Common Hub Assembly for Modular Vehicle Suspension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle suspension systems require different hubs, spindles, bearings, and brake components for various axle capacities, leading to increased complexity and packaging constraints, limiting flexibility and modularity.
Innovation Solution
Standardizing spindle diameter, bearing sizes, and hubcap dimensions across different suspension capacities using a common hub design, with interchangeable wheel and brake components, and adaptable adapters to accommodate different brake geometries, allowing for modular configurations and reduced complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If different hubs, spindles, bearings, and brake components are used for various axle capacities, then each capacity can be optimized for its specific load requirements, but device complexity increases and packaging constraints are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a common hub assembly that can be used across multiple axle capacities (8k, 10k, 13k). The hub assembly includes a universal hub body, hub cap, and wheel mounting flange that remain the same across capacities, while only the spindle and brake components vary. This reduces device complexity by eliminating the need for different hub designs for each capacity level.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the wheel end assembly into distinct functional components: a common hub assembly that remains unchanged, and variable components (spindle, brake caliper, brake rotor) that are swapped based on capacity requirements. This segmentation allows the system to maintain optimization for different load capacities while reducing overall complexity through standardization of the hub portion.
2Manufacturing precision
If different knuckles with varying feature sizes are used for different capacities, then each capacity can accommodate its specific wheel and brake sizes, but packaging constraints are worsened and adaptability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the knuckle more adaptable by using a common hub assembly design that can accommodate multiple axle capacities. The universal hub body, hub cap, and wheel mounting flange create a standardized interface that works across 8k, 10k, and 13k capacities, improving knuckle interchangeability while maintaining the ability to accommodate different wheel and brake sizes through the variable spindle and brake components.
3Device complexity
If standardized spindle diameter, bearing sizes, and hubcap dimensions are used across different suspension capacities, then device complexity is reduced and manufacturing is simplified, but adaptability to different load capacities may be limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the wheel end assembly into standardized components (hub body, hub cap, wheel mounting flange) that remain the same across capacities, and variable components (spindle, brake assembly) that are selected based on capacity requirements. This segmentation allows standardization to reduce complexity while maintaining adaptability through component selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes parameters selectively: the hub assembly parameters (diameter, bearing sizes, hubcap dimensions) are standardized across capacities, while the spindle diameter and brake component parameters are varied to accommodate different load capacities. This selective parameter standardization achieves both reduced complexity and maintained adaptability.
4Ease of repair
If interchangeable wheel and brake components are used with a common hub design, then ease of repair and manufacturing is improved, but packaging constraints may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal hub assembly that serves multiple axle capacities, improving ease of repair and manufacturing through interchangeability. The common hub body, hub cap, and wheel mounting flange can be used across 8k, 10k, and 13k capacities, reducing inventory requirements and simplifying maintenance while the variable spindle and brake components are selected to meet specific capacity requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle suspension can include an adapter mounting face, a spindle rigidly mounted relative to the adapter mounting face, a wheel mounting hub including a hub body rotatably mounted on the spindle by bearings, and an adapter that spaces a brake component away from the adapter mounting face. Another vehicle suspension can include a spindle, bearings, and a wheel mounting hub rotatably mounted on the spindle by the bearings, the wheel mounting hub can include a hub body and a wheel mounting flange, the hub body and the wheel mounting flange being separate components of the wheel mounting hub. A system for adapting a vehicle suspension to different suspension capacities can include multiple wheel mounting hubs including a same hub body internal configuration configured to be rotatably mounted on the spindle by the bearings, but the wheel mounting hubs including respective different wheel mounting flanges.