Vehicle Inside Handle Cable Joint for Smooth Centered Engagement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing inside handle devices for vehicles face issues with engagement reliability and smooth operation due to misalignment of the connecting recess and body, leading to increased operating force and potential automatic return failures.

Innovation Solution

The inside handle device features a connecting body with a solid rotating shape and a diameter that decreases from the center to the ends, ensuring the connecting recess is always centered, and a contact portion that matches the curvature of the connecting body, enhancing followability and reducing sliding contact forces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a predetermined clearance is set between the wall surfaces and the connecting body to ensure engagement reliability, then the connecting body can move smoothly, but the operating force of the operation handle increases due to excessive sliding contact force

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveengagement reliabilityVSAvoidoperating force
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The connecting body is designed with a curved outer peripheral surface that corresponds to the curved inner peripheral surface of the connecting recess. This curvature matching allows the connecting body to rotate smoothly within the recess while maintaining consistent contact, reducing sliding friction and the operating force required, while still ensuring reliable engagement through the curved contact surfaces

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Reliability

If the connecting recess is positioned away from the center of the connecting body to accommodate tolerance, then engagement can be secured, but the connecting body moves in an inclined posture causing excessive sliding contact force

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveengagement reliabilityVSAvoidoperation smoothness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The connecting body is designed with an asymmetric mass distribution, being thicker at the center and thinner at the ends. This asymmetric geometry creates a natural alignment effect where the thicker central portion centers itself within the connecting recess during engagement, ensuring the connecting body moves in the correct orientation without excessive inclined movement, while still accommodating manufacturing tolerances

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Data Source

PatentEP3536883B1Vehicle inside handle device
Publication Date: 2024.07.03 ALPHA
  • EP3536883B1 patent drawingFigure 1(a)~1(b)
  • EP3536883B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3536883B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

This vehicle inside handle device is equipped with: a handle unit obtained by connecting an operation handle provided with a connection recess to a handle base in a manner such that a rotation operation is possible; and a cable unit which is connected to the handle unit and holds one end of an operating power-transmitting cable obtained by inserting an inner cable into an outer cable so as to allow movement of the inner cable. Furthermore, the connection recess of this vehicle inside handle device is fastened to a connecting body formed at the tip of the inner cable while the handle unit is in a state of connection to the cable unit.