Oil Distributor Plate Layout to Prevent Misassembly

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing solutions for oil supply branching in transmissions face challenges such as increased production and assembly costs due to the risk of incorrect installation of oil lines with uniform diameter bores, leading to potential errors.

Innovation Solution

An arrangement where three oil lines open into a common cavity, with a plate having continuous holes that connect the oil lines to the cavity, reducing the need for multiple panels and simplifying installation, and a cover that forms an oil-tight recess to minimize assembly errors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple separate covers are used to cover oil line openings, then each opening can be individually sealed, but the assembly complexity and risk of installation errors increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation accuracyVSAvoidassembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple separate cover plates into a single integrated plate structure. This plate has multiple openings that align with and seal multiple oil line openings simultaneously. By merging what would otherwise be separate sealing components into one unified plate, the invention reduces the number of assembly steps, minimizes installation errors, and simplifies the overall assembly process while maintaining reliable sealing of all oil lines.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of manufacture

If uniform diameter holes are used in transmission housing, then manufacturing costs are reduced, but the risk of incorrect orifice installation increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidinstallation correctness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces asymmetric features on the single integrated plate, specifically non-circular opening shapes or asymmetric positioning patterns. These asymmetric characteristics create a unique fit between the plate and the transmission housing, ensuring that the plate can only be installed in the correct orientation. This allows the use of uniform diameter holes in the housing for cost-effective manufacturing while preventing incorrect orifice installation through the asymmetric design of the plate itself.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

3Reliability

If multiple separate covers are used for oil line openings, then each opening can be precisely sealed, but production costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing precisionVSAvoidproduction cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent consolidates multiple separate cover plates into one integrated plate structure that seals multiple oil line openings simultaneously. This merging approach reduces production costs by eliminating the need to manufacture, inventory, and assemble multiple separate components. The single plate can be produced more efficiently as one piece while maintaining the same sealing precision for all oil line openings, thereby achieving cost savings without compromising sealing quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3688342B1Oil distributor
Publication Date: 2024.01.17 ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
  • EP3688342B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2

AI summary

The invention relates to an arrangement, comprising a first oil line (121, 123), a second oil line (105), a third oil line (107), and a cavity (103, 111); wherein the first oil line (121, 123), the second oil line (105), and the third oil line each have a mouth into the cavity (103, 111). The arrangement comprises a plate (113) having a continuous first hole (115) and a continuous second hole (117), wherein the plate (113) is arranged in the cavity (103, 111) in such a way that the plate covers the mouths of the second oil line (105) and the third oil line (107). The first hole (115) connects the second oil line (105) and the cavity (103) to one another in a fluid-conducting manner; wherein the second hole (117) connects the third oil line (107) and the cavity (103, 111) to one another in a fluid-conducting manner.