Gearbox Control Cable Ball Joint Coupling With Limited Damping Stroke
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coupling end pieces for gearbox control cables and ball joints fail to provide consistent damping throughout the life of the elastomer damping pad, leading to varying cable travel and effort transmission, resulting in an inconsistent feel when manipulating the gear lever.
Innovation Solution
A coupling end piece with rigid abutment means, such as shoulders, limits the movement and elastic deformation of the damping pad, ensuring a fixed force transmission point and constant feel, with progressive force transmission initially and direct force transmission after the pad is compressed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If an elastomer damping pad is used to absorb vibrations and forces, then vibration damping is improved, but cable travel is lost due to elastic deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a progressive spring that changes its stiffness parameter during compression. Initially, the spring is soft to allow buffer absorption of vibrations, but as compression progresses, the spring becomes stiffer to transmit forces directly, thus adapting the damping characteristic to different stages of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines the elastomer damping pad with a progressive spring mechanism to create a composite force transmission system. The progressive spring acts as a mechanical element with variable stiffness, working in conjunction with the elastomer pad to provide both vibration damping and controlled force transmission
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the elastomer damping pad is allowed to deform freely, then vibration absorption is improved, but the feeling when manipulating the lever becomes inconsistent throughout the pad's life
Solution Approach 1:
The progressive spring provides a mechanical parameter change that compensates for the aging of the elastomer pad. As the pad softens over time, the progressive spring's increasing stiffness ensures that the overall force transmission characteristic remains consistent, maintaining the same feeling throughout the pad's service life
Solution Approach 2:
The progressive spring mechanism provides mechanical feedback that regulates force transmission. The spring's varying stiffness creates a predictable force-displacement relationship that compensates for variations in pad characteristics, ensuring consistent operational feel
3Length of moving object
If the damping pad hardness is increased to reduce stroke loss, then cable travel is improved, but vibration damping capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The progressive spring introduces dynamic characteristics to the force transmission system. The spring's stiffness is not fixed but changes during compression, allowing the system to be soft during initial compression (good for damping) and stiff during full compression (good for travel), thus adapting to different operational requirements
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
This design achieves a consistent and robust feel when manipulating the gear lever, limits stroke loss, and maintains performance throughout the life of the damping pad by controlling effort and vibration damping.
Implementation Method 1
an elastomer damping pad inserted between said coupling part and an internal wall of the housing when an axial force is exerted on the cable
Implementation Method 2
the buffer is crushed under the force, thus making it possible to erase or at the very least reduce the snags of the gearbox
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
Coupling end (1) of a motor vehicle gearbox control cable (2) to a ball joint (3) for coupling part of a gear lever or a part of the gearbox, the end piece comprises a housing receiving a coupling part (7) intended to cover and couple with the ball joint (3), the coupling part (7) being received in the housing with the ability to move against an elastomer damping pad (11) interposed between said coupling part (7) and an internal wall of the housing when an axial force is exerted on the cable (2). According to the invention, the end piece comprises rigid abutment means arranged to limit the displacement of the coupling part (7) and the elastic deformation of the damping buffer (11).