Automatic Leveling Vehicle with Articulated Frame
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicles with rigid frames and fixed wheelbases tilt when traveling on uneven terrain, causing discomfort for the operator and risking rollover, as existing suspension systems either fail to maintain the vehicle body level or only reduce the incline without keeping it level.
Innovation Solution
An automatic leveling system with a swivel joint connecting the front and rear frame sections, a gear train, and adjustable wheel assemblies, allowing independent pivotal movement and leveling adjustments via a lever arm and length-adjustable member, maintained by a level detector to keep the rear frame section level on uneven terrain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid one-piece frame with fixed wheelbase is used, then the vehicle structure is simple and stable, but the vehicle body tilts on slanted terrain causing operator discomfort and rollover risk
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid one-piece frame is divided into front and rear frame sections that can pivot independently relative to each other via a swivel joint. This segmentation allows the rear frame section to maintain level orientation while the front section adapts to terrain variations, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and level orientation stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame structure transitions from a static rigid design to a dynamic articulated system. The swivel joint enables the rear frame section to pivot and adjust its orientation dynamically in response to terrain changes, maintaining operator comfort while preserving overall vehicle stability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If conventional suspension systems with rocking axles or rocking beams are used, then some incline reduction is achieved, but the vehicle body is not maintained in a level orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The suspension system is segmented into independent right and left rocking beam assemblies, each capable of adjusting wheel position. This allows differential adjustment of each side of the vehicle to compensate for terrain unevenness while maintaining overall body level orientation, improving operator comfort beyond conventional systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates level detectors that continuously monitor the vehicle body orientation and provide feedback to the control system. This feedback mechanism enables automatic adjustment of the rocking beams and wheel assemblies to maintain precise level orientation, ensuring operator comfort on varied terrain.
3Ease of operation
If the rear frame section is maintained level using automatic leveling signals, then operator comfort and safety are improved, but the system complexity increases with multiple control components
Solution Approach 1:
The automatic leveling system uses self-contained level detectors and control mechanisms that autonomously monitor and adjust vehicle orientation without requiring external intervention. The system self-regulates by detecting tilt and automatically actuating the appropriate suspension components to restore level orientation, improving operator comfort while managing complexity through automation.
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic leveling vehicle comprising a front frame section and a rear frame section interconnected by a swivel joint which permits pivotable movement of the front frame section relative to the rear frame section about a generally horizontal axis extending longitudinally of the vehicle, a gear train attached to the rear frame section, right and left rear wheel assemblies, right and left rear axle assemblies operatively interconnecting the gear train, a lever arm connected to the gear train for controlling the position of the rear axle assemblies, selective movement of the lever arm causing the right and left rear axle assemblies to move their associated wheel assemblies up or down in opposite directions, a level detector for producing and applying leveling signals for positioning a lever arm control such that the rear frame section is maintained in a relatively level orientation when the rear wheel assemblies encounter an uneven terrain.