschnitt, Auftreffabschnitt und der Sitzabschnitt der
Eingreifflanke glatt anschließen, vorzugsweise tan-
gential.
6. Kettenrad nach Anspruch 2, wobei der Bogenmittel-
15 punkt für den Auftreffabschnitt am Schnittpunkt zwi-
schen einer hypothetischen Linie, welche sich vom
Bogenmittelpunkt des Sitzabschnittes des entspre-
chendes Zahnes durch den den Auftreffpunkt er-
streckt, und der radialen Mittelpunktslinie jenes Zah-
20 nes liegt.
7. Kettenrad nach Anspruch 2, wobei besagter Bogen-
mittelpunkt des Distalabschnittes gemäß JIS-Stan-
dard B1802-1981 definiert ist, und wobei der Distal-
25 abschnitt an den Auftreffabschnitt der Eingreifflanke
an einer Stelle grenzt, wo eine hypothetische Linie,
welche sich zwischen dem Bogenmittelpunkt des Di-
stalabschnittes und dem Bogenmittelpunkt des Auf-
treffabschnittes erstreckt, den Kreisbogen des Auf-
30 treffabschnittes schneiden würde.
8. Kettenrad nach Anspruch 7, wobei der Kreisbogen
des Distalabschnittes an einem äußeren Kreis des
Kettenrades endet.
35
9. Kettenrad nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprü-
che, wobei die Teilung des besagten Kettenrades
kleiner ist als die Teilung der besagten Rollen, und
somit der Teilkreisradius des Kettenrades so verän-
40 dert ist, dass er kleiner ist als der vom JIS-Standard
B1802-1981 vorgeschriebene.
10. Kettenrad nach Anspruch 9, wobei das Zahnprofil
asymmetrisch ist und die Auslöseflanke gemäß JIS-
45 Standard B1802-1981 unter Verwendung eines mo-
difizierten Zahnfußradius und besagten modifizier-
ten Teilkreisradius ausgeführt ist.
11. Kettentriebsystem, einschließend mindestens ein
50 Kettenrad gemäß einem der vorangehenden An-
sprüche und eine komplementäre Rollenkette zum
Eingriff damit.
12. Maschine mit einem Kettentriebsystem nach An-
55 spruch 11.
13. Verfahren des Ausführens eines Kettenradzahnpro-
fils für ein Kettenrad (110) in einem Kettentriebsy-
8
 15 EP 1 348 891 B1
stem, wobei das Kettenradzahnprofil eine Eingreif-
flanke (115), die angepasst ist, eine Kettenrolle zu
berühren, während sich jene Rolle in Eingriff mit dem
Zahn begibt, und eine Auslöseflanke (116) ein-
schließt, wobei das Verfahren den Schritt ein-
schließt: Bestimmen eines Fußkreisradius für den
Kettenradzahn (112), um einen kreisförmigen Sitz-
abschnitt (211) für eine Rolle an einer Basis des Ein-
greifflankenprofils zu definieren; und gekennzeich-
net durch den Schritt des Definierens der Stelle ei-
nes Auftreffpunktes (114) zum anfänglichen Eingriff
mit einer Rolle auf einer den kreisförmigen Sitzab-
schnitt berührenden Linie, wobei die Tangentiallinie
auch einen Mittelpunkt oder Rotationsachse des
Kettenrades schneidet.
14. Verfahren nach Anspruch 13, ferner einschließend
den Schritt: Definieren des Auftreffpunktes auf der
Eingreifflanke jedes Zahnes als über einer hypothe-
tischen Linie liegend, welche den Bogenmittelpunkt
des Sitzabschnittes des entsprechenden Zahnes
und einen Bogenmittelpunkt des Sitzabschnittes ei-
nes benachbarten Zahnes verbindet.
15. Verfahren nach Anspruch 14, ferner einschließend
den Schritt: Definieren der Eingreifflanke des besag-
ten Zahnprofils als einen Auftreffabschnitt (212) an-
grenzend an besagtem Sitzabschnitt und einen Di-
stalabschnitt (213) angrenzend an den Auftreffab-
schnitt einschließend, wobei jeder von besagtem
Sitzabschnitt, Auftreffabschnitt und Distalabschnitt
des besagten Eingreifflankenprofils einen durch ei-
nen Radius und einen Bogenmittelpunkt definierten
Kreisbogen umfasst.
16. Verfahren nach Anspruch 15, ferner einschließend
den Schritt: Definieren des Bogenmittelpunkts für
den Auftreffabschnitt als am Schnittpunkt zwischen
einer hypothetischen Linie, welche sich vom Bogen-
mittelpunkt des Sitzabschnittes (d.h., Teilungsmittel-
punkt) des entsprechendes Zahnes durch den den
Auftreffpunkt erstreckt, und der radialen Mittel-
punktslinie jenes Zahnes liegend.
17. Verfahren nach Anspruch 16, ferner einschließend
den Schritt: Definieren des Bogenmittelpunkts des
Distalabschnittes gemäß JIS-Standard
B1802-1981, so dass der Distalabschnitt an den Auf-
treffabschnitt der Eingreifflanke an einer Stelle
grenzt, wo eine hypothetische Linie, welche sich zwi-
schen dem Bogenmittelpunkt des Distalabschnittes
und dem Bogenmittelpunkt des Auftreffabschnittes
erstreckt, den Kreisbogen des Auftreffabschnittes
schneiden würde.
18. Verfahren zur Herstellung eines Kettenrades für ein
Kettentriebsystem, einschließend das Ausführen ei-
nes Kettenradzahnprofils für das Kettenrad gemäß
16
eines Verfahrens eines der Ansprüche 13 bis 17 und
das Herstellen des Kettenrades nach einer solchen
Ausführung.
5
Revendications
1. Roue dentée (110) à utiliser avec un chaîne à rou-
leaux comprenant une succession de rouleaux con-
10 nectés en série (121), ladite roue dentée
comprenant : une pluralité de dents (112) espacées
autour de la périphérie de celle-ci pour un engage-
ment d’entraînement avec les rouleaux, au moins
une desdites dents présentant un profil de dent com-
15 portant un flanc d’engagement (115) adapté pour
entrer en contact avec un rouleau tandis que ce rou-
leau vient en engagement avec ladite au moins une
dent, et un flanc de désengagement (116) ; dans la-
quelle ledit flanc d’engagement comprend un point
20 d’impact (114) pour un engagement initial avec un
rouleau, caractérisée en ce que ledit point d’impact
est situé sur une ligne tangente à une partie d’appui
circulaire (211) du profil de dent, ladite ligne tangente
coupant un axe central ou de rotation de la roue den-
25 tée.
2. Roue dentée selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle
le flanc d’engagement dudit profil de dent comprend
une partie d’impact (212) adjacente à ladite partie
30 d’appui, et une partie distale (213) adjacente à la
partie d’impact, chacune desdites partie d’appui,
partie d’impact et partie distale dudit profil de flanc
d’engagement comprenant un arc circulaire défini
par un rayon et un centre d’arc.
35
3. Roue dentée selon la revendication 1 ou la revendi-
cation 2, dans laquelle le point d’impact est situé à
l’endroit où la partie d’impact rejoint la partie d’appui.
40 4. Roue dentée selon l’une quelconque des revendica-
tions 1 à 3, dans laquelle le point d’impact sur le flanc
d’engagement de chaque dent est situé au-dessus
d’une ligne hypothétique joignant le centre d’arc de
la partie d’appui de la dent respective et le centre
45 d’arc de la partie d’appui d’une dent voisine.
5. Roue dentée selon la revendication 2, dans laquelle
la partie distale, la partie d’impact et la partie d’appui
du flanc d’engagement se joignent les unes aux
50 autres d’une façon homogène, de préférence tan-
gentielle.
6. Roue dentée selon la revendication 2, dans laquelle
le centre d’arc de la partie d’impact se trouve à l’in-
55 tersection d’une ligne hypothétique s’étendant à par-
tir du centre d’arc de la partie d’appui de la dent res-
pective à travers le point d’impact et de la ligne de
centre radiale de cette dent.
9
 17 EP 1 348 891 B1
7. Roue dentée selon la revendication 2, dans laquelle
ledit centre d’arc de la partie distale est défini selon
la norme JIS B1802-1981, et dans laquelle la partie
distale rejoint la partie d’impact du flanc d’engage-
ment en un endroit où une ligne hypothétique s’éten-
dant entre le centre d’arc de la partie distale et le
centre d’arc de la partie d’impact couperait l’arc cir-
culaire de la partie d’impact.
8. Roue dentée selon la revendication 7, dans laquelle
l’arc circulaire de la partie distale se termine à un
cercle extérieur de la roue dentée.
9. Roue dentée selon l’une quelconque des revendica-
tions précédentes, dans laquelle le pas de ladite roue
dentée est plus petit que le pas desdits rouleaux, et
donc le rayon du cercle de pas de la roue dentée est
modifié de façon à être plus petit que celui dicté par
la norme JIS B1802-1981.
10. Roue dentée selon la revendication 9, dans laquelle
le profil de dent est asymétrique, et le flanc de dé-
sengagement est conçu selon la norme JIS
B1802-1981 en utilisant un rayon de racine de dent
modifié et ledit rayon de cercle de pas modifié.
11. Système d’entraînement par chaîne comprenant au
moins une roue dentée selon l’une quelconque des
revendications précédentes, et une chaîne à rou-
leaux complémentaire à engager avec celle-ci.
12. Machine comprenant un système d’entraînement
par chaîne selon la revendication 11.
13. Procédé pour concevoir un profil de dent de roue
dentée pour une roue dentée (110) dans un système
d’entraînement par chaîne, le profil de dent de roue
dentée comprenant un flanc d’engagement (115)
adapté pour entrer en contact avec un rouleau de
chaîne tandis que ce rouleau vient en engagement
avec la dent, et un flanc de désengagement (116) ;
le procédé comprenant l’étape consistant à : déter-
miner un rayon de cercle de racine pour la dent de
roue dentée (112) afin de définir une partie d’appui
circulaire (211) pour un rouleau à une base du profil
de flanc d’engagement ; et caractérisé par l’étape
consistant à définir la position d’un point d’impact
(114) pour un engagement initial avec un rouleau
sur une ligne tangente à la partie d’appui circulaire,
ladite ligne tangente coupant un axe central ou de
rotation de la roue dentée.
14. Procédé selon la revendication 13, comprenant en
outre l’étape consistant à :
définir le point d’impact sur le flanc d’engage-
ment de chaque dent comme se trouvant au-
dessus d’une ligne hypothétique joignant un
18
centre d’arc de la partie d’appui de la dent res-
pective et un centre d’arc de la partie d’appui
d’une dent voisine.
5 15. Procédé selon la revendication 14, comprenant en
outre l’étape consistant à :
définir le flanc d’engagement dudit profil de dent
comme comprenant une partie d’impact (212)
10 adjacente à ladite partie d’appui, et une partie
distale (213) adjacente à la partie d’impact, cha-
cune desdites partie d’appui, partie d’impact et
partie distale dudit profil de flanc d’engagement
comprenant un arc circulaire défini par un rayon
15 et un centre d’arc.
16. Procédé selon la revendication 15, comprenant en
outre l’étape consistant à :
20 définir le centre d’arc pour la partie d’impact
comme se trouvant à l’intersection d’une ligne
hypothétique s’étendant à partir du centre d’arc
de la partie d’appui (c’est-à-dire le centre du pas)
de la dent respective à travers le point d’impact
25 et de la ligne de centre radiale de cette dent.
17. Procédé selon la revendication 16, comprenant en
outre l’étape consistant à :
30 définir le centre d’arc de la partie distale selon
la norme JIS B1802-1981, de telle sorte que la
partie distale rejoigne la partie d’impact du flanc
d’engagement en un endroit où une ligne hypo-
thétique s’étendant entre le centre d’arc de la
35 partie distale et le centre d’arc de la partie d’im-
pact couperait l’arc circulaire de la partie d’im-
pact.
18. Procédé pour produire une roue dentée pour un sys-
40 tème d’entraînement par chaîne, comprenant la con-
ception d’un profil de dent de roue dentée pour la
roue dentée selon l’une quelconque des revendica-
tions 13 à 17, et la production de la roue dentée selon
une telle conception.
45
50
55
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15