Vehicle Cradle Spacer Mounting via Holding Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing vehicle cradle designs with circular welds between shells and spacers are costly to manufacture and prone to fatigue due to lack of support, leading to potential weld shear issues.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle cradle design featuring a holding element with openings that position spacers, eliminating the need for end welds by using sheet metal plates secured with welding points and spaced to support spacers, reducing manufacturing costs and preventing weld fatigue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If circular welds are used to secure spacers to shells, then the spacers are firmly fixed, but the manufacturing cost increases significantly and weld fatigue occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the welding operation from the spacer-shell connection by introducing a holding element with pre-formed openings. The spacer is inserted through these openings without requiring welds at the spacer ends, eliminating the complex circular welds while maintaining secure fixation through the holding element's structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The holding element acts as an intermediary component between the spacer and the shell. Instead of directly welding the spacer to the shell, the holding element with its opening receives the spacer and provides structural support, mediating the connection and eliminating the need for complex welding operations.
2Strength
If circular welds are used to secure spacers to shells, then the spacers are firmly fixed, but weld fatigue and shearing occur over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the welding process entirely from the spacer connection by using a holding element with openings. This eliminates the source of weld fatigue and potential shearing, providing a more reliable long-term solution that avoids the inherent weaknesses of welded joints under cyclic loading.
Solution Approach 2:
The holding element serves as a mediator that distributes mechanical loads away from the spacer ends, preventing stress concentration at the weld locations. This intermediary structure enhances reliability by avoiding the fatigue-prone welded joints while maintaining secure spacer fixation.
3Shape
If wells are created in shells to hide welds, then the appearance is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the welding operation entirely, eliminating the need for cosmetic wells to conceal welds. The holding element with its opening provides a clean, weld-free appearance while maintaining structural integrity, removing the complexity of creating and finishing well structures in the shells.
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
This design simplifies the cradle's structure, reduces manufacturing costs, and prevents weld fatigue by eliminating the need for end welds, enhancing the cradle's durability and assembly efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the holding element is secured to one of the two shells by welding points
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a vehicle cradle (1) comprising a lower shell (11), an upper shell (12) and a spacer, the lower shell (11) being secured to the upper shell (12) so as to define a hollow space (13) in which said spacer rests between the two shells (11, 12), the cradle (1) being adapted, at the location of the spacer, to form a support for suspension components (5), attachment members for a motor, or steering control members, a holding member (4) being positioned in the hollow space (13); said holding member (4) is secured to one of the two shells (11, 12) and has an opening in which the spacer is positioned.