Adjustment Drive Overload Clutch With Damped Free Play
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing adjustment drives in motor vehicles face challenges in achieving a consistent haptic feel during manual operation while protecting the self-locking gearbox from excessive torque, requiring adaptive haptic adjustments without affecting safety clutch functionality.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a safety clutch with a free play mechanism and damping elements between coaxial gears to disconnect the self-locking gear stage from excessive torque, allowing adjustable haptic feedback through compressible and elastic elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a safety clutch is installed to protect the self-locking gearbox from excessive torque, then the gearbox reliability is improved, but the haptic feel during manual operation becomes difficult to control and consistent
Solution Approach 1:
The safety clutch is segmented into distinct functional components: a clutch body with clutch elements for torque disengagement, and a separate damping element with damping members for haptic control. This segmentation allows independent optimization of protection functionality and operational feel, resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping element acts as an intermediary between the clutch mechanism and the external environment. It mediates the interaction by providing controlled resistance during manual operation while allowing the safety clutch to function independently for torque protection, thus decoupling the haptic feedback from the safety disengagement mechanism.
2Ease of operation
If the safety clutch torque is adjusted to improve haptic feel, then the manual operation feel is improved, but the gearbox protection capability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the haptic control function (damping element) from the safety protection function (clutch elements). The damping element can be adjusted to provide desired haptic feel without affecting the clutch's torque disengagement threshold, allowing independent optimization of both parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the clutch system have different functional qualities: the damping element provides localized haptic resistance for improved manual operation feel, while the clutch elements maintain their localized function of torque sensing and disengagement for gearbox protection. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction.
3Device complexity
If a standard gearbox is used across different applications, then the device complexity is reduced, but the haptic requirements cannot be met for each specific application
Solution Approach 1:
The damping element is designed as a universal component that can be integrated into standard gearboxes across different applications. It provides multi-functionality by simultaneously enabling haptic adjustment for various applications while maintaining the standard gearbox design, thus resolving the contradiction between standardization and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping element introduces dynamic adjustability to the otherwise static standard gearbox system. The damping force can be adjusted to meet different haptic requirements for various applications, allowing a single standardized gearbox design to adapt to multiple usage scenarios without redesigning the entire system.
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
Enables flexible haptic adjustments independent of safety clutch disengagement, protecting the gearbox while maintaining consistent manual operation feel across various applications.
Implementation Method 1
at least one compressible and/or elastic and/or spring-loaded damping element is arranged in the free play
Implementation Method 2
at least one compressible and/or elastic and/or spring-loaded damping element is arranged in the free play
Data Source
Figure 1~4
AI summary
An adjustment drive comprising an electric motor (1) and a gearbox (2) with a self-locking gear stage (3) and with an output (4), wherein the gearbox (2) includes a safety clutch (5) which is configured to disconnect the self-locking gear stage (3) from the external torque in the event of an excessively large external torque, i.e., applied via the output (4), wherein the safety clutch (5) has a free play (6), wherein at least one compressible and/or elastic and/or spring-loaded damping element (7) is arranged in the free play (6), so that the haptics of an external movement request (8), i.e., applied via the output (4), are co-determined by the damping element (7).