Sensor Rotor Flatness and Durability in Vehicle Steering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle steering apparatuses face challenges in maintaining the durability of the sensor rotor against heat and abrasion, leading to reduced flatness during coupling, which affects accurate steering torque detection and complicates the fabrication process, increasing costs.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle steering apparatus with a sensor rotor featuring an annular body coupled to the steering shaft, having a stepped portion in its inner surface and blades protruding to face the torque sensor, made of metal for durability and integrally fabricated to simplify assembly and reduce costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the sleeve and blades are separately formed and coupled by welding or molding, then the fabrication process becomes complicated, but the durability and flatness of the rotor can be improved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sleeve and blades into a single integrated rotor component made of metal. This eliminates the need for separate welding or molding processes while maintaining the durability and flatness required for accurate torque sensing. The integrated structure resolves the contradiction by achieving reliability without complicating the fabrication process.
2Ease of manufacture
If the sleeve is formed of plastic, then the fabrication process is simplified, but the rotor deforms or abrades in high-temperature environments, lowering flatness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from plastic to metal for the rotor construction. This material substitution maintains fabrication simplicity while dramatically improving heat resistance and abrasion resistance. The metal rotor retains its flatness in high-temperature environments, ensuring accurate phase difference detection without sacrificing manufacturing ease.
3Ease of manufacture
If the rotor flatness is lowered during calking, then the coupling process is simplified, but accurate phase difference detection cannot be obtained
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the sleeve and blades into a single rigid metal rotor, the patent enables simplified coupling through calking or press-fitting without compromising flatness. The unified metal structure maintains dimensional stability during the coupling process, ensuring that the rotor surface remains flat enough for accurate torque sensor detection while allowing for easy assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle steering apparatus. The durability of a sensor rotor to heat and abrasion is improved. The flatness of the sensor rotor is prevented from being lowered during calking for coupling of the sensor rotor to a steering shaft so that steering torque of a driver can be more accurately detected. A fabrication process is simplified, and fabrication costs are reduced.