Vehicle Flap Spindle Drive Gearing for Harmonious Operating Noise

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a conflict between producing spindle drive assemblies for vehicle flaps cost-effectively and achieving high quality, as existing solutions often compromise on either cost or quality due to production constraints and user expectations regarding operating noise.

Innovation Solution

A spindle drive assembly with a two-stage epicyclic gearing system where the ratio of planet gear teeth in each stage is optimized to produce harmonious sound frequencies, perceived as high quality, allowing for cost-effective manufacturing while meeting quality standards.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the spindle drive assembly uses a conventional gearing system, then it can be manufactured cost-effectively, but the operating noise is perceived as unpleasant and quality impression is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidoperating noise quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the tooth count of planet gears in the epicyclic gearing system. Specifically, the planet gears are designed with tooth counts that generate sound frequencies corresponding to musical intervals (such as octaves, fifths, fourths, major thirds, or minor thirds). This transforms the harmful noise parameter into a pleasant acoustic characteristic while maintaining the same mechanical functioning and manufacturing processes, thus resolving the contradiction between cost-effective production and high quality impression.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-generated harmful factors

If the spindle drive assembly is designed with high quality features, then the quality impression is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperating noise qualityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention achieves high quality operating noise characteristics through parameter optimization of existing standard components. By selecting specific tooth counts for planet gears that correspond to harmonious musical intervals, the patent transforms ordinary gearing into a high-quality noise source without requiring expensive materials, complex manufacturing processes, or additional components. This resolves the contradiction by demonstrating that quality improvement can be achieved through intelligent parameter selection rather than increased manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11480003B2Spindle drive assembly and vehicle flap with a spindle drive assembly
Publication Date: 2022.10.25 U SHIN DEUTSCHLAND ZUGANGSSYSTEME GMBH
  • US11480003B2 patent drawing
  • US11480003B2 patent drawing
  • US11480003B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A spindle drive assembly for opening and/or closing a vehicle flap is described, having a spindle and a spindle drive motor coupled thereto by means of a two-stage epicyclic gearing. A ratio of a number of teeth of each planet gear of a first epicyclic gearing stage to a number of teeth of each planet gear of a second epicyclic gearing stage is selected such that, in operation, a first sound frequency that is emitted by the first epicyclic gearing stage differs by an integer multiple of a semitone from a second sound frequency that is emitted by the second epicyclic gearing stage. In addition, a vehicle flap with such a spindle drive assembly is presented.