Integrated Parking Lock Housing with Hydraulic Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing parking lock systems for motor vehicles are not cost-effective, compact, or easy to install and operate reliably, as they often require multiple separate components and complex arrangements.
Innovation Solution
A compact parking lock system with a one-piece cast parking lock housing featuring a hydraulic piston-cylinder unit, a rotatable pawl, and a detent lever, where the pawl is supported by a flat plate perpendicular to the actuation direction, allowing for easy assembly and operation, with a compression spring providing spring force and a geometrically shaped pawl for enhanced locking functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a parking lock housing is designed separately from the gearbox housing with multiple separate components, then the system is easier to manufacture individually, but the overall device complexity increases and installation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the parking lock housing with the gearbox housing into a single integrated housing structure. This merging eliminates the need for separate housing components and reduces the number of assembly steps, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized production processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated housing serves multiple functions: it houses both the gearbox mechanism and the parking lock system, provides structural support, and facilitates fluid communication between components. This multi-functionality reduces the overall number of components needed while maintaining manufacturing efficiency.
2Ease of manufacture
If multiple separate components are used in the parking lock system, then individual components can be optimized for specific functions, but the overall system becomes less compact and harder to install
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the parking lock mechanism directly within the gearbox housing, combining what were previously separate volume-occupying components into a shared space. This integration significantly reduces the overall system volume while maintaining the functional integrity of each component.
Solution Approach 2:
The parking lock components are nested within the gearbox housing structure, with the locking pawl, shift rod, and piston-cylinder unit arranged in a compact nested configuration that utilizes the existing housing space efficiently, minimizing the total volume required.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a complex arrangement of components is used, then functional requirements can be met, but the system becomes less reliable and more difficult to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated housing design reduces the number of interfaces and connection points between components, thereby minimizing potential failure points. The direct integration of the parking lock mechanism with the gearbox eliminates intermediate mounting structures and reduces the likelihood of assembly errors or component misalignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates a self-lubricating mechanism where the hydraulic fluid serves dual purposes: actuating the piston-cylinder unit and providing lubrication for moving components. This self-service approach reduces the need for separate lubrication systems and maintains reliability through automatic fluid distribution.
4Reliability
If traditional parking lock systems are used, then basic locking function is provided, but the system is not cost-effective and difficult to install
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the parking lock housing with the gearbox housing into a single cast or machined component, eliminating the need for separate housing assemblies. This integration reduces the total number of parts, simplifies installation procedures, and maintains reliability through robust structural design.
Solution Approach 2:
While integrating components, the design maintains functional segmentation through internal separation of the hydraulic piston-cylinder unit, shift rod mechanism, and locking pawl assembly. This allows for modular manufacturing and assembly while achieving overall system integration, balancing complexity reduction with functional reliability.
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 system achieves a compact, cost-effective, and reliable parking lock solution by integrating key components within a single housing, ensuring secure engagement and release of the motor vehicle transmission, while maintaining operational efficiency and ease of assembly.
Implementation Method 1
a hydraulic piston cylinder unit (38) for displacing the shift rod (28) in the actuation direction (32)
Implementation Method 2
a compression spring (44), at least partially within the parking lock housing (14), which is arranged coaxially to the shift rod (28)
Implementation Method 3
a locking pawl (16) which is rotatably mounted on the parking lock housing (14) about an axis of rotation (20)
Implementation Method 4
a detent lever (48) which is arranged in the area of the hydraulic piston cylinder unit (38) with respect to the actuation direction (32) and which is pivotably mounted on the actuating housing (34)
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a parking lock system (10) for a motor vehicle, comprising: a parking lock housing (14), which can be mounted on a transmission housing (12); a pawl (16), which is mounted on the parking lock housing (14) for rotation about an axis of rotation (20); a switching rod (28), which is mounted at the parking lock housing (14) for sliding in an actuation direction (32); and an actuation element (30), which is mounted on the switching rod (28), the axis of rotation (20) being parallel to the actuation direction (32).