Tilt-Type Steering Device Telescopic Damper Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tilt-type steering apparatuses can cause unpleasant feelings for drivers due to rapid rotation of the tilt lever during steering wheel positioning, and the telescopic damper can act as resistance against height position adjustments, making the process uncomfortable and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A tilt-type steering apparatus with a telescopic damper that provides resistance to the tilt lever's rotation, incorporating a cam device with a driven and driving cam, and a telescopic mechanism that adjusts the steering wheel's height and front-rear positions, featuring a cylindrical steering column, clamped portion, support bracket, tilt rod, anchor part, and expandable mechanism to prevent rapid lever rotation and minimize damper resistance during adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a telescopic damper is added to prevent rapid rotation of the tilt lever, then the driver comfort is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic damper is nested within the existing tilt mechanism structure, with the damper rod extending and retracting within the damper body. This nesting approach integrates the damping function into the existing mechanism without adding external components, thereby improving driver comfort while minimizing increases in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescopic damper acts as an intermediary element between the tilt lever and the steering column. It mediates the rotation motion by providing controlled resistance through its extension and retraction, preventing rapid rotation while maintaining smooth operation. This intermediary function resolves the contradiction by adding a buffering element that improves comfort without fundamentally redesigning the entire system.
2Force
If the telescopic damper is made longer to provide sufficient damping, then the damping effect is improved, but the space requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic damper utilizes dynamic extension and retraction of the damper rod to provide sufficient damping effect within a limited space. The rod extends during tilt lever rotation to absorb energy and provides damping force proportional to the extension distance, allowing effective damping without requiring a permanently long damper structure that would occupy excessive space.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping characteristics are adjusted by changing the extension length of the telescopic damper rod rather than by increasing the overall damper size. The damping force varies with the rod's extension parameter, allowing optimization of the damping effect to match the specific operational requirements while maintaining a compact form factor that fits within the available space constraints.
3Ease of operation
If the tilt lever is designed to rotate freely for easy positioning, then the ease of adjustment is improved, but the risk of rapid rotation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic damper provides partial resistance to the tilt lever rotation rather than complete restriction. It allows free rotation under normal conditions for ease of adjustment but engages to provide damping force when excessive speed is detected, preventing rapid rotation. This partial action approach maintains ease of operation while adding reliability through conditional control.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescopic damper provides velocity-dependent feedback resistance to the tilt lever rotation. As the rotation speed increases, the damper rod extends further, increasing the damping force proportionally. This feedback mechanism automatically regulates the rotation speed, allowing free movement at low speeds for ease of adjustment while preventing rapid rotation at high speeds, thus improving reliability.
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
Prevents rapid rotation of the tilt lever, ensuring a comfortable driving experience and allows smooth height position adjustments by controlling the telescopic damper's extension and contraction only when the tilt lever is rotated, thus avoiding resistance against height position adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
a telescopic damper configured to provide resistance against a rotation of the tilt lever
Implementation Method 2
an expandable mechanism configured to widen or to narrow a gap between the pressing part and the anchor part; a tilt lever operable to widen or to narrow the gap by rotating about the tilt rod
Data Source
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AI summary
A tilt-type steering apparatus includes a tilt lever, an expandable mechanism having a driving cam rotated by the tilt lever and a driven cam engaged with the driving cam, and a telescopic damper arranged to apply resistance against the rotation of the tilt lever in a direction allowing a position of a steering wheel to be adjusted. The telescopic damper is provided between a lever-side engaging portion which rotates together with the tilt lever and a cam-side engaging part of the driven cam.