Hydraulic Solenoid Retaining Bracket Spring Force
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional brackets for hydraulic control modules in automatic transmissions fail to adequately secure solenoids due to component tolerances, leading to design and manufacturing challenges, increased costs, and potential damage from uneven clamp loads, necessitating additional mounting features like tubular spacers and projections.
Innovation Solution
A solenoid assembly with a retaining bracket that includes a body portion and a securing portion, which provides a spring force to secure the solenoid, accounting for component tolerances and eliminating the need for precise clamp load control and additional mounting features, allowing for removability and adjustable spring force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional brackets are used to secure solenoids, then the solenoids can be mounted to the valve body, but the brackets fail to adequately secure solenoids due to component tolerances, causing inadequate securing and potential movement
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is designed with flexible elements that can change their physical state (bending, deforming) to adapt to tolerance variations in component dimensions. This allows the bracket to maintain secure engagement with both the solenoid and valve body despite manufacturing tolerances, resolving the contradiction between securing reliability and manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket incorporates dynamic, flexible features rather than rigid fixed dimensions, allowing it to adapt its shape and position to accommodate tolerance variations. This dynamic design enables reliable securing of solenoids without requiring high manufacturing precision across all components.
2Reliability
If traditional brackets are designed to account for dimensional stack up, then securing is improved, but design costs and manufacturing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of designing complex bracket geometries to compensate for dimensional stack up, the invention uses flexible elements whose physical deformation absorbs the tolerance variations. This simplifies the overall design while maintaining securing reliability, reducing both design costs and manufacturing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible bracket elements automatically adjust and self-align to accommodate dimensional variations in the solenoid and valve body interfaces. This self-adjusting capability eliminates the need for complex pre-calculated compensation features, reducing design complexity while ensuring reliable securing.
3Strength
If clamp load from fasteners is increased to secure the bracket, then the bracket fastens more securely, but the solenoid can be damaged from excessive clamp load
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible bracket elements change their mechanical properties under load, distributing the clamp force more evenly and reducing peak stresses on the solenoid. This allows achieving adequate fastening strength without damaging the solenoid, as the flexible material absorbs and redistributes the mechanical stress.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible bracket elements act as built-in cushions that absorb excess clamp load before it reaches the solenoid. This beforehand cushioning protects the solenoid from damage while still maintaining secure fastening, eliminating the need to compromise between fastening strength and solenoid protection.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If clamp load from fasteners is decreased to protect the solenoid, then solenoid damage is reduced, but the bracket fastening becomes inadequate and allows movement
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible bracket material properties enable it to maintain adequate fastening strength even with reduced clamp loads. The flexibility allows the bracket to conform and engage more effectively with the solenoid and valve body, compensating for the reduced fastener force and preventing movement while protecting the solenoid.
5Reliability
If mounting tower projections are added to the valve body for bracket attachment, then bracket securing is improved, but cost and casting concerns increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the complex mounting features from the valve body and relocates them to the bracket itself. The flexible bracket incorporates all necessary engagement features, eliminating the need for costly mounting tower projections in the valve body casting, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining securing reliability.
6Manufacturing precision
If tubular spacers and shims are used to account for tolerances, then positioning accuracy is improved, but costs increase making mass production more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the functions of tubular spacers, shims, and tolerance compensation features directly into the bracket structure. The flexible bracket elements inherently accommodate tolerance variations without requiring separate spacer or shim components, simplifying the assembly and enabling more efficient mass production while maintaining positioning accuracy.
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
The solenoid assembly effectively secures solenoids with a spring force, reducing design and manufacturing complexities, costs, and eliminating the need for additional mounting features, while ensuring stable solenoid positioning and reduced risk of damage from uneven clamp loads.
Implementation Method 1
The securing portion of the retaining bracket provides a spring force to the solenoid when the retaining bracket is in the secured position such that the solenoid is biased toward the solenoid connecting member
Data Source
AI summary
A solenoid assembly includes a solenoid adapted to be coupled to a solenoid connecting member, with the solenoid connecting member extending from a support member. The solenoid assembly also includes a retaining bracket having a body portion and a securing portion extending from the body portion. The body portion is adapted to be removably coupled to the solenoid connecting member, and the securing portion is removably coupled to the solenoid. The retaining bracket is moveable between an unsecured position, and a secured position. The securing portion of the retaining bracket provides a spring force to the solenoid when the retaining bracket is in the secured position such that the solenoid is biased toward the solenoid connecting member to secure the solenoid between the solenoid connecting member and the securing portion of the retaining bracket.