Steering Column Bracket Locking to Prevent Rotation in Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle steering columns experience slight rotation of the mounting bracket during transportation, leading to assembly defects and delays due to insecure assembly positions, which can result in malfunctions during driving.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle steering device design featuring a mounting bracket with a movable gear member and gear block system that includes a gear coupling portion, extension support, and thrust bearing, preventing rotation during assembly by maintaining the bracket's position through a secure locking mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the mounting bracket is secured using conventional restricting means, then the steering column can be assembled, but the mounting bracket rotates during transportation due to dispersion of locking and supporting force
Solution Approach 1:
The restricting means is divided into multiple independent components: locking protrusions on the mounting bracket that engage with locking recesses on the lower column, and supporting protrusions that engage with supporting recesses. This segmentation distributes the locking and supporting forces to multiple contact points, preventing rotation during transportation while maintaining position stability during assembly.
2Productivity
If the mounting bracket is allowed to be easily assembled, then assembly process is fast, but assembly position is not secure leading to assembly defects
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting bracket is pre-assembled with the steering column in a controlled factory environment using the restricting means to secure the exact assembly position. This preliminary action ensures precise positioning before transportation and installation in the vehicle, preventing assembly defects while maintaining efficient assembly throughput through the straightforward locking mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle steering device comprises an upper tube having a steering shaft rotatably coupled to an inside thereof, a lower column having the upper tube inserted thereinto and having a recess formed in an outer surface of distance portions disposed to face each other with a cut hole axially formed in an outer circumference disposed therebetween, a mounting bracket coupled to respective outer surfaces of the distance portions and having tilt slots formed in two opposite sides thereof, a fixed gear member provided on an outer surface of one side of the mounting bracket and having a communication hole communicating with the tilt slot, and a movable gear member movably coupled to the fixed gear member and positioned in the recess through the communication hole and the tilt slot.