Cart Wheel Locking Mechanism and Pedal Folding Handle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional goods carrying carts face issues with wheel instability during loading, requiring constant foot pressure for braking, increased effort to move due to center of mass positioning, and inconvenient handle folding mechanisms that risk damage and require both hands.
Innovation Solution
A cart design with a wheel locking and unlocking mechanism using recessed grooves and elastic restoration, a '∩' shaped handle frame with angled left and right frames, and a pedal-operated folding mechanism that allows secure braking, easy wheel operation, and efficient handle folding using alternating hand and foot actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a foot brake pedal is used to brake the cart, then the cart can be braked easily and conveniently, but the braking is immediately released as soon as the user removes his or her foot from the pedal
Solution Approach 1:
The brake system uses the cart's own motion to activate the brake automatically when the handle is folded. The braking operation part engages with the wheel's braking surface through the folding motion itself, eliminating the need for continuous foot pressure while maintaining reliable braking during handle folding operations
2Device complexity
If the handle frames are positioned at a perpendicular angle to the platform, then the structure is simple, but a greater pushing force has to be applied to move the cart due to smaller horizontal component force
Solution Approach 1:
The handle frames are positioned at an angled orientation (not perpendicular) to the platform, changing the geometric parameter of the handle structure. This angular adjustment increases the horizontal component force when the user pushes the cart, reducing the effort required to move loaded goods while maintaining structural integrity
3Ease of operation
If the wheel locking mechanism uses recessed grooves and elastic restoration, then the wheel is easily locked and unlocked, but the mechanism requires multiple components increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel locking mechanism uses elastic restoration force to automatically engage the locking protrusion with the recessed groove when the wheel is rotated to the locked position. The system uses its own elastic energy storage and release to perform the locking action automatically, eliminating the need for additional actuators or complex control mechanisms while enabling easy one-handed operation
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
Enables secure braking without constant foot pressure, reduces the force needed to move the cart, and facilitates efficient handle folding without hand collision, improving usability and safety.
Implementation Method 1
a wheel locking and unlocking operation part provided on the '∩' shaped frame and configured to be pressed and elastically restored
Data Source
AI summary
A cart has a wheel that is easily lockable and unlockable while being securely braked. The cart includes a platform having a wheel and on which freight is loaded, a handle bar including an inverted U shaped frame including a left frame, a right frame, and a connecting frame, a wheel locking and unlocking operation part provided on the inverted U shaped frame and configured to be pressed and elastically restored, and an operation part configured to operate by an operation of the wheel locking and unlocking operation part, and a folding operation part including a pedal provided at one end of the platform, a pedal connecting part connected to the pedal from a lower surface of the platform, and a folding operation rod supported by the pedal connecting part and configured to vertically move.