Steering Column Gear Locking With Crash Shock Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional steering columns fail to ensure seamless locking and unlocking, smooth shock absorption during collisions, and noise reduction when gear engagement is improper, leading to potential damage and compromised crash performance.
Innovation Solution
A steering column design featuring an upper column with a plate having a first gear, a lower column with a slit and distance brackets, a hollow tube member with a protrusion cam, a gear member with a second gear, a fixing member, and an elastic member to facilitate smooth engagement and disengagement, even when gears are not properly locked, allowing for reduced parts and simplified assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the driver forcedly turns the lever when the fixed gear and the movable gear are not properly engaged, then the locking and unlocking operation is completed, but damage may be caused to the lever or the gear teeth of the fixed gear and the movable gear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a buffer member positioned between the lever and the gear mechanism. When the gear is not properly engaged, the buffer member absorbs the impact force during forced lever operation, preventing damage to the gear teeth and lever while still allowing the locking/unlocking function to be completed. This cushioning element acts as a protective intermediary that mitigates harmful forces before they reach critical components.
2Ease of operation
If the fixed gear and the movable gear are not properly engaged, then the steering column can still be adjusted, but crash performance is deteriorated as collapse motion for absorbing shocks may not work
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a separate shock absorption mechanism that operates independently of the gear engagement status. This intermediary system ensures that even when the gear is not properly engaged and the steering column is adjusted, the crash protection function remains intact through alternative shock absorption pathways that do not depend on gear meshing.
3Device complexity
If conventional steering column design is used, then the structure is simple, but noise is generated and shocks are not absorbed at minimum and maximum strokes upon telescoping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates buffer members at the minimum and maximum stroke positions of the telescoping mechanism. These buffer members are positioned in advance to absorb shocks and reduce noise when the telescoping reaches its limits, preventing harmful impacts and vibrations without requiring complex active control systems.
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
Enables seamless locking and unlocking, smooth shock absorption during collisions, and noise reduction by absorbing shocks at minimum and maximum strokes, while reducing the number of parts and simplifying assembly.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic member provided between the fixing member and the gear member to pressurize the gear member
Implementation Method 2
a hollow tube member supported on an outer circumferential surface of the adjustment bolt and having a protrusion cam
Implementation Method 3
a shock absorbing mechanism by which the steering column and the steering shaft contract in the axial direction to absorb shocks
Data Source
AI summary
According to the present embodiments, locking and unlocking can be smoothly performed even when gears for fixing a steering column during a telescoping operation of the steering column are not properly engaged, a collapse motion for absorbing impact can be smoothly performed even when a vehicle collision occurs in a state in which the gears are not properly engaged, impact is absorbed at the minimum and maximum of strokes so as to enable the prevention of noise generation during the telescoping operation, and the number of components can be reduced and assembly process can be simplified.