Shift Lever FFC Layout for Durability and Liquid Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shift devices face durability issues due to the mechanical stress and potential liquid ingress in the connecting boards that link electrical mechanisms between the vehicle body and the shift body, leading to reduced reliability and increased maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A shift device design featuring a flexible connecting board that extends between the first and second electrical mechanisms, with specific orientations and features such as underside connections, discharge apertures, contact portions, and restricted sliding motions to inhibit curvature and liquid ingress, ensuring durable and reliable electrical connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a flexible connecting board is used to electrically connect the vehicle body side to the shift body, then ease of operation and adaptability are improved, but durability decreases due to mechanical stress and potential liquid ingress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible connecting board (thin film structure) to enable movement and connection between the shift body and vehicle body. The flexibility allows the board to accommodate sliding and pivoting motions while maintaining electrical connectivity, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and durability by designing the thin film itself to be both flexible and durable
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting board is constructed as a composite structure with a flexible substrate and conductive layers. This composite material approach allows the board to simultaneously achieve flexibility for movement adaptation and sufficient mechanical strength and liquid resistance for durability, preventing both mechanical failure and liquid ingress
2Reliability
If the connecting board extends between the first and second electrical mechanisms, then electrical connectivity is maintained, but the connecting board is subjected to mechanical stress during sliding or pivoting motion, reducing its durability
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting board is designed to dynamically adapt to the movement of the shift body through sliding and pivoting motions. The flexible nature of the board allows it to undergo controlled deformation during operation, maintaining electrical connectivity while accommodating the dynamic mechanical stresses without failure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the connecting board, specifically its flexibility and structural composition, to enable it to withstand mechanical stress during movement. By adjusting these parameters, the board maintains electrical connectivity while resisting degradation from repeated sliding and pivoting operations
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the connecting board is connected from the underside of the electrical mechanisms, then liquid penetration is inhibited, but the complexity of assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of connecting the flexible board from the conventional top side, the patent inverts the connection approach by attaching the board from the underside of the electrical mechanisms. This inverted connection method effectively blocks liquid penetration paths while the design integrates this approach into the overall structure to minimize assembly complexity
Data Source
AI summary
In a shift device, a lever is able to slide in a front-rear direction relative to a housing, and an FFC electrically connects a sensor substrate of the housing to an operating substrate of the lever. Here, the lever is moved slidingly in the front-rear direction, which is on a perpendicular direction side relative to a width direction of the FFC. Because of this, a reduction in the durability of the FFC can be inhibited.