Axle Differential Lock With Rolling Members for Smooth Steering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle axles with planetary differential structures face issues with differential lock engagement and disengagement, leading to poor driveability and driving experience due to jamming or slipping during steering.
Innovation Solution
The axle design incorporates a differential lock device with rolling members, a rolling holder, a switching driving member, and a second elastic reset mechanism, allowing for smooth engagement and disengagement by moving rolling members along polygonal surfaces, ensuring synchronous rotation of the driven disc and half shaft connectors without jamming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a differential lock with teeth engagement is used, then the driven disc and half shaft connectors can be locked together, but the teeth may abutting or jamming during engagement and disengagement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional teeth engagement mechanical system with a polygonal surface contact system. The rolling members engage with polygonal surfaces formed by multiple faces connected sequentially, eliminating the teeth structure that causes abutting and jamming. This substitution maintains the locking function while achieving smooth engagement and disengagement through the continuous polygonal contact surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the contact surfaces from traditional circular/annular shapes to polygonal shapes with multiple faces. This parameter change allows the rolling members to transition smoothly between engagement and disengagement positions along the polygonal paths, avoiding the abrupt tooth-to-tooth contact that causes jamming while maintaining reliable locking when engaged.
2Reliability
If the differential lock is engaged to prevent slipping, then driveability improves, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the contact surface into multiple polygonal faces connected sequentially. Each face can independently guide the rolling members during engagement and disengagement, simplifying the overall mechanism by breaking down the complex teeth engagement into simpler polygonal surface interactions. This segmentation reduces structural complexity while maintaining the differential lock function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces rolling members as intermediary elements between the driven disc and half shaft connectors. These rolling members engage with the polygonal surfaces and facilitate smooth transmission of force during engagement and disengagement, reducing direct contact and complexity between the main components while ensuring reliable locking when engaged.
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 enhances driving stability, prevents slipping during steering, and prolongs the service life of the vehicle by allowing automatic mode switching between 2WD and 4WD based on wheel speed conditions, reducing damage to transmission systems and wheels.
Implementation Method 1
a second elastic reset mechanism configured to return the rolling member from the engaged position to the disengaged position
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of cutting portions being formed on an outer periphery of the main body and stirring air when the switching driven member rotates
Data Source
AI summary
An axle includes: a driven disc, an inner peripheral surface of the driven disc being a first contact surface; a half shaft connector in transmission with the driven disc, the half shaft connector including a second contact surface on its outer periphery, one of the first contact surface and the second contact surface being a circular ring surface, and the other thereof being a polygonal surface; and a differential lock device including rolling members, a rolling holder, a switching driving member, a switching driven member and a second elastic reset mechanism, a plurality of rolling members being arranged in one-to-one correspondence with a plurality of faces of the polygonal surface, and the switching driving member selectively driving the switching driven member to move, to make the rolling members move to an engaged position.