Plastically Deformable Yoke for Vehicle Wheel Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing yoke designs for mounting vehicle wheels are difficult to implement and costly, and they do not sufficiently reduce the rigidity in the event of a side impact, which can lead to wheel damage and potential breakage.
Innovation Solution
A yoke with a U-shaped section and triangular side wings that include a through recess as a zone of reduced resistance, allowing for plastic deformation in the event of a side impact, which can be achieved through a design with circular, oblong, or oval recesses and a curved cutout, enabling the yoke to deform and reduce camber without destabilizing the structural element.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the yoke is designed with rigid side wings to maintain structural strength, then the structural strength is improved, but the ability to deform plastically during side impact deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The side wings are designed with non-uniform thickness, featuring zones of reduced resistance (thinner sections) at specific locations while maintaining adequate thickness in other areas. This local variation in geometric properties allows the yoke to deform plastically in controlled zones during impact while preserving overall structural strength in critical areas.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the side wings are designed with zones of reduced resistance to enable plastic deformation, then the plastic deformation capability is improved, but the structural strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The side wings are designed with non-uniform thickness, featuring zones of reduced resistance (thinner sections) at specific locations while maintaining adequate thickness in other areas. This local variation in geometric properties allows the yoke to deform plastically in controlled zones during impact while preserving overall structural strength in critical areas.
3Adaptability or versatility
If complex deformation mechanisms (bosses, cutouts, thickness reductions) are added to the side wings, then the plastic deformation capability is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention achieves plastic deformation capability by varying the geometric parameter of side wing thickness along their length. This continuous parameter change is simpler to design and manufacture compared to discrete features like bosses or cutouts, as it can be achieved through straightforward stamping or forming processes without additional complex tooling or assembly steps.
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
The proposed yoke design is simple, cost-effective, and effectively reduces the rigidity of the wheel mounting system during a side impact, allowing for plastic deformation and reducing the risk of wheel damage while maintaining structural endurance.
Implementation Method 1
Each side wing comprises at least one area of reduced resistance which deforms plastically when a side impact is applied to the lower part of the wheel
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention proposes a yoke (100), for mounting a motor vehicle wheel on a structural or suspension element of a motor vehicle, which has a U-shaped cross-section and comprises: - a support plate (10) for the wheel with a generally vertical orientation; - and two parallel and orthogonal triangular lateral wings (12) to the plane of the support plate (10), each of which is delimited by a first vertical side (22) adjacent to the support plate (10), a second lower side (24) substantially horizontal, and a third side (26), each lateral wing (12) comprising at least one reduced resistance zone (34) which deforms plastically when a lateral shock is applied to the lower part of the wheel, along a direction (T) transverse to the plane of the wheel, characterized in that each wing comprises at least one through recess which constitutes a reduced resistance zone of the lateral wing (12).