Steering Column Rake Assembly Self-Aligning Teeth Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rake adjustment assemblies in steering columns often suffer from misalignment of teeth, leading to damage, difficulty in locking, and noise due to friction, resulting in additional wear on the teeth.
Innovation Solution
A rake adjustment assembly with self-aligning teeth, featuring a pin that moves between locked and unlocked positions, a first tray with exterior teeth and a wall, and a rocker tray with inner teeth that mesh and un-mesh accordingly, allowing for automatic alignment and reduced friction through a rocking motion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional rake adjustment assembly with meshing teeth is used, then locking function is achieved, but tooth misalignment occurs causing damage, noise, and wear
Solution Approach 1:
The rocker tray is tilted at an angle of 5 to 15 degrees relative to the first tray before the teeth engagement process begins. This preliminary tilting action ensures that the teeth are pre-aligned in the correct orientation before meshing occurs, preventing misalignment damage and wear during the locking operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The inclined wall on the first tray serves as an intermediary element that guides and facilitates the rocking motion of the rocker tray. This intermediary structure enables the controlled tilting and alignment of the rocker tray teeth with the first tray teeth, ensuring proper meshing without direct misalignment contact.
2Ease of operation
If teeth are forced into alignment, then locking position is achieved, but friction and noise increase due to improper alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The rocker tray is designed to rock dynamically about a rocker axis, transitioning from an un-tilted state to a tilted state during the locking operation. This dynamic rocking motion allows the teeth to naturally align through movement rather than forced alignment, reducing friction and noise while achieving the locked position.
Solution Approach 2:
The rocker tray is pre-positioned at a tilted angle of 5 to 15 degrees relative to the first tray before teeth engagement. This preliminary tilting ensures that when the teeth come into contact, they are already properly aligned, eliminating the need for forced alignment that would generate friction and noise.
3Device complexity
If fixed alignment of teeth is used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but adaptability to motion requirements is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The rocker tray is designed with the ability to rock about a rocker axis, providing adaptive motion capability. This dynamic feature allows the assembly to accommodate varying motion requirements during locking and unlocking operations without significantly increasing overall structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rocker tray is tilted at an angle of 5 to 15 degrees relative to the first tray, introducing an angular dimension to the otherwise planar tooth engagement. This dimensional change enables the teeth to mesh properly while accommodating the rocking motion, providing adaptability without excessive complexity.
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, a first tray fixed to a support structure, the first tray comprising an exterior surface, at least one set of teeth extending from the exterior surface, and a wall at an edge of the set of teeth and extending from the exterior surface at least partially along a length of the set of teeth, and a rocker tray comprising an inner surface, and at least one set of teeth extending from the inner surface, the at least one set of teeth of the rocker tray are adapted to mesh with the set of teeth of the first tray when in the locked position and un-mesh when in the unlocked position.