Steering Column Adjustment Drive With Modular Transmission Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing adjustment drives for motor-adjustable steering columns face challenges with manufacturing and assembly complexity, leading to high wear and noise due to dimensional deviations between transmission components, which cannot be adequately compensated by conventional positioning methods.
Innovation Solution
A modular design for the transmission, comprising a drive module and a transmission module connected via joining elements, allows for precise alignment and compensation of manufacturing-related dimensional tolerances, reducing wear and noise through optimized operative engagement of drive and transmission wheels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional positioning methods are used to assemble transmission components, then assembly is simpler, but dimensional deviations cause high wear and noise
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission is divided into separate modules (drive module and transmission module) that can be manufactured and assembled independently. Each module contains specific components (drive wheel, transmission wheel, bearings) that are pre-positioned and precision-aligned within the module, then the modules are connected via joining elements. This segmentation allows precision work to be done on smaller, more manageable sub-assemblies rather than the entire transmission at once.
Solution Approach 2:
Joining elements serve as intermediaries between the drive module and transmission module. These joining elements facilitate precise alignment and connection of the two modules while compensating for manufacturing tolerances. The joining elements act as a mediator that transfers and aligns the precision-positioned components from one module to another, ensuring accurate operative engagement of the drive wheel and transmission wheel.
2Reliability
If transmission components are manufactured with tight tolerances to reduce wear and noise, then operating properties improve, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the transmission into modules, tight tolerances are applied only to critical interfaces within each module (such as bearing positions and wheel alignments) rather than across the entire transmission. This localized precision approach reduces manufacturing complexity compared to achieving tight tolerances on all components of a monolithic transmission design.
Solution Approach 2:
The modules are pre-assembled with precision positioning of bearings and wheels before final connection. This preliminary action allows critical components to be precisely aligned and secured within each module independently, ensuring reliable operative engagement when modules are connected. The pre-positioning of components within modules simplifies the overall manufacturing process by breaking down complex precision assembly into manageable steps.
3Manufacturing precision
If modular design with joining elements is used, then assembly complexity increases, but alignment precision and tolerance compensation improve
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission is segmented into drive module and transmission module, each containing pre-aligned components. This segmentation enables independent precision alignment work within each module, and the joining elements provide standardized interfaces for connecting the modules. The modular structure simplifies tolerance management by confining alignment precision requirements to module interfaces rather than the entire transmission assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
Joining elements act as intermediaries that facilitate precise alignment between modules. These elements are designed to accommodate and compensate for manufacturing tolerances while ensuring accurate operative engagement of the drive wheel and transmission wheel. The joining elements mediate the connection process, allowing for precision alignment without requiring extremely tight tolerances on all mating surfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustment drive for a motor-adjustable steering column for a motor vehicle includes a drive unit having a transmission in which there is mounted a drive wheel. The drive wheel can be driven to rotate about a drive axis and is in operative engagement with a transmission wheel which is mounted in the transmission so as to be rotatable about a transmission axis. The transmission has a drive module, which includes the drive wheel, and a transmission module, which includes the transmission wheel. The drive module and the transmission are connected to one another by a joining connection.