Vehicle Wheel Axle Assembly Yieldable Retention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle wheel axle assemblies lack a means to retain and position the control shaft relative to the axle sleeve, leading to inconvenience, potential loss, and increased complexity in wheel installation and removal, especially when swapping wheels or frames with different threading or types.
Innovation Solution
An engagement interface, either passively yieldable or actively engaged, is introduced between the control shaft and axle sleeve to retain the control shaft, provide axial position control, and offer tactile feedback, allowing easy swapping and servicing without complete disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a blocking engagement is provided between the control shaft and axle sleeve to prevent withdrawal, then the control shaft is retained securely, but the control shaft cannot be removed for servicing or replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The retaining means transitions from a static blocking engagement to a dynamic yieldable engagement that can be overridden. The yieldable nature allows the control shaft to be retained under normal conditions but removed when sufficient force is applied, enabling both secure retention and easy removal for servicing.
Solution Approach 2:
The engagement characteristics of the retaining means are changed from fixed to variable. The yieldable property allows the retention strength to be overcome by applying sufficient axial force, changing the state from retained to removable based on the applied load parameter.
2Ease of operation
If conventional through-axle assemblies are used without retention means, then the control shaft can be easily removed, but the control shaft may become inadvertently separated and lost
Solution Approach 1:
The yieldable retaining means provides tactile feedback to the operator during assembly and disassembly operations. This feedback mechanism signals the axial position of the control shaft relative to the axle sleeve, preventing inadvertent separation while allowing intentional removal when the yieldable engagement is overcome.
3Device complexity
If no axial position control is provided, then the assembly is simpler, but the control shaft axial position cannot be controlled relative to the axle sleeve
Solution Approach 1:
The yieldable retaining means inherently provides axial position control through its engagement characteristics. The tactile feedback mechanism signals precise axial positions during assembly, eliminating the need for additional complex positioning devices while ensuring accurate control shaft positioning relative to the axle sleeve.
Data Source
AI summary
An axle assembly including: an axle sleeve having first and second end faces, an axially extending through opening, and a radially extending first engagement surface; and a control shaft extending within the opening and having a radially extending second engagement surface. The control shaft is axially displaceable relative to the axle sleeve and is axially retained to the axle sleeve by means of an overlie engagement between the first and second engagement surfaces. At least one of the first and second engagement surfaces is radially displaceable between an engaged orientation corresponding to the overlie engagement and a released orientation corresponding to a release of the overlie engagement. The overlie engagement serves to axially retain the control shaft to the axle sleeve and the released orientation serves to remove the overlie engagement and permit the control shaft to be axially withdrawn and separated from the axle sleeve in the retracting direction.