Steering Support Member Truncated Cone Fixing Portion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing steering support members lack sufficient strength and rigidity, leading to the transmission of vibrations from the vehicle body to the steering mechanism, which compromises comfort, and attempts to enhance rigidity through thicker walls or additional components result in increased weight.
Innovation Solution
A steering support member molded from light alloys or resin composite materials with a truncated cone fixing portion and upright reinforcing ribs arranged along tangents to circles, providing balanced load transmission and enhanced rigidity while reducing weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the wall thickness is increased or additional reinforcing components are added to enhance the rigidity of the steering support member, then the support strength and rigidity are improved, but the weight of the steering support member increases
Solution Approach 1:
The steering support member is divided into multiple functional sections: a U-shaped longitudinal wall structure, a fixing portion with truncated cone shape, and multiple reinforcing ribs positioned at specific locations. This segmentation allows each part to contribute specifically to load-bearing and rigidity without requiring uniform thickening of the entire structure, thereby maintaining strength while reducing weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixing portion is designed with a truncated cone shape featuring curved surfaces instead of flat planes. This curvature distributes stress more evenly across the structure and provides inherent structural strength without requiring additional reinforcing components or increased wall thickness, thus avoiding weight increase while maintaining support strength.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the wall thickness is increased or additional reinforcing components are added to enhance the rigidity of the steering support member, then the support rigidity is improved, but the weight of the steering support member increases
Solution Approach 1:
The structure is segmented into the U-shaped longitudinal wall providing baseline rigidity, the truncated cone fixing portion for localized strength, and strategically placed reinforcing ribs that add rigidity only where needed. This targeted approach achieves sufficient support rigidity without the penalty of uniformly increasing wall thickness throughout the entire component.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent specifies the use of light alloys or resin composite materials for manufacturing the steering support member. These materials provide high strength-to-weight and rigidity-to-weight ratios, enabling the structure to achieve required support rigidity with reduced material quantity and lower overall weight compared to traditional materials.
3Weight of moving object
If a U-shaped longitudinal section is used to enhance the moldability and reduce weight of the steering support member, then the weight is reduced, but the support strength and rigidity on the open side are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The truncated cone shape of the fixing portion utilizes curved surfaces that inherently resist deformation and distribute loads effectively. This curvature provides structural strength on the open side of the U-shape without requiring the open side to be enclosed, maintaining weight reduction while preventing local concentration of input loads through smooth load distribution across the curved surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The open side of the U-shaped structure is compensated by adding reinforcing ribs at specific positions and designing the fixing portion with truncated cone geometry. This segmentation of structural functions allows the open side to maintain adequate support strength through strategic reinforcement rather than closing the U-shape, preserving weight advantages while ensuring sufficient strength.
4Weight of moving object
If a U-shaped longitudinal section is used to enhance the moldability and reduce weight of the steering support member, then the weight is reduced, but the support rigidity on the open side is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The structure segments rigidity-providing functions between the U-shaped longitudinal wall, the truncated cone fixing portion, and the reinforcing ribs. This segmentation allows the open side to achieve sufficient support rigidity through the combined effect of these elements rather than requiring a closed structure, maintaining weight reduction while ensuring adequate rigidity.
Solution Approach 2:
The truncated cone fixing portion with its curved surfaces provides inherent rigidity and resists deformation effectively. This curvature contributes to overall structural rigidity without requiring the open side to be enclosed, allowing weight reduction while maintaining sufficient support rigidity through the geometric properties of the curved surfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
A steering support member according to the present invention supports a steering shaft, extends in a vehicle width direction and is fixed at both ends to lateral sides of a vehicle, is molded of a light alloy or a resin composite material. And the steering support member includes a fixing portion having a shape of a truncated cone that extends toward a vehicle front side from the vicinity of a position supporting the steering shaft, a top of the fixing portion being fixed to a dash panel delimiting an engine room in a vehicle front portion, and a plurality of reinforcing ribs that are arranged upright along tangents to a circle constituted by the top of the fixing portion and to a bottom circle.