Threaded Tolerance Compensator With Ball Joint Angle Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tolerance compensation devices in motor vehicles are complex and do not effectively adjust angles between components, limiting their ability to compensate for both axial and radial play, as well as angular discrepancies during assembly.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a hollow-cylindrical base element and compensating element that can be threaded and pivoted together, incorporating a ball joint for angular adjustment, allowing for simultaneous axial and angular compensation without the need for additional components like ball washers or screws.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional tolerance compensation devices are used, then axial tolerance compensation is achieved, but the device complexity increases and angular adjustment capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the tolerance compensation function and angular adjustment function into a single integrated device. The compensating element serves dual purposes: it compensates for axial tolerances through its telescopic mechanism while simultaneously enabling angular adjustment through its pivotable connection to the base element. This merging eliminates the need for separate adjustment components, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The compensating element is designed as a multi-functional component that performs both axial compensation and angular adjustment. By making this single element universal in its functionality, the patent avoids adding separate specialized components, thus resolving the contradiction between achieving multiple functions and maintaining simplicity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional components like ball washers or screws are added for angular adjustment, then angular compensation capability is improved, but the assembly process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the angular adjustment mechanism into the compensating element itself through a pivotable connection with the base element. This integration eliminates the need for separate ball washers or adjustment screws, thereby improving adaptability while simplifying the assembly process to a single integrated operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The compensating element is designed to universally handle both axial and angular adjustments through its dual functionality. This multi-functionality allows the device to achieve angular compensation capability without requiring additional specialized components, thus maintaining ease of assembly.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple separate components are used for tolerance and angle compensation, then compensation precision is improved, but component complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple compensation functions into a single integrated compensating element that can simultaneously or sequentially perform axial tolerance compensation and angular adjustment. This merging maintains compensation precision by ensuring coordinated action of both functions while reducing component complexity by eliminating the need for multiple separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The compensating element is designed as a universal component that handles both axial and angular compensation tasks. This multi-functionality ensures that precision is maintained across both compensation dimensions while avoiding the complexity of having separate specialized components for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for compensating for tolerances between two components to be connected to one another may have a hollow-cylindrical base element and a hollow-cylindrical compensating element which can be brought or is brought into threaded engagement with the base element. The base element and the compensating element are set up such that they can be moved relative to one another between an initial position and a compensating position and can optionally be pivoted with one another.