Adaptable Electronic Throttle Body Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern vehicle throttle body assemblies face challenges in accommodating various packaging configurations and adapting to both gasoline and diesel applications, as well as accommodating different engine orientations, requiring a versatile and adaptable solution for air flow control.
Innovation Solution
A throttle body assembly with a housing, a rotatable shaft and throttle plate, a gear assembly driven by an electric motor, and a biasing structure to control air flow, along with a position sensor to monitor the throttle plate's position, allowing for adaptable operation in different configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a traditional throttle body assembly is designed for a specific packaging configuration and engine type, then the design is simple and reliable, but it cannot accommodate different packaging configurations, engine orientations, or fuel types
Solution Approach 1:
The throttle body assembly is designed with universal features that allow it to function across multiple applications. The housing configuration, throttle bore orientation, and component layout are standardized to accommodate different packaging arrangements, engine orientations (right-hand and left-hand configurations), and fuel types (gasoline and diesel), enabling a single design to serve multiple purposes without requiring application-specific variants
2Reliability
If the throttle plate is held closed by spring bias, then the system is fail-safe and returns to closed position on failure, but additional actuation force is required to open the throttle plate
Solution Approach 1:
The spring biasing structure is pre-configured to hold the throttle plate in the closed position during normal operation, and the motor is designed to overcome this predetermined bias force. The motor controller is programmed with the known spring force characteristics, allowing it to apply the necessary actuation force to open the throttle plate against the spring bias while maintaining reliable fail-safe operation where the spring automatically returns the plate to closed position on motor failure
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables flexible packaging and operation in both gasoline and diesel engines, effectively controlling air flow by overcoming biasing forces to adjust the throttle plate position, ensuring efficient engine aspiration across various orientations and configurations.
Implementation Method 1
When the motor is energized, rotation of the gear assembly, against the bias thereon, thereby causing rotation of the shaft to move the throttle plate from the closed position to an open position
Implementation Method 2
Biasing structure is constructed and arranged to bias the gear assembly and thus the shaft to cause the throttle plate to close the throttle bore defining a closed position thereof
Data Source
AI summary
A throttle body assembly includes a housing defining a throttle bore with a throttle plate in the bore and mounted on a shaft. An electric motor has a pinion gear. A gear assembly includes an intermediate gear and a sector gear and transfers rotational drive from the electric motor to the throttle plate. Biasing structure biases the sector gear and thus the shaft to cause the throttle plate to close the throttle bore defining a closed position thereof. When the motor is energized, rotation of the pinion gear causes rotation of the gear assembly, against the bias on the sector gear, thereby causing rotation of the shaft to move the throttle plate from the closed position to an open position. A position sensor assembly determines a position of the plate.