Magnetic Shift Locking for Consistent Haptic Gear Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing switching devices for vehicles, particularly shift-by-wire systems, face challenges in providing consistent haptic feedback and noise reduction while avoiding mechanical wear and aging-related changes in damping behavior.
Innovation Solution
A shift-by-wire switching device utilizing a haptic device with a magnet and counter-element for generating restoring forces, where the haptic device is designed to be magnetically coupled, allowing for wear-free operation and consistent noise characteristics, with magnets used to detect position and generate haptic feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a soft damping element is used to reduce noise, then noise attenuation is improved, but the damping behavior changes due to aging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical damping element with a magnetic field-based system. Magnets are positioned to create magnetic fields that interact with ferromagnetic counter-elements, generating restoring forces without mechanical contact. This substitution eliminates the aging issues of soft damping materials while maintaining noise reduction and consistent damping behavior throughout the device's lifespan.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If mechanical damping elements are used to reduce noise, then noise characteristics are improved, but mechanical wear occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces mechanical damping and locking mechanisms with a magnetic field-based system. Magnets interact with ferromagnetic counter-elements through magnetic attraction and repulsion forces, eliminating mechanical contact and wear. This ensures consistent noise characteristics and durability throughout the device's operational life.
3Force
If mechanical locking elements are used to provide haptic feedback, then restoring force is improved, but mechanical wear and noise occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical locking elements with magnets that generate restoring forces through magnetic field interactions. The magnets are positioned to create attraction and repulsion forces with ferromagnetic counter-elements, providing haptic feedback without mechanical contact. This eliminates wear and reduces noise while maintaining the necessary restoring force for gear selection.
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 provides reliable, consistent haptic feedback and noise reduction, maintaining performance over the device's lifespan without mechanical wear, and allows for intuitive gear changes without visual inspection.
Implementation Method 1
The permanent magnets interact by magnetic attraction or repulsion with permanent magnets mounted on the fixed support along the paths of movement traversed by the permanent magnets displaced by the control stick
Implementation Method 2
The first magnet and the first counter-element that can be magnetically coupled to the first magnet are movable relative to one another
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a shifting device (1) for selecting different gears of a motor vehicle, comprising an actuating element (2) that is movably guided in at least one actuation direction (28) along at least one shift track (9) between at least two shift positions (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27) associated with the gears, the actuating element (2) being coupled to a haptic device (10) by means of which a restoring force (R) acting on the actuating element (2) can be produced, which at least temporarily counteracts an actuating force (F) acting on the actuating element (2) via a user. The aim of the invention is to provide the shifting device with a simplified structure and in addition to enable a substantially constant noise characteristic throughout the useful life thereof. To this end, the haptic device (10) comprises at least one magnet (12, 48, 49, 50, 51) and at least one counter element that is magnetically couplable to the magnet (12, 48, 49, 50, 51), the at least one magnet (12, 48, 49, 50, 51) and the at least one counter element being movable in relation to each other.