Steering Bracket Reinforcement for Rigidity and Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional steering apparatus support brackets face challenges in maintaining rigidity and durability, especially when the installation surface accuracy of the vehicle body is inadequate, leading to potential deformation and reduced operability during steering wheel position adjustments.
Innovation Solution
The support bracket design incorporates reinforcing members extending in the up-down direction, separate support plate sections, and a bridge plate section with inclined side plate sections, along with installation-side slits and ribs, to enhance rigidity and resist torsional torque, while maintaining flexibility for position adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the support bracket uses a conventional simple structure, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the rigidity and resistance to torsional torque deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The support bracket is divided into multiple functional sections: installation plate section with support plate sections for mounting, telescopic adjustment section with long holes for position adjustment, and reinforcing members strategically positioned to enhance rigidity. This segmentation allows each part to serve its specific function while maintaining overall structural integrity and resistance to torsional torque.
Solution Approach 2:
Reinforcing members are added in the up-down direction (vertical dimension) to enhance the section modulus with respect to the width direction. This dimensional addition increases the bracket's resistance to torsional torque without significantly complicating the manufacturing process, as the reinforcing members can be integrated into the existing plate structure.
2Strength
If the support bracket is designed with high rigidity to resist torsional torque, then the strength is improved, but the ease of operation for position adjustment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The support bracket separates the rigid mounting function (installation plate section) from the adjustable positioning function (telescopic adjustment section with long holes). This segmentation allows the bracket to maintain high overall rigidity while providing flexible adjustment capabilities through the long holes that guide the outer column during position changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The long holes in the support plate sections provide a controlled range of motion parameters for the outer column. By designing the holes with specific dimensions and orientations, the bracket maintains rigidity in most directions while allowing necessary adjustments in the telescopic and tilt directions, balancing strength and operability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the installation surface accuracy of the vehicle body is inadequate, then the adaptability to various installation conditions is improved, but the stability and resistance to deformation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The support bracket incorporates reinforcing members and a rigid installation plate section that pre-establish structural stability before the actual installation. This preliminary structural reinforcement ensures that even when installed on surfaces with varying accuracy, the bracket maintains its geometric stability and resists deformation under operational loads.
Solution Approach 2:
Reinforcing members extend in the up-down direction to increase the section modulus with respect to the width direction, providing dimensional stability. This vertical reinforcement creates a stiffer structure that compensates for installation surface inaccuracies, maintaining stability across different mounting conditions.
4Strength
If reinforcing members are connected to both the installation section and support plate sections, then the rigidity is improved, but the complexity of the structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcing members are merged with the support plate sections, forming an integrated structure where the reinforcing members are part of the same component rather than separate attachments. This merging reduces the number of parts and connections needed, simplifying the overall structure while maintaining the rigidity benefits of the reinforcing members.
Solution Approach 2:
Reinforcing members are strategically positioned only where needed to enhance rigidity - specifically in the support plate sections and installation plate section - rather than throughout the entire bracket. This localized reinforcement provides maximum structural benefit with minimum added complexity, focusing material and design effort only where structural demands require it.
Data Source
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AI summary
Construction for reinforcing the strength of a pair of support plate sections is achieved. Upper end edges of the pair of support plate sections 22a are fastened to a bottom surface of a bridge plate section 55 of an installation plate section 54 via lug sections 66 for welding. A reinforcing member 65 comprising a protrusion which is convex on the outside in the width direction and concave on the inside in the width direction is provided from the upper end section to the lower end section of the front-end section of each one of the pair of support plate sections 22a.