Drive Shaft Tilt Angle Adjustment for Torque Steering Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Increased engine torque leads to significant differences in driving torques between left and right wheels, causing torque steering, which existing technologies struggle to effectively mitigate without additional components or reduced assisting force in electric power steering systems.
Innovation Solution
A mechanical apparatus that adjusts the tilt angles of the drive shafts by moving the driving source and positioning inner and outer joints relative to the wheels, reducing tilt angles as the vehicle accelerates to minimize torque steering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the engine output torque is increased to improve vehicle performance, then the vehicle acceleration capability is improved, but torque steering becomes more significant due to differences in left/right driving torques
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by pre-positioning the inner joints below the outer joints to create initial tilt angles that counteract the torque steering effect. When the vehicle accelerates, the driving source moves upward, causing the drive shafts to tilt in a direction that opposes the torque steering force, thereby reducing its impact before it fully develops
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the drive shaft system by positioning inner joints below outer joints and designing the linkage mechanism to dynamically adjust tilt angles. This parameter change allows the system to transform the static drive shaft configuration into a dynamic one where tilt angles vary with acceleration, reducing torque steering at high power levels
2Object-generated harmful factors
If support brackets are used to fix the intermediate shaft to achieve equal tilt angles for left/right drive shafts, then torque steering is reduced, but the support brackets protrude significantly outward from the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a lateral adjustment approach (support brackets protruding outward) to a vertical dimension solution by positioning inner joints below outer joints. This dimensional change allows the drive shafts to achieve equal tilt angles through vertical displacement of the driving source during acceleration, eliminating the need for lateral protrusions
3Object-generated harmful factors
If an electric motor is added to cancel torque steering, then torque steering is reduced, but additional components are required and there is waste in output upon starting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by designing a mechanical linkage system where the driving source's natural upward movement during acceleration automatically adjusts the drive shaft tilt angles to counteract torque steering. The system uses the vehicle's own acceleration motion to generate the corrective action, eliminating the need for separate electric motors or active control systems
4Power
If the electric power steering system is used in large vehicles with high power engines, then the assisting force is insufficient, but adding more assisting force increases system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the electrical/hydraulic power steering system with a purely mechanical linkage system that directly couples the driving source movement to drive shaft tilt angle adjustment. This mechanical substitution provides scaling-free assisting force that naturally adapts to high power engines in large vehicles without increasing system complexity
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus is provided for suppressing torque steering in a vehicle in which left/right drive shafts are coupled via outer joints to left/right front wheels. The drive shafts are connected via inner joints to an engine and transmission. The height of the inner joints is set 5-20 mm lower than the height of the outer joints, thus forming tilt angles between the left/right drive shafts and the center axis through the left/right wheels and the outer joint. As acceleration of the vehicle increases, the engine moves upward, thus causing the inner joints to move as well. This upward movement of the inner joints causes the tilt angle formed by the drive shafts to decrease. The specific placement of the inner joints is selected so that the left/right tilt angles reach zero at a predetermined rate of acceleration, which may be the vehicle's maximum rate of acceleration.