Coaxial Tubular Tool for Motor Vehicle Wheel Centering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wheel mounting systems for sports cars, particularly those using single-nut fastening systems, are complex and time-consuming, requiring further simplification to facilitate quick and easy wheel mounting without user difficulty.
Innovation Solution
A tool with a tubular body featuring a coupling portion for the wheel hub and a carrier portion to support the wheel during centering, comprising an inner and outer tubular member connected coaxially, with a radially protruding rib for correct mounting and a tapered portion for easy gripping, allowing the tool to be used on both sides of a vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional fastening systems are used, then wheel mounting is secure and reliable, but the time required to change wheels increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the centering function from the wheel itself and transfers it to a separate tool that couples to the hub. This allows the wheel to be mounted quickly without requiring complex self-centering mechanisms on the wheel, resolving the contradiction between fast mounting and proper centering.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool acts as an intermediary device between the hub and the wheel during the centering phase. It provides the necessary centering support temporarily, then is removed to allow single-nut fastening, thus enabling both quick mounting and proper alignment.
2Loss of time
If single-nut fastening systems are used, then wheel changing time is reduced, but the complexity of mounting operations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tool is designed to be self-centering through its coaxial inner and outer tubular members that automatically align with the hub bore. This self-centering capability eliminates the need for complex alignment procedures or specialized operator skills, reducing operational complexity despite using single-nut fastening.
3Measurement precision
If a tool is designed for precise wheel centering, then alignment accuracy improves, but the device becomes more complex and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The tool is segmented into two simple coaxial tubular members (inner and outer) with different functions. The inner tubular member provides precise centering through its fit within the hub bore, while the outer tubular member provides structural support. This segmentation achieves precise centering without requiring a complex monolithic structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner tubular member has a specific local quality (its dimensional relationship to the hub bore) that provides precise centering. This localized precision feature is concentrated in one component rather than distributed throughout a complex system, achieving accuracy without overall complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A tool for mounting a motor-vehicle wheel on a wheel hub includes a tubular body having a coupling portion arranged for coupling to the wheel hub, and a carrier portion for supporting the motor-vehicle wheel during a centering phase of the wheel on the hub. The tool has an inner tubular member and an outer tubular member rigidly connected to each other so as to be coaxial. At the coupling portion, the inner and outer tubular members are spaced apart so as to define a space arranged to receive an end portion of the wheel hub, in such a way that, in an operating condition, the end portion of the hub is interposed between the inner tubular member and the outer tubular member.