Axle Unit Hydraulic Routing via Segmented Stub and Tube
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing axle units for commercial vehicles are heavy and costly to manufacture due to the integration of hydraulic lines, requiring complex and error-prone line arrangements that weaken the axle structure.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight axle unit design combining a solid axle stub with a hollow tubular unit, where the hydraulic lines are routed through a channel within the stub and guided through a recess or bore in the tubular unit, eliminating the need for lateral bores and allowing for a simpler, more economical manufacturing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If hydraulic lines are integrated into the axle body, then the axle unit can supply auxiliary drives with hydraulic fluid, but the weight of the axle body increases significantly and manufacturing costs rise due to complex line arrangements and lateral bores
Solution Approach 1:
The axle body is divided into two separate components: a solid axle stub and a hollow tube unit. The hydraulic lines are integrated only into the tube unit, not the axle stub. This segmentation allows the axle stub to remain lightweight and structurally simple while the tube unit provides the hydraulic fluid routing capability, thus resolving the contradiction between versatility and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydraulic line integration function is extracted from the axle stub and placed into the tube unit. The axle stub is kept as a simple solid rotating component without lateral bores, while the tube unit serves as the carrier for hydraulic lines. This extraction eliminates the need for complex lateral bores in the axle stub, reducing its weight and manufacturing complexity while maintaining the overall hydraulic supply capability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If lateral bores are introduced into the axle body for hydraulic lines, then hydraulic fluid can be routed to auxiliary drives, but the strength of the axle body is weakened and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The function of hydraulic routing is segmented from the rotating axle stub and assigned to the non-rotating tube unit. This eliminates the need for lateral bores in the axle stub, preserving its structural integrity and strength while still enabling hydraulic fluid routing through the tube unit to auxiliary drives.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydraulic line routing function is extracted from the axle stub and relocated to the tube unit. The axle stub remains a solid, laterally unbored component with full strength, while the tube unit provides the necessary hydraulic passages without compromising the axle stub's mechanical properties.
3Adaptability or versatility
If complex line arrangements are used to supply hydraulic fluid, then auxiliary drives can be powered, but the device complexity and error-proneness increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic system is segmented into two parts: the axle stub for rotation and the tube unit for hydraulic routing. This clear division simplifies the overall line arrangement, as hydraulic lines only need to be managed in the tube unit, reducing complexity and error-proneness while maintaining the capability to power auxiliary drives.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydraulic line management function is extracted from the rotating axle stub and consolidated in the stationary tube unit. This extraction simplifies the line arrangement by eliminating the need for complex rotating seals and lateral connections, reducing device complexity and improving reliability while preserving auxiliary drive functionality.
Data Source
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Figure 3A
AI summary
The invention relates to an axle unit, comprising an axle stub and a tube unit, wherein the axle stub is formed rotationally symmetrically around a stub axle, at least in some regions, and has a channel which extends substantially parallel to the stub axle, wherein the tube unit is constructed in the form of a hollow body and extends substantially along a tube axis, wherein the tube unit has a recess extending transversely with respect to the tube axis, wherein a conduit element is provided which can be connected in a fluid-tight manner to the channel and can be led through the recess of the tube unit. The invention further relates to a method for producing an axle unit.