Coupling Element for Shifting Carriage Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coupling elements for gearshift carriages in motor vehicle transmissions require complex and costly assembly processes, with undefined angular positions and variable distances necessitating changes in injection molding tools or interchangeable inserts, making them expensive and difficult to align.
Innovation Solution
A coupling element with a ring and ring receptacle design, where the ring is inserted into a passage with a bore, allowing for pivotable and adjustable mounting of the selector lever, enabling easy assembly and adjustment for different selector lever lengths, and featuring a stop to limit pivoting angles, facilitating simple and cost-effective production using injection molding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a ball element is injection molded onto the selector lever, then the selector lever can be coupled to the shift carriage, but the assembly becomes complex and expensive, and alignment is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling element is divided into separate components: a ring with a bore that receives the selector lever section, and a receptacle that holds the ring pivotably. This segmentation eliminates the need for complex injection molding of the entire coupling assembly, simplifying manufacturing and reducing assembly complexity while maintaining coupling reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The ring acts as an intermediary component between the selector lever and the shift carriage. It receives the selector lever section through its bore and provides a pivotable connection point, simplifying the overall coupling mechanism and making alignment easier while maintaining reliable power transmission
2Reliability
If the spherical shell-like engagement is applied to the smaller spherical element, then the selector lever can be coupled to the shift carriage, but the angular position becomes undefined and alignment is necessary
Solution Approach 1:
The ring is pre-positioned in the receptacle with a defined angular orientation before the selector lever is installed. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the selector lever is inserted through the ring's bore, the angular relationship is already established, eliminating the need for alignment operations and simplifying assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The ring's bore is designed to automatically guide the selector lever section into the correct position during insertion. The geometry of the bore and ring receptacle arrangement ensures self-alignment, allowing the selector lever to be installed without complex alignment procedures while maintaining reliable coupling
3Adaptability or versatility
If variable distance between ball elements is accommodated, then different selector lever lengths can be used, but injection molding tools must be changed or interchangeable inserts required
Solution Approach 1:
The ring with its bore serves as a universal coupling interface that can accommodate selector lever sections of different lengths. The ring's pivotable mounting in the receptacle and its bore geometry allow it to adapt to various selector lever configurations without requiring different injection molding tools or interchangeable inserts, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining versatility
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a coupling element for a shifting carriage for transmitting the shifting action of a swiveling movement of a gear selection lever (10) to a motor vehicle transmission, in particular to an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle. The coupling element (1) comprises a through-opening (4) for receiving a section of the gear selection lever (10). The coupling element (1) is characterised in that it comprises a ring (7) having a hole (9) into which the section of the gear selection lever can be introduced, wherein the ring (7) is introduced into a receiving means (6) of the through-opening (4), said receiving means being designed to hold the ring (7) such that said ring can swivel.