Axle Mounting Assembly With Rotating U-Bolts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current axle mounting assemblies for vehicles and trailers face challenges in reducing weight and size, particularly in maintaining parallel bolt and nut faces during clamping, which affects the active length of leaf springs and overall suspension performance.
Innovation Solution
The proposed axle mounting assembly features an axle seat bracket with parallel passages for U-shaped fastener assemblies that rotate to self-center bolts, a spacer with angled surfaces for adjusting caster or pinion angles, and a design that reduces the clamp-down area, allowing for a lighter weight and more compact assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If bolts and U-bolts are used to clamp the leaf spring, then the spring is secured to the axle, but the clamped area becomes inactive and reduces the active length of the spring
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system is segmented into multiple U-shaped fastener assemblies distributed across the width of the spring, allowing the spring to be secured at multiple discrete points rather than creating a single large inactive zone. This segmentation reduces the total clamped area while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The fasteners are arranged in a dimensional pattern across the width of the spring rather than concentrating clamping force in a single longitudinal location. This dimensional distribution allows the spring to remain active over most of its length while still being securely fastened.
2Length of moving object
If the clamp-down area is reduced to increase active spring length, then the spring rate is reduced, but the axle mounting assembly becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The U-shaped fastener assemblies serve multiple functions: they secure the spring to the axle, allow for angular adjustment to maintain parallel bolt faces, and distribute clamping forces. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby managing complexity while achieving the desired spring characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener assemblies incorporate rotational capability, allowing them to dynamically adjust to different angles. This dynamic feature enables the bolt and nut faces to remain parallel to the clamping surface regardless of spring position or assembly variations, simplifying the overall design compared to rigid fixed-angle mounting.
3Ease of operation
If traditional bolts and nuts are used for fastening, then the assembly is simple, but the bolt and nut faces cannot maintain parallel alignment with the clamping surface
Solution Approach 1:
The U-shaped fastener assemblies are designed to rotate within their mounting holes, allowing the bolt and nut faces to dynamically maintain parallel alignment with the clamping surface. This rotational freedom accommodates any angular misalignment that may occur during assembly or operation, ensuring proper fastening without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener assemblies self-adjust to the correct orientation through rotation, automatically maintaining parallel bolt and nut faces with the clamping surface without requiring external adjustment or complex alignment procedures. The design inherently compensates for misalignment through the rotational capability of the U-shaped fasteners.
Data Source
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AI summary
An axle mounting assembly for coupling a vehicle axle to an energy storing suspension component. The assembly includes a mounting pad, and a longitudinally extending energy storing suspension component such as a leaf spring is vertically aligned with respect to the mounting pad. An axle seat bracket is vertically aligned with and spaced from the mounting pad. The axle is transversely mounted to the axle seat bracket which includes at least one horizontally aligned open passage that is aligned parallel to the axle and which receives a U-shaped fastener assembly for coupling the axle and axle seat bracket to the mounting pad.