Shift Lever Assembly Vibration Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicles with a transversely installed internal combustion engine and manual transmission, engine vibrations propagate to the shift lever through cable pulls, causing discomfort and affecting the selector force's travel and swivel angle, which existing solutions like complex shift tower designs or dampers fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
A shift lever arrangement featuring a pivotally mounted converter with an elastically supported absorber mass, which absorbs vibrations via a spring device, decoupling the engine/transmission unit's vibrations from the shift lever, using a dual cable mechanism to maintain selector functionality while minimizing vibration transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a complex shift tower design with large damping and progressive characteristic is used, then vibration propagation is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful vibrations are extracted and isolated from the main shift lever system by introducing a separate absorber mass that specifically targets and absorbs vibration frequencies through its elastic mounting, without requiring complex modifications to the entire shift tower structure
Solution Approach 2:
An absorber mass mounted via elastic elements serves as an intermediary component between the shift lever and the source of vibrations, absorbing harmful vibrations while transmitting necessary selection forces and torques to the selector shaft
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a damper is placed directly on the shift lever, then vibration propagation is reduced, but space requirements and perceived weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing a large damper directly on the shift lever, a simplified absorber mass system is implemented that achieves vibration absorption through a compact elastic mounting arrangement, occupying minimal space in the center console area
3Ease of operation
If cable pulls are used to transmit selection forces, then shift lever functionality is maintained, but vibrations are transmitted to the shift lever
Solution Approach 1:
The absorber mass system converts the harmful vibrations transmitted through the cable pulls into beneficial damping effects, where the elastic mounting of the absorber mass absorbs the vibration energy while allowing the cable pulls to continue transmitting selection forces and torques to the selector shaft
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
Effectively prevents engine and transmission vibrations from reaching the shift lever, maintaining selector force integrity with a simple and cost-effective design that occupies minimal space.
Implementation Method 1
an absorber mass (15), which is elastically supported on the converter (13) via a spring device (17)
Implementation Method 2
Any vibrations or pulsations that are transmitted from the vehicle's engine/transmission unit via the second cable are largely eliminated by the absorber mass
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The vehicle has a lever bracket (2), to which a shift lever (4) is mounted pivotably in a transverse direction (5) of the vehicle and pivotably in a longitudinal direction (6) of the vehicle. A first cable mechanism (7) is provided, which comprises a first rope that is connected to the shift lever in such a way that pivoting of the shift lever is implemented in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in a shift of the first rope. A damper mass is provided, via which a spring device is supported to a converter (13).