Clevis Steering Rack Joint with Clocking Protrusions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ball and socket joints in rack and pinion steering boxes are weak and prone to failure, necessitating a stronger alternative that maintains steering control and factory geometry.
Innovation Solution
A clevis with a U-shaped design, featuring aligned apertures and a clevis pin, along with clocking protrusions that automatically orient the clevis at a predetermined angle to couple with the rack, replacing the factory ball and socket joints and maintaining the original pivot point geometry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ball and socket joints are used to couple the rack to tie rods, then the steering control is maintained as intended by the manufacturer, but the connection is weak and has a tendency to fail
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental design parameters of the connection joint from a ball and socket configuration to a clevis configuration with pinned connections. This parameter change transforms the connection from a spherical interface to a linear pinned interface, fundamentally altering the strength and reliability characteristics while maintaining the steering control function.
Solution Approach 2:
The clevis connection is segmented into distinct components: the clevis body with two arms, the pin passing through both arms, and the rod end assembly. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for strength and durability, with the pin providing a robust rotational connection and the clevis arms providing structural support.
2Reliability
If the clevis replaces the factory ball and socket joints, then the strength and reliability are improved, but the steering control and factory geometry may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The clevis is pre-configured with two arms extending in opposite directions with apertures positioned to maintain the original factory pivot point geometry. This preliminary design ensures that when installed, the steering control characteristics match the manufacturer's intent without requiring adjustment or modification during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The clevis design serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides a strong pinned connection for reliability, maintains the factory pivot point geometry for proper steering control, and accommodates the rod end assembly for structural integrity. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction between improved reliability and maintained ease of operation.
3Reliability
If a stronger connection is implemented to replace weak ball and socket joints, then the tendency to fail is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into the single clevis component: the two arms provide both the structural framework and the mounting points for the pin, while also maintaining the pivot point geometry. This merging reduces overall complexity compared to having separate ball and socket components plus additional alignment features.
Solution Approach 2:
The clevis design is self-aligning through its symmetric two-arm configuration with apertures positioned to automatically maintain the factory pivot point geometry. The structure serves itself by inherently providing both strength and proper geometric alignment without requiring external adjustment mechanisms or complex assembly procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
A clevis for a rack and pinion steering box is provided. The clevis includes a base and two arms extending from the base to form a U-shape with each arm having an aperture with aligned axes. A clevis pin extends through the base in a direction opposite of the two arms. The clevis includes two clocking protrusions extending from the base in a direction opposite the two arms with the clevis pin is located between the two clocking protrusions. The rack includes two flat portions and the two clocking protrusion are configured to automatically orient the clevis at a predetermined angle with respect to the rack when the clevis pin is coupled to the rack. In operation, a clevis is coupled on opposing sides of the rack and clevis pivot points are maintained at a width length defined between the clevis pivot points, such as less than 350 mm.