Auxiliary Drive Roller Protrusion for Trailer Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional auxiliary drives for trailers, such as caravans and boat trailers, face challenges in positioning and mounting due to housing protrusions that can collide with vehicle components, leading to reduced ground clearance and increased weight, and often require modifications that are undesirable.
Innovation Solution
The auxiliary drive design features a drive roller with an outer circumferential surface that protrudes by at least 10 millimeters beyond the housing, allowing for flexible positioning without colliding with vehicle components, and incorporates a compact transmission with a ring gear and gear arrangement to minimize installation space and weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the housing of the auxiliary drive is designed to enclose the transmission completely, then protection and structural integrity are improved, but the housing protrudes beyond the drive roller and collides with vehicle components, reducing ground clearance and requiring vehicle modifications
Solution Approach 1:
The disturbing part (housing protrusion) is extracted or removed. The housing is designed to terminate at the cylindrical surface defined by the maximum outer diameter of the drive roller, without protruding beyond it. This eliminates the collision problem while maintaining transmission protection through alternative means such as the drive roller itself serving as a protective barrier.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the drive roller protrudes significantly beyond the housing, then positioning flexibility relative to the wheel is improved, but the overall size and installation space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The solution optimizes the radial dimension (protrusion distance) to achieve the desired positioning flexibility. By setting the protrusion to at least 10mm in the radial direction beyond the housing, the patent enables flexible positioning while minimizing protrusion in other dimensions. The housing depth is optimized to contain the transmission without excessive radial protrusion.
3Power
If the transmission is designed with larger components to handle torque, then power transmission capability is improved, but the installation space and weight of the auxiliary drive increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the parameters of transmission components to achieve the necessary torque transmission with minimal size. The ring gear is designed with optimized tooth geometry and the gear ratio is selected to transmit motor torque efficiently to the drive roller. The drive roller diameter and width are optimized to transmit torque to the wheel while maintaining compact dimensions.
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
This design enables the auxiliary drive to be positioned freely relative to the wheel, avoiding collisions and maintaining low installation space and weight, while allowing for efficient wheel rotation and torque transmission, thus facilitating easy maneuvering of engineless vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
a motor, in particular designed as an electric motor, having a stator and a rotor which can be driven by the stator and is thus rotatable about a motor axis relative to the stator
Implementation Method 2
a gearbox which can be driven by the motor. This means that torques provided by the motor, in particular via the rotor, can be introduced into the gearbox, thereby driving the gearbox
Implementation Method 3
The drive roller can be moved into a support position, meaning it can be in contact with at least one wheel of the vehicle. This allows the wheel to be driven by the motor via the drive roller and the transmission
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an auxiliary drive (10) for a vehicle (28), in particular for a trailer, comprising a motor (12), a transmission (16) driven by the motor (12), a housing (18) in which at least the transmission (16) is at least partially enclosed, and at least one drive roller (20) which is driven by the motor (12) via the transmission (16) and is thereby rotatable relative to the housing (18), and which is movable in the radial direction (34) of the drive roller (20) in a support arrangement with at least one wheel (26) of the vehicle (28), so that by driving the drive roller (20) the wheel (26) can be driven by the motor (12) via the drive roller (20) and the transmission (16), wherein at least a part (T) of an outer circumferential surface (22) of the drive roller (20) forming the maximum outer diameter (Dmax) of the drive roller (20) rotates the housing (18) in the radial direction (34). the drive roller (20) is exceeded by at least 10 millimeters.