Vehicle Spindle Drive Assembly Without Insert-Molded Nut
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of existing spindle drives for motor vehicle closure elements is complex and time-consuming due to the need for precise injection molding of the spindle nut into the spindle guide tube, requiring pre-heating of the guide tube and additional steps.
Innovation Solution
Designing the spindle nut to be insertable into the spindle guide tube and shaping the guide tube to hold the nut in a form-fitting manner in both axial and circumferential directions, allowing independent production of the nut and guide tube and eliminating the need for injection molding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the spindle nut is insert-molded into the spindle guide tube to establish co-rotational connection, then reliable engagement is achieved, but production becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the previously integrated injection-molded component into separate parts: the spindle guide tube and the spindle nut are produced independently and then assembled through insertion. This segmentation eliminates the complex injection molding process while maintaining reliable co-rotational connection through the wing-depression engagement features.
2Manufacturing precision
If the spindle guide tube is pre-heated prior to injection molding, then positive flow properties of plastic melt are achieved, but additional production complexity is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the spindle nut from the injection molding process and produces it as a separate component. This eliminates the need for pre-heating the spindle guide tube and complex injection molding operations, while still achieving secure engagement through the insertion mechanism with wings and depressions.
3Reliability
If the spindle guide tube has openings for radial protrusion of spindle nut, then co-rotational connection is established, but production precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having the spindle guide tube with openings and the spindle nut protruding through them, the invention inverts the approach: the spindle nut has radial wings that engage with depressions in the spindle guide tube. This inversion maintains reliable co-rotational connection while simplifying the manufacturing requirements for both components.
Data Source
AI summary
A spindle drive for a closure element of a vehicle is provided, wherein the spindle drive has a spindle/spindle nut mechanism, which has a spindle and a spindle nut meshing therewith for generating linear drive movements along a geometric spindle axis between a spindle-side drive connection and a spindle nut-side drive connection for channeling the drive movements, wherein the spindle is axially movably guided in a spindle guide tube which is axially fixedly connected to the spindle nut for conjoint rotation and which is axially fixedly coupled to the spindle nut-side drive connection. It is proposed that the spindle nut is axially inserted over its entire length into a portion of the spindle guide tube that is formed in such a way as to be in form-fitting engagement with the spindle nut in both directions along the geometric spindle axis and in the circumferential direction around the geometric spindle axis.