Vehicle Vibration Device Using Variable Front Shaft Orientation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle vibration devices struggle to accurately simulate the left/right directional vibrations necessary for testing vehicle durability and noise evaluation, requiring complex and costly multi-actuator systems, which are impractical for imitating real travel conditions and are time-consuming and costly for evaluation.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle vibration device with a variable mechanism that adjusts the orientation of the front shaft to mimic actual travel states, including left/right vibrations, using a combination of movement mechanisms and a controller to replicate various vehicle states such as braking, lateral sliding, and turning, allowing for efficient and cost-effective simulation of real travel conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If existing vibration devices use 12 actuators to vibrate in front/rear, left/right and vertical directions, then all directional vibrations can be achieved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevibration direction coverageVSAvoidactuator quantity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The front shaft's orientation is made variable through the variable mechanism, allowing it to dynamically adjust its angle relative to the left/right direction. This dynamic adjustment enables a single shaft system to generate vibrations in multiple directions (front/rear, left/right, and vertical) by changing the orientation during operation, replacing the need for multiple fixed actuators

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The front shaft serves multiple functions: it simultaneously provides vertical vibration through up/down movement, front/rear vibration through horizontal movement, and left/right vibration through orientation variation. This multi-functionality allows one component to replace what would traditionally require multiple separate actuators

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If actual travel states are simulated using curve sections in real running, then left/right vibration can be input, but evaluation time increases and costs accumulate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveevaluation accuracyVSAvoidevaluation duration

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using actual physical travel on curve sections, the invention creates a virtual copy of the travel state through controlled vibration. The variable mechanism reproduces the orientation changes that would occur during actual curve travel, allowing evaluation of left/right vibration effects without requiring physical traversal of curved paths

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces the mechanical approach of physically traveling on curved paths with a controlled vibration system. Rather than relying on the vehicle's natural response to geometric curves, the system directly applies controlled vibrational inputs that replicate the essential characteristics of curve travel, enabling faster and more efficient evaluation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Device complexity

If existing vibration devices use simple front/rear and vertical vibration only, then device complexity is reduced, but left/right vibration necessary for interior part testing cannot be achieved

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemechanism simplicityVSAvoidvibration direction coverage

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The variable mechanism introduces asymmetry in the motion control by allowing differential movement between the left and right sides of the front shaft. This asymmetric capability enables the generation of left/right vibrations through orientation variation, while maintaining symmetric vertical vibration capability, thus achieving multi-directional vibration with a relatively simple mechanism

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

Data Source

PatentUS12152961B2Vehicle vibration device

Publication Date: 2024.11.26 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A vehicle vibration device including: a variable mechanism which makes orientation of a front shaft variable in order to vibrate wheels of a vehicle back and forth in a vertical direction as well in a left/right direction by pinching in a front/rear direction each wheel of the vehicle by the front shaft and a rear shaft which extend in a left/right direction, and which makes the front shaft to move back and forth in a horizontal direction, wherein the variable mechanism includes left and right movement mechanisms which are respectively connected to both left and right ends of the front shaft and are capable of moving both the left and right ends back and forth in the horizontal direction, thereby capable of causing the orientation of the front shaft to vary by making movement amounts by the left and right movement mechanisms to differ, thereby also capable of vibrating the wheels back and forth in the vertical direction as well as in the left/right direction.