Bicycle Trailer Latch with Spherical Engagement Surface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bicycle trailer latches fail to accommodate variations in bicycle skewer hub widths, bicycle and trailer height differences, and horizontal angle changes during towing, leading to instability and difficulty in coupling and decoupling.
Innovation Solution
A bicycle trailer latch with a spherical skewer engaging surface and a pivotally coupled stop mechanism that allows for adjustment and secure coupling to the bicycle wheel skewer, enabling flexibility in hub widths and angle changes, and a cable system for easy detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a traditional rigid latch mechanism is used, then the coupling strength is sufficient, but the latch cannot accommodate variations in skewer hub widths and angle changes during towing
Solution Approach 1:
The latch incorporates a spherical skewer engaging surface that contacts the skewer hub. This spherical geometry allows the latch to pivot and adapt to variations in skewer hub widths while maintaining secure engagement. The curved surface enables angular adjustment during towing without compromising coupling reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch mechanism includes a pivotally coupled stop that can move between closed and open positions, and a spherical engaging surface that can rotate to accommodate angular changes. This dynamic design allows the rigid latch to adapt to varying conditions while maintaining secure coupling.
2Reliability
If a secure latch mechanism is used, then coupling stability is achieved, but the complexity of the latch increases
Solution Approach 1:
The latch is divided into distinct functional components: a housing, a pivotally coupled stop mechanism, and a spherical skewer engaging surface. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while keeping the overall design relatively simple and manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The spherical skewer engaging surface provides coupling stability through its geometry alone, eliminating the need for complex locking mechanisms. The spherical shape naturally accommodates angular variations while maintaining secure engagement, simplifying the overall latch design.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed latch structure is used, then manufacturing is simple, but the latch cannot accommodate height differences between bicycle and trailer
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical skewer engaging surface is a simple geometric form that is easy to manufacture while providing the necessary adaptability for height differences. The spherical geometry allows vertical adjustment through pivoting motion without requiring complex adjustable mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivotally coupled stop allows the latch to move vertically to accommodate height differences between bicycle and trailer while maintaining a simple fixed-structure appearance. The dynamic pivoting capability is achieved through the spherical engagement surface contact point.
Data Source
AI summary
A bicycle trailer latch comprises a skewer engaging surface that is desirably at least in part spherical, such as hemispherical. When engaging a bicycle skewer at the rear wheel of a bicycle, the spherical engagement surface allows more freedom of movement of the bicycle trailer relative to the skewer during towing. This enhances the trailers ability to track the movement of the bicycle. The latch can comprise a housing with a housing opening sized to receive the end portion of the bicycle wheel skewer. A stop inside the housing is pivotal to stop closed and stop open positions. In the stop closed position, the housing opening is sufficiently to block the decoupling of the latch from bicycle skewer. In the stop open position, the stop opens the housing opening sufficiently to permit passage of the end portion of the skewer through the housing opening.