Cargo Vehicle Chassis Layout for Center of Gravity Balance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Freight bikes and cargo scooters face challenges with maneuverability and stability due to randomly aligned cargo areas, which raise the center of gravity, making them difficult to handle and balance, especially when carrying heavy loads.
Innovation Solution
A cargo-carrying wheeled vehicle design featuring a cargo hold chassis and a rider support chassis that cooperate to maintain a balanced center of gravity, with weight distribution and chassis geometry optimized to keep the combined center of gravity within defined tolerance ranges, incorporating features like mass centralization, adjustable footrests, and a gyroscope for improved handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If cargo area is randomly placed or positioned at higher location, then cargo carrying capacity is improved, but vehicle stability and maneuverability deteriorate due to raised center of gravity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the cargo area in the horizontal dimension (front of rider) rather than vertical dimension (above rider), maintaining low center of gravity while achieving cargo carrying capacity. This dimensional shift resolves the contradiction between cargo capacity and vehicle stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an asymmetric layout where cargo is positioned forward of the rider rather than symmetrically above or behind, allowing optimized weight distribution that maintains stability while enabling cargo transport.
2Quantity of substance
If cargo is kept behind the rider, then cargo carrying capacity is improved, but rider mobility and vehicle balance deteriorate due to restricted backward movement and increased strain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions cargo from the vertical dimension (behind rider's back) to the horizontal dimension (in front of rider), freeing up the rider's back space and improving mobility while maintaining cargo carrying capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cargo area acts as an intermediary space between the rider and the front wheel, positioned in a location that does not interfere with rider movement while still enabling cargo transport.
3Quantity of substance
If load is positioned at forward location, then cargo carrying capacity is improved, but maneuverability deteriorates due to center of gravity shifting too ahead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the longitudinal position parameter of the cargo area, placing it within a specific range (between 0.2L and 0.5L from front wheel) that balances cargo capacity with maneuverability by keeping center of gravity within acceptable limits.
4Quantity of substance
If cargo area is mounted over wheels or between parallel wheels, then cargo carrying capacity is improved, but vehicle complexity and structural stability deteriorate due to random alignment and multiple moments acting on the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cargo area from complex multi-wheel configurations and simplifies the structure to a two-wheeled vehicle with cargo positioned in front of the rider, reducing structural complexity while maintaining cargo capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of mounting cargo over wheels or between parallel wheels as in prior art, the patent inverts the approach by positioning cargo on the same side as the rider (in front), simplifying the structural arrangement.
Data Source
AI summary
A cargo-carrying wheeled vehicle, said vehicle comprising: at least a cargo hold chassis (10); at least a rider support chassis (20) configured to be operatively behind said cargo hold chassis (10), in that, said cargo hold chassis (10) and said rider support chassis (20) cooperate to maintain centre of gravity of said vehicle, after addition of cargo to said cargo hold chassis (10) and after addition of rider to said rider support chassis (20), to obtain a naturally balanced position for said vehicle in a loaded as well as an unloaded condition.