Steering Tilt Gear Assembly With Sintered Integrated Shaft Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing steering apparatus for vehicles faces issues with low strength and hardness of the fixing gear and moving gear due to die-casting manufacturing, leading to gear deformation and weak coupling between the rotary shaft and fixing gear.
Innovation Solution
The steering apparatus incorporates a sintering process to form the fixed gear and moving gear, integrating a coupling shaft part with the fixed gear, enhancing strength and hardness, and improves the coupling strength between the gears.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If die-casting process is used to manufacture fixing gear and moving gear, then manufacturing cost is reduced and production efficiency is improved, but strength and hardness of the gears are low causing deformation over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the manufacturing parameters by switching from die-casting to sintering process. This parameter change fundamentally alters the material properties of the gears, achieving both high strength/hardness and cost-effectiveness. The sintering process allows for dense microstructure formation with proper control of sintering temperature, pressure, and time parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material approach by combining metal powders with specific binding agents in controlled ratios. This composite formulation during sintering creates gears with enhanced mechanical properties, where the composite structure provides both strength and hardness while maintaining manufacturing efficiency.
2Ease of manufacture
If rotary shaft is manufactured separately and assembled to fixing gear, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but coupling strength between rotary shaft and fixing gear is low causing deformation under external axial force
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the rotary shaft and fixing gear into a single integrated component manufactured through sintering. This combining eliminates the separate assembly step while dramatically improving coupling strength. The integrated structure ensures uniform material properties and eliminates weak interfaces that would exist in assembled configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated component is created using composite material technology where metal powders are sintered into a unified structure. This composite approach allows for optimized internal structure that provides both manufacturing flexibility and exceptional coupling strength, preventing deformation under external axial forces.
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 sintered gears and integrated coupling shaft part enhance the durability and stability of the tilt adjustment mechanism, preventing deformation under external forces and ensuring precise steering wheel adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
The fixed gear and the moving gear are formed by a sintering process
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with an embodiment of a steering apparatus for a vehicle, two opposite ends of a coupling shaft part of a fixed gear are integrated with the fixed gear, an intervening portion between the two opposite ends is disposed so that a separation hole is formed between a body of the fixed gear and the intervening portion, and a coupling rotation part of a moving gear is integrated with the moving gear and caught by and fitted and coupled to the coupling shaft part through the separation hole, which improves strength and hardness of the fixed gear and improve coupling strength between the fixed gear and the coupling shaft part.