Steering Dust Cover Sealing Structure for Noise and Friction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional dust covers for vehicle steering apparatuses suffer from poor sound insulation performance and increased rotation friction when the steering column is tilted, leading to noise intrusion into the vehicle interior.

Innovation Solution

A dust cover design featuring a first and second cover with a tight contact rib along the periphery of the intermediate shaft, forming a sealed air layer and using corrugated structures to maintain airtightness and adjust gaps, along with curtain portions to block noise, ensuring consistent sound insulation regardless of the steering column's angle.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a conventional dust cover with a single cover structure is used, then the structure is simple, but sound insulation performance is poor and noise enters the vehicle interior

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecover structureVSAvoidnoise intrusion

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The dust cover is divided into a first cover and a second cover that are coupled together, forming a multi-layer structure. This segmentation allows each cover to contribute to sound insulation while maintaining structural simplicity, effectively blocking noise from entering the vehicle interior through the steering column passage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The first cover and second cover are nested together with the first cover inserted into the second cover. This nesting arrangement creates multiple barriers for sound transmission while maintaining a compact overall structure, improving sound insulation without significantly increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a tight sealing structure is used to block noise, then sound insulation improves, but rotation friction of the shaft increases when the shaft is tilted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenoise blockingVSAvoidrotation friction

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The tight contact rib is provided only at specific locations where noise blocking is most critical, rather than creating a complete tight seal around the entire shaft. This localized sealing approach blocks noise effectively while leaving sufficient clearance in other areas to prevent excessive friction when the shaft tilts during steering operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

A tight contact rib is introduced as an intermediary element between the first cover and the vehicle body panel. This rib creates the necessary seal for noise blocking while being positioned and designed to maintain appropriate clearance with the intermediate shaft, thus preventing increased rotation friction during shaft tilting.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the dust cover is tightly fixed to the vehicle body panel, then noise blocking performance improves, but airtightness is degraded when the steering column is tilted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenoise blocking performanceVSAvoidairtightness

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The coupling structure between the first and second covers incorporates dynamic elements that allow relative movement. When the steering column tilts, the covers can adjust their positions relative to each other and to the vehicle body panel, maintaining airtightness through the tight contact rib while preserving the noise blocking performance achieved by the fixed portions of the structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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

Significantly improves sound insulation performance by blocking engine noise and reducing rotation friction, maintaining airtightness and preventing noise amplification, even when the steering column is tilted.

Implementation Method 1

a tight contact rib in a long continuous shape along a periphery of the intermediate shaft is formed to protrude from the first cover such that the tight contact rib maintains airtightness between the first cover and the vehicle body panel

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAirtightness:

Implementation Method 2

a sealed inner space may be formed inside the two covers. The sealed inner space of the two covers may be filled with air such that a sealed air layer area may be provided

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSealed air layer:

Data Source

PatentUS11772579B2Dust cover for a steering apparatus of a vehicle

Publication Date: 2023.10.03 HYUNDAI MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A dust cover for a steering apparatus of a vehicle includes a first cover coupled to an intermediate shaft in a state in which a bearing member is interposed and fixed to a vehicle body panel. The dust cover also includes a second cover coupled to the intermediate shaft in the state in which the bearing member is interposed and fixed to the vehicle body panel together with the first cover in a state of being bonded to the first cover. A tight contact rib in a long continuous shape along a periphery of the intermediate shaft is formed to protrude from the first cover such that the tight contact rib maintains airtightness between the first cover and the vehicle body panel in a state of being always in a tightly adhered state with the vehicle body panel.