Hollow Piston Locking Unit for Lower-Cost Reliable Detent Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Locking units for automatic transmissions have high production costs due to complex configurations and components, which result in high costs and resource inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A locking unit design featuring a piston with a detent element and electromagnet, where the piston is adjustable between retracted and extended positions and is constructed as a hollow part using a punched and rolled process, reducing weight and production costs by allowing for simpler geometries and reduced mechanical production marks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a locking unit uses complex configurations and components to achieve reliable locking, then the locking reliability is improved, but the production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The locking unit is divided into functionally independent modules: the piston assembly, the electromagnet assembly, and the detent element mechanism. Each module can be manufactured separately using optimized processes and then assembled, reducing overall production complexity and cost while maintaining reliable locking function through proper modular integration
Solution Approach 2:
The piston serves multiple functions: it acts as a hydraulic actuator for movement control, provides mounting surfaces for the detent receptacle, and forms part of the fluid distribution system. This multi-functionality reduces the total component count and assembly complexity, lowering production costs while maintaining reliable locking operation
2Strength
If the piston is designed as a solid part to ensure structural strength, then the mechanical strength is improved, but the weight increases and production complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The piston is designed as a hollow part with optimized wall thickness rather than a solid structure. This reduces the piston weight and the amount of material required, lowering production costs and improving energy efficiency, while the wall thickness is engineered to maintain sufficient mechanical strength for the required pressure and force applications
3Ease of manufacture
If the piston is designed as a hollow part to reduce weight and cost, then the production cost is reduced, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow piston design allows optimization of wall thickness parameters to balance manufacturing precision requirements with cost reduction. By carefully selecting wall thickness within specific ranges, the design achieves sufficient structural integrity while enabling cost-effective manufacturing processes, reducing overall production costs without excessive precision demands
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 design reduces production costs while maintaining quality and resource efficiency, enabling a more stable and cost-effective locking mechanism with improved adaptability and modular design capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
the locking unit has an electromagnet and at least one detent element, wherein the detent element interacts with the armature or the armature rod of the electromagnet
Data Source
AI summary
A locking unit for locking the movement of a piston which can be acted on with pressure of a fluid, the locking unit having the piston, an electromagnet, and at least one detent element. The detent element interacts with an armature or an armature rod of the electromagnet. The piston has at least one detent receptacle, and the piston can be secured by a retaining interaction of the detent element with the detent receptacle. The piston is adjustable between a retracted position and an extended position, and the piston can be designed at least in sections as a hollow part.