Motor-Adjustable Steering Column With Flexible Drive Layout
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing steering column designs require significant installation space for the adjusting drive, limiting structural adaptation to available vehicle space and compromising compactness and operational reliability.
Innovation Solution
A steering column design with a flexible drive connection between the drive unit and gear unit, allowing spatial separation and movement, enabling compact installation and improved structural freedom, along with a modular design for adaptable torque transmission and energy absorption during crashes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a motorized adjusting drive with drive unit and gear mechanism is provided for the steering column, then the steering column becomes adjustable and functional, but the installation space requirement increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The drive connection is divided into two separate units: a drive unit (with motor and gear mechanism) and a gear unit (with threaded spindle and spindle nut), connected by a flexible drive connection. This segmentation allows the components to be spatially separated and mounted in different locations, significantly reducing the required installation space while maintaining full adjustability functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible drive connection enables the drive unit and gear unit to be positioned in different spatial dimensions and orientations. The drive connection can accommodate angular deviations and spatial displacements, allowing the components to be arranged in three-dimensional space rather than requiring a large planar area, thus optimizing space utilization.
2Area of stationary object
If the drive unit and gear unit are spatially separated with flexible drive connection, then installation space is optimized and structural freedom is improved, but the complexity of the drive system increases
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible drive connection (such as a flexible shaft or coupling) is used to connect the drive unit and gear unit. This flexible connection element can accommodate spatial separations and angular deviations between the two units, enabling compact installation while transmitting rotational motion and torque effectively. The flexibility compensates for misalignments without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible drive connection acts as an intermediary element between the drive unit and gear unit, mediating the transmission of rotational motion while accommodating spatial separations. This intermediary component simplifies the overall system design by providing a standardized interface that handles both power transmission and spatial adaptation in a single element.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the threaded spindle and spindle nut are separated into different units, then spatial arrangement flexibility is improved, but the torque transmission reliability may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The drive connection is designed with dynamic flexibility to accommodate spatial variations while maintaining reliable torque transmission. The flexible drive connection can adapt to different spatial configurations and maintains consistent torque transmission characteristics across the range of motion, ensuring reliability despite the separation of components.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible drive connection incorporates curved or spherical elements (such as universal joints or constant velocity joints) that can accommodate angular deviations and maintain smooth torque transmission. These curved geometry elements allow the drive connection to bend and flex while efficiently transmitting rotational force from the drive unit to the gear unit without significant loss or instability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design achieves a more compact and adaptable steering column with enhanced operational reliability and safety, utilizing a flexible drive connection to optimize space utilization and simplify mounting, while ensuring effective energy absorption during crashes.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible drive connection between a drive unit (41) and a gear unit (42)
Implementation Method 2
a threaded spindle (44), which engages into a spindle nut (45), and a drive unit (41), by which the threaded spindle (44) can be driven rotationally relative to the spindle nut (45)
Data Source
AI summary
A steering column that is adjustable by a motor may include a supporting unit that is attachable to a vehicle body, an actuating unit held by the supporting unit, a steering spindle mounted in the actuating unit rotatably about a longitudinal axis, an adjusting drive for adjusting the actuating unit relative to the supporting unit via a threaded spindle and spindle nut, and a drive unit by which the threaded spindle can be driven rotationally relative to the spindle nut. To improve compactness and greater structural freedom, the drive unit may be connected via a flexible drive connection to a gear unit that can be moved spatially relative to the drive unit.