Steering Wheel Vibrator Housing Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing steering wheel designs with vibration motors attached to the spoke portion restrict design freedom due to the need for additional space and thickness, limiting aesthetic and structural options.
Innovation Solution
A steering wheel design that incorporates a vibrator housing within the wheel portion's core metal, allowing the vibrator to be positioned between the core metal and a case, eliminating the need for attachment to the spoke portion and enabling increased design flexibility by integrating the vibrator within the wheel's structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the vibration motor is attached to the spoke portion, then the steering wheel can provide vibration feedback to the driver, but the design freedom of the steering wheel is restricted due to the need for additional space and thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent relocates the vibration motor from the spoke portion (one-dimensional attachment) to the wheel portion (two-dimensional integration), specifically utilizing the space between the core metal and the cover layer. This dimensional shift eliminates the need to increase spoke thickness while maintaining vibration feedback functionality, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliability and design freedom.
Solution Approach 2:
The vibration motor is nested within the wheel portion structure, specifically housed in the space between the core metal and cover layer. This nesting approach allows the vibration motor to be integrated into the existing steering wheel structure without requiring additional external space or increasing spoke thickness, thus maintaining design freedom while ensuring vibration feedback function.
2Ease of manufacture
If the spoke portion thickness is increased to ensure attaching space for the vibration motor, then the vibration motor can be securely attached, but the overall design flexibility of the steering wheel is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the vibration motor attachment from the spoke portion and relocates it to the wheel portion. This extraction eliminates the need to increase spoke thickness for attachment purposes, allowing the spoke portion to maintain its original thin profile while still providing secure attachment of the vibration motor in the new location, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and design flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
By moving the attachment location from the spoke portion to the wheel portion (specifically to the space between core metal and cover layer), the patent utilizes a different spatial dimension for motor mounting. This eliminates the need to increase spoke thickness while maintaining secure attachment, thereby preserving design flexibility without compromising ease of manufacture.
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
This design enhances the freedom in steering wheel design by eliminating the requirement for additional spoke thickness or space, allowing for more versatile and aesthetically pleasing configurations while maintaining effective vibration transmission to the driver.
Implementation Method 1
a steering wheel provided with a vibrator... allowing a steering wheel to oscillate by a vibration motor
Data Source
AI summary
A steering wheel includes a steering hub portion, a wheel portion and a spoke portion. The spoke portion extends from the steering hub portion and is connected with the wheel portion. The wheel portion includes a core metal and a cover layer. The core metal circles around the steering wheel. The cover layer covers the core metal. A vibrator housing portion is provided at a part in a circling direction of the core metal. The core metal includes a U-shaped cross section in the vibrator housing portion in a radial direction of the wheel portion. A partition wall is provided inside of the core metal to divide and form the vibrator housing portion. A case is attached to the core metal to cover the vibrator housing portion. The vibrator is disposed in the vibrator housing portion between the core metal and the case. The vibrator is attached to the case.