Antitheft Wheel Lock Bushing Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing antitheft locking devices for vehicle wheels with idly rotatable bushings are aesthetically distinguishable from conventional nuts or bolts, and their burglary resistance is not uniformly matched, particularly in wheels with valuable rims like light alloys or chrome-plated steel.
Innovation Solution
An antitheft locking device with a one-piece or multi-part hollow body bushing that mimics the appearance of conventional nuts or bolts, featuring a non-circular outer section and a radial portion with engagement means, such as grooves or ferrules, to ensure aesthetic uniformity and enhanced burglary resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an idly rotatable bushing is added to the antitheft locking device to prevent rotation by conventional tools, then the device's security against theft is improved, but the aesthetic uniformity with conventional nuts or bolts deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bushing is divided into two functional parts: an inner cylindrical portion that rotates freely on the locking device body, and an outer section with non-circular cross-section that engages with the wrench. This segmentation allows the inner part to provide rotational freedom for security while the outer part provides the necessary engagement geometry without compromising aesthetic uniformity with conventional locking devices
Solution Approach 2:
The outer section of the bushing is designed with a non-circular cross-section (asymmetric shape) that matches the engagement means on the locking device body. This asymmetric design enables selective engagement with the specific wrench while maintaining external aesthetic uniformity with conventional nuts or bolts, as the asymmetric features are hidden during normal viewing
2Strength
If the bushing is made of particularly strong material with a robust coupling to withstand burglary attempts, then the device's burglary resistance is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bushing is segmented into an inner cylindrical portion and an outer section with non-circular cross-section. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently: the inner part can be made of strong material for burglary resistance while the outer part provides the engagement geometry, simplifying manufacturing compared to a fully robust single-piece design
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the bushing have different structural qualities tailored to their specific functions. The inner cylindrical portion has a simple circular cross-section for free rotation, while the outer section has the complex non-circular geometry for wrench engagement. This local differentiation of quality reduces overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining necessary strength where required
Data Source
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AI summary
Antitheft locking device (3) for vehicle wheels, comprising a cylindrical one-piece body provided at a first end with a male or female thread depending on whether the device is made as a bolt or nut, respectively, and provided, at a second end opposite to the first end, with an axially extending cylindrical projection (11a) having a circular cross section and surrounded by a blind idly rotatable bushing (19), wherein the bushing (19) comprises a hollow body having a circular inner cross section capable of rotatably engaging on said cylindrical projection and a non-circular outer cross section