Gearbox with Injection-Molded Feed Lines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gear actuators in motor vehicles require significant constructional space and incur additional costs due to the need for adapter plugs or customized components to accommodate different electric plug contact systems.
Innovation Solution
A gearbox design with a cup-shaped box body and modular components, including elastically formed contact elements and injection-molded electric feed lines, allows for compact assembly and adaptation to various plug contact systems, featuring a customizable box cover for different manufacturers and integrated sensor capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If adapter plugs or customized components are used to accommodate different electric plug contact systems, then adaptability to various manufacturers is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The box cover is designed with a universal bearing holding portion that can accommodate different electric motor types and plug contact systems without requiring adapter plugs. The standardized interface allows the same box cover to work with various manufacturers' electric motors, eliminating the need for customized components and reducing device complexity while maintaining adaptability.
2Ease of operation
If electric connectors are integrated into the box body, then assembly process is simplified and constructional space is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electric connectors are integrated directly into the box body through injection-molding, merging two previously separate components (box body and electric connectors) into a single integrated part. This eliminates the need for separate assembly steps to install electric connectors, simplifying the assembly process and reducing constructional space, while the injection-molding process efficiently handles the manufacturing complexity.
3Reliability
If feed lines are arranged within the walls of the box body, then protection of feed lines is improved and constructional space is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The feed lines are nested within the walls of the box body, with the plastic material of the box body walls surrounding and protecting the feed lines. This nested arrangement provides mechanical protection to the feed lines against damage during operation and assembly, while the injection-molding process efficiently creates this protective structure by forming the feed lines and box body walls as an integrated component.
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 solution reduces constructional space requirements, simplifies assembly, and lowers costs by enabling automatic electric contact establishment and modular design, while ensuring protection of feed lines and allowing for customized solutions for different automobile manufacturers.
Implementation Method 1
these connectors are provided as elastically formed contact elements which are adapted, during the mounting of the electric motor, to receive e.g. contact pins arranged on the electric motor
Implementation Method 2
the feed lines have the walls of the box body injection-molded around them or are injection-molded into the walls of the box body
Data Source
AI summary
A gearbox for a gear (14) to be connected to an electric motor (36) comprises a box body (10) and a box cover (12). Arranged internally of the box cover (12) is a holding portion for an output shaft bearing (24). According to the invention, electric connectors (46) for electric connection of the electric motor (36) are provided within the box body (10), and the electric feed lines (48) connected to the electric connectors (46) are injection-molded into the box body (10).