Steering Reducer Disengagement for Manual Heavy-Vehicle Steering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional steering assistance devices with speed reducers in heavy vehicles, such as five-ton trucks, face challenges in disengagement due to large loads, making manual operation difficult and time-consuming when the speed reducer fails.
Innovation Solution
A steering device configuration that allows for disconnection of the speed reducer from the steering mechanism via a speed reducer arm or gearbox arm, enabling manual operation by disconnecting the speed reducer, allowing the steering mechanism to steer the vehicle with the steering wheel's force alone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a speed reducer is built in a steering assistance device for heavy vehicles, then the steering assistance force is enlarged to enable light steering operation, but the speed reducer becomes difficult to disengage when it fails due to extremely large loads
Solution Approach 1:
The speed reducer is segmented from the steering mechanism through a detachable connection structure. The pinion and rack shaft are designed with separate mounting structures that allow the speed reducer to be divided into independent components, enabling easy disengagement even under heavy vehicle loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The speed reducer is extracted as a separate, removable module from the steering mechanism. The pinion is mounted on the motor shaft with a detachable connection, and the rack shaft is independently mounted, allowing the entire speed reducer assembly to be taken out without disassembling the entire steering system.
2Reliability
If the speed reducer is firmly connected to the steering mechanism to handle large loads, then the steering assistance is reliable, but recovering from failure requires demounting the speed reducer which is excessively time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The connection between the speed reducer and steering mechanism is made dynamic rather than fixed. The pinion and rack shaft employ detachable mounting structures that provide firm connection during normal operation to ensure reliability, but can be quickly disconnected when failure occurs, reducing recovery time.
Solution Approach 2:
The detachable mounting structures are designed in advance with quick-release features. The pinion's mounting structure and the rack shaft's mounting structure are pre-configured to allow rapid disengagement, so that when failure occurs, the speed reducer can be quickly removed without extensive disassembly work.
3Power
If the pinion meshes with the rack shaft in a fixed configuration, then the steering assistance force is effectively transmitted, but disengagement requires complete demounting of the speed reducer
Solution Approach 1:
The power transmission path is segmented into detachable sections. The pinion is mounted on the motor shaft through a removable connection, and the rack shaft is independently mounted with detachable structures, allowing the speed reducer to be disassembled into separate components without complete demounting.
Solution Approach 2:
Mounting structures serve as intermediaries between the pinion and motor shaft, and between the rack shaft and its mounting location. These intermediary components facilitate easy connection and disconnection while maintaining effective power transmission during operation.
Data Source
AI summary
One object is to provide a steering device that facilitates disengagement of a speed reducer so that, for example, when the speed reducer fails, the speed reducer can be disengaged to enable steering of a vehicle with a manual operational force alone. This application relates to a steering device provided with a steering mechanism and a speed reducer. The steering mechanism steers tires of a vehicle under a steering force from a steering wheel. The speed reducer is connected to a motor for outputting a steering assistance force corresponding to the steering force. The speed reducer enlarges the steering assistance force and transmits the enlarged steering assistance force to the steering mechanism. The speed reducer is connected to the steering mechanism via a speed reducer arm.