Vehicle Storage Assembly Dynamic Shaft Clearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage assemblies in vehicles face challenges in providing a secure, easy-to-operate, and friction-reduced mechanism for rotating between closed and open positions, often resulting in NVH issues due to gaps between the shaft and shaft hole.
Innovation Solution
A storage assembly design featuring a shaft with radially protruded stop portions and a shaft hole that contacts the stop portions in rest positions and spaces apart in intermediate positions, allowing for secure engagement and reduced friction during rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the shaft and shaft hole are kept in continuous contact to maintain secure positioning, then positioning reliability is improved, but rotation friction increases and operation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft hole is designed with a dynamic clearance that changes during rotation. In rest positions (0° and 180°), the shaft hole contacts the shaft to provide secure positioning. During intermediate rotation positions, the shaft hole is spaced apart from the shaft, reducing friction and enabling smooth operation. This dynamic adjustment of contact state resolves the contradiction between positioning reliability and rotation ease.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the shaft and shaft hole are kept close-fitted to reduce gaps and NVH issues, then vibration noise is reduced, but rotation friction increases
Solution Approach 1:
The design implements a dynamic clearance mechanism where the shaft hole maintains a close fit with the shaft at rest positions to minimize gaps and reduce NVH issues. During rotation through intermediate positions, the shaft hole is spaced apart from the shaft, reducing frictional energy loss. This dynamic approach allows the system to achieve both low NVH and low rotation friction.
3Manufacturing precision
If stop portions are added to the shaft to improve positioning accuracy, then positioning precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding complex positioning mechanisms throughout the system, the invention applies local quality by adding simple stop portions only at specific locations on the shaft. These stop portions engage with the shaft hole at rest positions to provide accurate positioning. The localized addition of stop portions achieves positioning precision without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A storage assembly comprises a first portion including a shaft and a second portion including a shaft hole. The first portion is rotatably connected to the second portion via the shaft received in the shaft hole and moveable from the first rest position to the second rest position through an intermediate position. The shaft of the first portion has a stop portion protruded radially and the shaft hole is configured to contact the stop portion in the first rest position and the second rest position and to space apart radially from the stop portion in the intermediate position.