Emergency Release Cable Slider Guide Groove Wear Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing emergency release systems for automatic transmissions in vehicles with electronic shift control technology face issues such as abrasion and malfunction of the fixing structure, leading to reduced durability and reliability, and require manual lever return after electronic equipment failures, causing inconvenience.

Innovation Solution

An operating apparatus with an emergency release cable featuring a slider and handle lever mechanism that includes hooks and a spring finger system, allowing for secure switching between parking and neutral positions without abrasion, and automatic return to the parking position upon engine restart.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a hook structure is used to fix the emergency release lever, then the lever can be secured in position, but the fixing structure becomes worn down or damaged over time due to relative coupling and releasing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefixing structure durabilityVSAvoidfixing structure service life
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the harmful relative motion between the hook and hook counterpart by introducing a guide groove that constrains the slider to move only in the cable pulling direction. This eliminates lateral coupling and releasing movements that cause wear, while maintaining the securing function through the guide groove's geometric constraints.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The guide groove acts as an intermediary element between the slider and the housing, mediating the motion relationship. Instead of direct hook-to-hook coupling, the guide groove guides the slider's movement, preventing direct contact and relative motion between coupling surfaces that would lead to wear.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the emergency release cable is pulled to switch transmission to neutral position, then the transmission can be switched from parking to neutral, but the user must manually return the lever to restart the vehicle

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransmission switching operationVSAvoidtime for manual lever return
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements self-service by designing the guide groove and slider mechanism so that when the emergency release cable is pulled, the slider automatically moves along the guide groove and the lever is automatically returned to its original position when the cable tension is released. This eliminates the need for manual lever return operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The guide groove is designed with specific geometry that allows the slider to move dynamically along a predetermined path. When cable tension is applied, the slider moves to engage the emergency position; when tension is released, the slider automatically returns to its initial position, providing dynamic automatic reset functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3181952B1Operating apparatus for emergency release cable
Publication Date: 2020.11.04 INFAC CORP
  • EP3181952B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3181952B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3181952B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed herein is an operating apparatus for an emergency release cable, which is capable of significantly improving durability and reliability and increasing the convenience of a driver and a passenger by preventing a malfunction of an emergency release lever through a structure which prevents abrasion of a fixing structure of the emergency release lever connected to the emergency release cable and a structure which automatically switches a transmission to the parking position as the fixing structure of the emergency release lever is released when the engine and the transmission are restarted.