Coaxial Rotor Vehicle Height Adjuster with Differential Gearing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle height adjusting systems face issues with compact design, high power consumption, torque loss, and susceptibility to inadvertent actuation due to low mechanical efficiency and uneven load distribution, particularly with worm gear mechanisms, and require measures to prevent unintended movement and maintain stability against road inputs.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle height adjusting system using a coaxial rotor configuration with internal gears and a high gear ratio mechanism, where the first and second rotors are connected via a threading coupling, minimizing torque loss and power consumption, and eliminating the need for spline couplings to ensure durability and compactness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a worm gear mechanism is used to prevent the electric motor from being turned by the load and minimize the size of the electric motor, then the motor size is reduced, but the mechanical efficiency becomes low causing significant torque loss and high power consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional worm gear mechanism with a rack and pinion mechanism. The pinion gear engages with the rack to convert rotational motion to linear motion, eliminating the inherent torque loss of worm gears while maintaining the ability to prevent motor reversal through proper gear engagement design. This substitution resolves the contradiction by achieving motor size reduction without accepting the energy losses characteristic of worm gear systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the mechanical parameters of the transmission system by using a high gear ratio in the rack and pinion mechanism. This allows the electric motor to operate at lower power levels while still achieving the required output force, thereby reducing torque loss and power consumption compared to low gear ratio systems that would require larger motors.
2Loss of energy
If a ball screw mechanism is used to improve mechanical efficiency, then torque loss is reduced, but the manufacturing cost increases and additional measures are needed to prevent rotation of the female thread member
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes the ball screw mechanism with a rack and pinion system. This replacement maintains high mechanical efficiency with reduced torque loss while eliminating the complexity of preventing female thread member rotation. The rack and pinion's inherent design provides stable linear motion without requiring additional rotational prevention mechanisms, thus reducing device complexity while preserving energy efficiency.
3Volume of moving object
If a spur gear mechanism is used to achieve high gear ratio and compact design, then the mechanism size is reduced, but uneven loads are applied to the threading engagement and spline engagement causing tilting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a single-stage spur gear mechanism to a two-stage gear system with different gear ratios. This dimensional change in the transmission architecture allows the first stage to handle high torque with appropriate gear engagement while the second stage provides the necessary speed reduction, thereby distributing loads more uniformly and preventing tilting while maintaining compact dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs differential gear ratios in the two-stage transmission system. The first stage uses a gear ratio optimized for torque transmission with proper load distribution, while the second stage provides additional reduction. This parameter optimization ensures uniform load distribution across all gear engagements, preventing tilting and improving stability while maintaining compact actuator volume.
4Volume of moving object
If the gear ratio between first drive gear and first driven gear is made different from the gear ratio between second drive gear and second driven gear, then the coaxial rotor configuration achieves compact design, but the differential rotation must be precisely controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the transmission system into two independent gear stages with distinct gear ratios. The first stage (drive gear 43 and driven gear 41) and the second stage (drive gear 44 and driven gear 42) can be designed and manufactured separately with their own optimized precision requirements. This segmentation allows each gear pair to be precisely controlled independently, achieving the required manufacturing precision while enabling compact coaxial rotor configuration.
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 system achieves a compact, durable, and reliable design with minimal torque loss and power consumption, preventing inadvertent actuation and maintaining vehicle height stability despite changes in lubrication viscosity or gear friction, using a coaxial rotor configuration and internal gears to enhance gear meshing and load distribution.
Implementation Method 1
joined with the first rotor via a threading coupling that converts a relative rotation around the common axial line into a relative linear movement of the first and second rotors towards and away from each other along the common axial line
Implementation Method 2
a first drive gear meshing with the first driven gear and a second drive gear meshing with the second driven gear
Data Source
AI summary
A first rotor (24; 124) and a second rotor (25; 125) are arranged in a coaxial and mutually rotatable relationship and are provided with a first driven gear (41; 141) and a second driven gear (42; 142), respectively. A drive shaft (31; 131) is also provided with a first drive gear (43; 143) and a second drive gear (44; 144) which are commonly connected to an output shaft of an electric motor (32; 132), and mesh with the first and second driven gears, respectively, at slightly different gear ratios. The first and second rotors are connected via a thread feed mechanism (36; 136) that converts a relative rotation between the first and second rotors into an axial linear movement between the first and second rotors that is used for changing a distance between a vehicle body part and a corresponding end of a suspension spring in a vehicle height adjusting system (9; 109). Owing to a differential rotation of a high gear ratio between the first and second rotors, a significant torque amplification is possible with a compact arrangement. The use of spur gears instead of a worm gear mechanism minimizes torque loss.