Bicycle Drop-out Mounting Structure for Wheel Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in manufacturing bicycle frames through stamp-molding and welding is the difficulty in precisely aligning the rear wheel due to deformation caused by welding heat, leading to power loss, uneven tire wear, and potential frame damage from fatigue.
Innovation Solution
A drop-out mounting structure with a wheel alignment unit that includes spherical contact points and protrusion patterns allows for accurate wheel alignment without frame correction, using a bolt to secure the drop-out member to the stay frame, even when deformation occurs, ensuring proper alignment and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If stamp-molding and welding are used to manufacture bicycle frames, then manufacturing efficiency and productivity are improved, but welding heat causes frame deformation leading to poor wheel alignment precision
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is divided into multiple components (left stay, right stay, drop-out members) that are manufactured separately through stamp-molding and then assembled through welding. This segmentation allows each component to be produced efficiently while the modular design accommodates alignment adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The spherical contact surfaces act as intermediaries between the frame components and drop-out members, providing a self-aligning mechanism that compensates for welding-induced deformations and ensures accurate wheel alignment without requiring perfect welding precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If frame deformation is corrected through manual adjustment, then wheel alignment precision is improved, but manufacturing complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical contact surfaces enable the drop-out members to self-align with the frame components automatically during assembly. The spherical geometry allows for automatic compensation of misalignments without requiring manual measurement, adjustment, or correction procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
Spherical contact surfaces are provided on the frame components and corresponding recesses on the drop-out members. This spherical geometry provides a degree of freedom that allows the components to self-align and accommodate welding deformations, eliminating the need for complex manual correction procedures.
3Device complexity
If traditional bolt fastening is used without alignment features, then device simplicity is maintained, but wheel alignment accuracy deteriorates due to frame deformation
Solution Approach 1:
Spherical contact surfaces are integrated into the bolt fastening structure, where convex spherical surfaces on one component contact concave spherical recesses on the mating component. This spherical geometry adds alignment functionality without significantly increasing structural complexity, as the spherical features are incorporated into the existing fastening interfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
A drop-out mounting structure for wheel alignment is disclosed. The disclosed drop-out mounting structure for the wheel alignment according to an aspect of the present disclosure for mounting a drop-out member as a wheel mounting unit to a bicycle frame through a bolt in a state that the drop-out member may be set according to a predetermined reference position includes a wheel alignment unit provided to be in spherical contact with a bolt fastening portion of the drop-out member and the frame as a male and female type and performing wheel alignment according to deformation of the frame.