Double-Hinged Wheel Hanger for Hoist Arms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wheel hangers for vehicles pose safety risks due to their inability to be safely stored when not in use and require workers to twist, bend, and lift heavy wheels, leading to increased back injuries during servicing.
Innovation Solution
A wheel hanger with a clevis and elongate support arm, featuring a horizontal and vertical hinge system, allowing the support arm to rotate out of the way when not in use and enabling wheels to be lifted and positioned without bending, with a protective sleeve to prevent rim damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a wheel hanger is mounted on a hoist arm to support wheels, then workers do not need to bend and lift heavy wheels, but the device cannot be safely stored when not in use
Solution Approach 1:
The support arm is made movable rather than fixed, allowing it to rotate between a horizontal position for wheel support and a vertical position for safe storage. This dynamic configuration resolves the contradiction by enabling the device to adapt its state based on operational requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel hanger is divided into separate functional components: a clevis for mounting on the hoist arm and a detachable support arm. This segmentation allows the support arm to be independently positioned or removed, facilitating both easy wheel handling and safe storage when not in use.
2Productivity
If a fixed support arm is used to hold wheels, then wheels can be supported at hoist level, but the device poses injury risk when not in use
Solution Approach 1:
The support arm transitions from a static fixed position to a dynamic movable position, capable of rotating to a vertical orientation for storage. This eliminates the injury risk associated with stationary protruding arms while maintaining productivity during active wheel servicing.
Solution Approach 2:
The support arm can be completely detached from the clevis when not in use, removing the potential hazard entirely from the workspace while preserving the wheel support functionality when needed.
3Device complexity
If a simple single-hinge system is used, then the device structure is simplified, but the support arm cannot rotate in both horizontal and vertical planes
Solution Approach 1:
The rotation capability is segmented into two independent hinge joints: a first hinge for horizontal rotation and a second hinge for vertical rotation. This segmentation allows each hinge to perform a specific rotational function, achieving full bidirectional adaptability while keeping each individual hinge simple and manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds rotational freedom in another dimension by introducing a second hinge perpendicular to the first, enabling the support arm to rotate in both horizontal and vertical planes. This dimensional expansion provides versatile positioning capability without overly complicating the basic hinge mechanism.
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 wheel hanger reduces the risk of injury by allowing safe storage and eliminates the need for workers to bend when handling heavy wheels, enhancing safety and efficiency during vehicle servicing.
Implementation Method 1
The proximal end of the support arm is rotatably received by a recess in the distal end of an arm-connector by means of a horizontal hinge
Implementation Method 2
The proximal end of the arm-connector is rotatably received between the top plate and the bottom plate of the clevis by means of a vertical hinge
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a double-hinged wheel hanger for hanging a wheel on a hoist arm. The wheel hanger includes a clevis with parallel top plate and bottom plate connected by a perpendicular base plate. In one preferred embodiment the distance between the top plate and the bottom plate is substantially the same as the height dimension of the hoist arm so that the hoist arm can be received between the top plate and the bottom plate. The wheel hanger has an elongate support arm. A proximal end of the support arm is rotatably received by a recess in a distal end of an arm-connector. A proximal end of the arm-connector is rotatably received between the top plate and the bottom plate of the clevis by means of a vertical hinge. The support arm is rotatable both in the horizontal plane and the vertical plane.