Steering Column Rake Assembly Self-Aligning Rocker Tray
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Rake adjustment assemblies in steering columns often experience damage or locking difficulties due to misalignment of teeth, leading to reliability issues.
Innovation Solution
A rake assembly design featuring self-aligning teeth, where a rocker tray rocks about a transverse axis to facilitate meshing and un-meshing with a fixed tray, and a spring biases the assembly toward the unlocked position, ensuring proper alignment and motion for secure locking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional rake adjustment assemblies use fixed teeth without alignment mechanism, then the structure is simple, but tooth misalignment occurs causing damage and locking difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
The rocker tray is designed to dynamically adjust its position and orientation during the locking operation. It rocks between a first position (during engagement) and a second position (during locking), allowing the teeth to self-align automatically. This dynamic movement eliminates the need for complex pre-alignment mechanisms while ensuring reliable tooth engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The rocker tray performs a preliminary rocking motion before the final locking engagement. During this preliminary action, the teeth are brought into proper alignment through the controlled rocking movement, ensuring that when the locking engagement occurs, the teeth are already correctly positioned to prevent misalignment damage.
2Reliability
If teeth are forced into mesh without alignment facilitation, then locking speed is fast, but tooth damage occurs due to misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The rocker tray provides dynamic movement that facilitates smooth tooth engagement. As the locking lever operates, the rocker tray rocks to guide the teeth into mesh gradually, preventing sudden impacts and misalignment damage. This dynamic adjustment ensures both reliability and operational smoothness.
Solution Approach 2:
The rocker tray acts as an intermediary element between the locking lever and the fixed tray. It mediates the engagement process by absorbing and distributing the forces during tooth meshing, preventing direct impact between mismatched teeth and ensuring smooth, damage-free operation.
3Reliability
If the rocker tray is held firmly in locked position without biasing mechanism, then the locked position is stable, but the assembly requires excessive force to unlock
Solution Approach 1:
The spring provides a counter-biasing force that opposes the locking force. When the locking lever engages the rocker tray, the spring is compressed, storing energy. This creates a balanced system where the locked position is stable during normal operation, but the stored spring energy assists in returning the rocker tray to its initial position during unlocking, reducing the required unlocking force.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring creates a periodic force cycle during locking and unlocking operations. During locking, the spring is compressed; during unlocking, it expands to assist the return motion. This periodic action ensures stable locking while facilitating easy unlocking through the cyclical storage and release of elastic energy.
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 enhances the robustness and reliability of the rake adjustment assembly by ensuring proper tooth alignment and smooth operation, reducing the risk of damage and locking difficulties.
Implementation Method 1
a spring adapted to bias the rocker tray toward the unlocked position
Data Source
AI summary
A rake assembly for a steering column includes a pin adapted to move along a first axis between a locked position and an unlocked position. The rake assembly also includes a first tray fixed to a support structure, the first tray having a plurality of teeth. The rake assembly further includes a rocker tray having a plurality of teeth adapted to mesh with the plurality of teeth of the first tray when in the locked position and un-mesh when in the unlocked position, the rocker tray being adapted to rock about a second axis from an un-tilted state when in the locked position and to a tilted state when in the unlocked position to provide a degree of motion to facilitate meshing of the plurality of teeth of the first tray and the plurality of teeth of the rocker tray, the second axis being transverse to the first axis.