Engine Support Frame Mount With Sliding Jack for Service Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle engine servicing requires access to various engine components, necessitating a mechanical device to support and elevate the engine relative to the vehicle frame for adequate access, which existing solutions fail to provide efficiently.
Innovation Solution
An engine support system comprising a frame mount with slidably mounted arms and a jack assembly, featuring a coupler that attaches to the engine block, allowing for vertical movement of the engine relative to the frame, enabling secure engagement with the vehicle frame and facilitating access for servicing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a mechanical device is used to support and elevate the engine, then access to engine components is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The engine support system is divided into separate functional components: a frame mount with elongated body that attaches to the vehicle frame, a coupler that attaches to the engine, and a jack assembly with movable collar and jack rod. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently while maintaining overall system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The collar is slidably mounted on the elongated body, allowing the collar to move along the body's length. The jack rod is coupled to the collar and moves perpendicular to the body's longitudinal direction. This nested arrangement enables compact storage when not in use while providing full elevation capability when needed.
2Ease of operation
If the engine is elevated relative to the frame, then servicing access is improved, but stability of engine position may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The collar is designed to be slidable on the elongated body, allowing dynamic adjustment of the engine's horizontal position along the frame. The jack rod provides vertical elevation while the collars' sliding capability enables fine-tuning of the engine's position to achieve both accessibility and stability during servicing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The flanges on the arms are tapered to increase contact surface area with the frame rails, providing localized enhanced stability at the attachment points while allowing the engine to be elevated and accessed from below.
3Adaptability or versatility
If slidably mounted arms are used to engage the frame, then adaptability to different frame positions is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The arms are slidably mounted on the elongated body, allowing them to move horizontally along the body's length. This dynamic capability enables the arms to adapt to different frame rail positions while maintaining a simple structural design without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The elongated body serves multiple functions: it provides the mounting structure for the arms, serves as a guide for the sliding collar, and acts as the primary attachment element to the vehicle frame. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity while maintaining adaptability.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C
Figure 2A~2K
AI summary
An engine support system (10, 10', 10") for a vehicle, comprising: a frame mount comprising: an elongated body (100); a first arm (102A, 102A') slidably mounted on the elongated body (100) and configured to releasably engage a first side of a frame of a vehicle; and a second arm (102B, 102B') mounted on the elongated body (100) and configured to releasably engage a second side of the vehicle frame; a first coupler (14A, 300) configured to attach to an engine of the vehicle; and a first jack assembly (18A, 18A', 18A"), comprising: a first collar (130A, 130A', 130A") slidably mounted on the elongated body (100) and configured to move in a longitudinal direction of the elongated body (100); and a first jack rod (134A, 134A') coupled to the first collar (130A, 130A', 130A") and configured to move generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the elongated body (100), the first jack rod (134A, 134A') comprising a body (136A, 136A') and a ball mount (138A, 138A') at an end of the body (136A, 136A'), the ball mount (138A, 138A') configured to insert into the first coupler (14A, 300) at an underside of an engine block of the vehicle.