Bicycle Wheel Spinner Stand with Adjustable Drive Roller
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing retail display systems for spinning wheels are cumbersome, expensive, and unsuitable for small spaces, with issues such as limited wheel size compatibility, obstructed visibility, difficult installation, unreliable power transmission, and noise during operation.
Innovation Solution
A compact, adjustable stand device that securely mounts and rotates a bicycle wheel with a motorized drive roller and slip ring for continuous, quiet operation, allowing for various wheel sizes and easy installation on different surfaces, with improved visibility and reliable power supply.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a motorized display device is designed to rotate a bicycle wheel for retail display, then the visual display effect is improved, but the device becomes large and heavy making it unsuitable for small spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The display device is divided into separate functional components: a wall-mounted support structure and a removable wheel assembly. This segmentation allows the main support structure to be compact while the wheel can be easily detached and replaced, reducing the overall footprint and weight of the permanent installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The device utilizes vertical wall mounting space rather than occupying horizontal floor space. By mounting the support structure on the wall and extending horizontally, the design transforms the spatial dimension from ground-based to wall-based, making it suitable for small retail spaces with limited floor area.
2Device complexity
If the display device is designed to accommodate a single wheel size, then the structure can be simplified, but the adaptability to different retail needs is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure incorporates an adjustable arm with multiple positioning holes and a universal clamp mechanism that can accommodate various wheel diameters and axle configurations. This universal design allows the same basic structure to serve multiple wheel sizes without requiring complete redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The arm supporting the wheel is designed with adjustable positioning capabilities, allowing it to be reconfigured for different wheel sizes. The dynamic adjustability of the arm position and angle enables the static structure to adapt to varying wheel dimensions while maintaining structural simplicity.
3Ease of manufacture
If the wheel is mounted to block part of the interior for structural support, then the mounting is simplified, but the visibility from one side is obstructed
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is designed with asymmetric mounting where the primary support elements are positioned to minimize obstruction of the display area. The mounting brackets and support arms are configured to provide structural stability while maintaining clear visibility of the wheel from the customer-facing side.
Solution Approach 2:
The design uses thin-walled tube structures that replicate the visual transparency of the wheel while providing sufficient structural support. The support elements are designed to be visually minimal, copying only the essential structural function without blocking the view of the rotating wheel and its light display.
4Device complexity
If a slip ring with single contact is used to provide power through the wheel axle, then the structure is simplified, but the power transmission becomes unreliable due to oxidation and lack of constant contact
Solution Approach 1:
A conductive brush or slider is introduced as an intermediary element between the stationary power source and the rotating wheel axle. This intermediary maintains continuous electrical contact through friction or spring pressure, overcoming the oxidation and contact instability issues of direct slip ring connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical connection system is replaced with a mechanical contact system using a spring-loaded brush or slider that maintains constant pressure on the rotating axle. This mechanical approach ensures reliable electrical contact without relying on precision slip ring alignment, as the continuous pressure compensates for surface irregularities and oxidation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a reliable, quiet, and compact retail display system that can operate continuously, accommodate different wheel sizes, and maintain visibility from both sides, addressing the limitations of previous systems.
Implementation Method 1
a motor rotating the drive roller
Implementation Method 2
a slip ring for providing continuous electrical power to a lighting device during rotation of the wheel
Implementation Method 3
A persistence-of-vision (POV) light device creates a visual display when the light device is spinning
Data Source
AI summary
A display system includes a bicycle wheel rotatable about an axle, a lighting device secured to the wheel for rotation with the wheel, and a stand device having an attachment location where the axle of the wheel is attached to support the wheel so that the wheel can rotate relative to the stand device. The stand device includes a drive roller engaging the wheel to rotate the wheel and a motor rotating the drive roller. A distance between the attachment location and the drive roller can be adjusted so that the stand device accommodates different sizes of wheels. The motor and the drive roller can be secured to the stand device at a fixed location while the wheel is mounted to a pivoting portion of the stand device so that gravity pivots the wheel in a direction to engage the wheel with the drive roller.