Vehicle Coupling Bar Composite Plastic Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing coupling rods for vehicles, where the bearing housing is made entirely of plastic, are prone to damage from stone chipping, rendering them unusable.
Innovation Solution
A coupling rod design where the bearing housing is formed from a rigid plastic material surrounded by a softer plastic casing, providing enhanced resistance to stone chipping and mechanical abrasion, and incorporating an elastomer bearing with a metal sleeve and rubber body for added protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the bearing housing is made entirely of plastic, then weight is reduced and manufacturing is simplified, but the housing becomes vulnerable to stone chipping and mechanical damage
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing housing is constructed as a composite structure combining a rigid plastic base body with a softer plastic casing material. This composite construction allows the housing to maintain light weight while gaining enhanced resistance to stone chipping and mechanical damage through the energy-absorbing properties of the softer outer material.
Solution Approach 2:
The softer plastic casing material is applied specifically to the outer surface of the bearing housing where it is most needed for protection against stone chipping. This localized application of different material properties allows the housing to have both light weight and targeted protection where required.
2Reliability
If a separate protective shielding is added to protect the bearing housing, then resistance to stone chipping is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protective casing is integrated directly into the base body structure, forming a unified component rather than a separate attachment. This merging of the protective function into the existing structure avoids adding complexity while still providing the necessary protection against stone chipping and mechanical damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated casing is formed from a different plastic material than the base body, creating a composite structure that combines the structural integrity of the rigid plastic with the protective qualities of the softer plastic material. This approach provides protection without requiring separate shielding components.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a coupling bar for a vehicle, having a basic body (2), having a mount (6) which has a mount housing (3), having a joint housing (4) which is formed by the basic body (2) and which has a spacing with respect to the mount housing (3), and having a coupling piece (9) which is formed by the basic body (2) and which extends between the mount housing (3) and the joint housing (4) and which connects the two housings (3, 4) to one another, wherein the basic body (2), which is composed of a first plastic material, forms the mount housing (3), which mount housing (3) is surrounded by a casing (7) which is composed of a second plastic material which is softer than the first plastic material.