Spindle Drive Housing Segmentation for Weight and Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spindle drives for motorized adjustment of vehicle components, such as tailgates, face challenges in achieving mechanical properties comparable to metal-housed drives while utilizing plastics materials for weight reduction and cost-effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
Designing the internal housing in two axial portions made of different materials, where the first portion is outside the force flux and can be made from a plastics material, and the second portion, which bears the force, is made from a harder, tougher, or less resilient metal material, with a non-positive axial connection and a sealing arrangement produced via injection molding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the housing is made from a plastics material to reduce weight and enable simple latching connections, then weight and manufacturing simplicity are improved, but mechanical properties such as rigidity and strength are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into two distinct parts: an inner housing made of metal material and an outer housing made of plastics material. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific function - the metal inner housing provides structural strength while the plastics outer housing reduces weight and enables simple latching connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing combines two different materials (metal and plastics) into a composite structure. The inner metal housing provides the necessary mechanical strength and rigidity, while the outer plastics housing contributes weight reduction and manufacturing simplicity, achieving a balance between conflicting requirements.
2Ease of manufacture
If the housing is made from a plastics material to reduce costs, then manufacturing cost is improved, but mechanical properties are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into an inner metal housing and an outer plastics housing, allowing the more cost-effective plastics material to be used for the outer housing while the critical load-bearing inner housing is made from stronger metal material.
Solution Approach 2:
Different material qualities are applied to different regions of the housing - the inner housing that requires high strength is made from metal, while the outer housing where cost reduction is prioritized is made from plastics, optimizing the balance between cost and performance.
3Weight of moving object
If the first axial housing portion is designed outside the force flux to use plastics material, then weight and cost are improved, but the structural integrity under load is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The housing design applies different material qualities to different axial portions - the first axial portion outside the force flux uses lightweight plastics material, while the second axial portion inside the force flux uses strong metal material, optimizing weight distribution while maintaining structural integrity where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is segmented axially into different material zones, with the plastics portion strategically placed outside the force flux path and the metal portion positioned inside the force flux path, ensuring structural integrity is maintained in the load-bearing region while reducing overall weight.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a spindle drive for an adjusting element of a vehicle comprising a drive motor with a spindle-spindle nut gear arranged downstream for producing a drive force along a geometric spindle axis, wherein two connectors for transferring the drive force are provided, wherein an internal housing connected to the one connector and an external housing connected to the other connector are provided, and wherein during the motorized adjustment, the internal housing runs in a telescopic manner. It is proposed that at least one of the two housings, is designed to be at least in two parts and is provided via a first axial housing portion of a first housing part made of a first material and via a second axial housing portion of a second housing part made of a second material.