Resin Clutch Member for Vehicle Mirror Torque Dispersion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle outside mirror devices experience dispersion in clutch torque due to surface roughness and surface hardening treatments required for metal or resin clutch gears, leading to manufacturing costs and reliability issues.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle outside mirror device features a clutch mechanism with a resin clutch member and a metal or resin gear member, which are manufactured separately, eliminating the need for surface roughness and surface hardening treatments, and utilizing a resin clutch holder for stable torque and reduced grease dependency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a metal or high-rigidity resin clutch gear is used, then the rigidity and durability are improved, but surface roughness and surface hardening treatments are required which cause dispersion in clutch torque
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from metal or high-rigidity resin to ordinary resin for the clutch gear. This parameter change eliminates the need for surface roughness and surface hardening treatments, thereby reducing dispersion in clutch torque while maintaining adequate rigidity for the application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a cheaper resin material instead of expensive metal or high-rigidity resin, accepting that the clutch gear may have shorter service life but achieving more consistent manufacturing quality and reduced torque dispersion through elimination of complex surface treatments.
2Strength
If surface roughness and surface hardening treatments are applied to metal or resin clutch gears, then the required strength is achieved, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter to ordinary resin, which inherently provides sufficient strength for the clutch gear application without requiring additional surface treatments, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex surface treatment processes (surface roughness treatment and surface hardening treatment) from the manufacturing workflow by selecting a material that achieves the required strength without these additional steps.
3Manufacturing precision
If a resin clutch member is used, then the need for surface treatments is eliminated reducing torque dispersion, but the rigidity may be reduced compared to metal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter to resin, accepting a trade-off in rigidity in exchange for eliminating surface treatment requirements and achieving more consistent clutch torque across production batches.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses resin material which provides more homogeneous properties across manufacturing batches, eliminating the variability introduced by surface treatments and achieving more consistent clutch torque performance.
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
This design minimizes clutch torque dispersion, reduces manufacturing costs, ensures long-term stability, and maintains high rigidity and durability, while reducing dependency on grease, thus providing a reliable and cost-effective solution.
Implementation Method 1
a spring configured to connect the clutch portion of the clutch gear and the clutch portion of the clutch holder to each other so as to enable disconnection from each other
Implementation Method 2
the clutch member is formed of a resin member... reducing dependency on grease
Data Source
AI summary
It is important to eliminate or reduce dispersion in clutch torque of a clutch mechanism for each product to its required minimum. According to the present invention, a clutch member 25 that is manufactured separately from a gear member 33 of a clutch gear 32 is formed of a resin member. As a result, there is no need to apply a treatment of eliminating surface roughness or a surface hardening treatment in the clutch member 25, and therefore, no dispersion occurs in surface roughness or surface hardening of a clutch protrusive portion 40 of the clutch member 25 that is made of a resin member, and the dispersion in clutch torque can be eliminated or can be reduced to its required minimum.