Exercise Bicycle Fan Wheel Segmented Hub Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fan wheels for exercise bicycles with integrally formed hubs and vanes require complex and expensive molds, and the soldering process used to attach vanes is hazardous and labor-intensive.
Innovation Solution
A fan wheel design where the hub and vanes are manufactured separately, with the hub featuring annular mounting portions and grooves for easy vane alignment, and tilted pressing surfaces for secure fastening using fasteners, reducing mold complexity and assembly challenges while enhancing structural strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the hub and vanes are integrally formed, then the structural strength is improved, but the mold complexity and manufacturing cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The fan wheel is divided into separate components: the hub and the vanes. The hub is formed as a separate piece with mounting portions that have grooves, while the vanes are formed separately and then assembled to the hub using fasteners. This segmentation reduces mold complexity and manufacturing cost while maintaining structural integrity through proper connection design.
2Ease of manufacture
If the vanes are soldered to the enclosure portions, then the assembly process is simplified, but the manufacturing safety deteriorates due to burns and toxic gas inhalation risks
Solution Approach 1:
The soldering process is replaced with a mechanical fastening system. Fasteners are inserted through positioning plates on the vanes and threaded into the hub, creating a secure mechanical connection. This substitution eliminates hazardous soldering operations while maintaining assembly simplicity and structural strength.
3Ease of manufacture
If the hub and vanes are manufactured separately and assembled, then the manufacturing cost and safety are improved, but the assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hub is pre-formed with mounting portions that have grooves, and the vanes are pre-formed with positioning plates. These preliminary features are designed to guide the assembly process, ensuring proper alignment and simplifying the fastening operation. The grooves in the hub receive the fasteners, which then secure the vanes in predetermined positions, reducing assembly complexity despite separate manufacturing.
4Ease of operation
If the mounting portions have grooves for vane insertion, then the assembly ease is improved, but the hub structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The grooves in the mounting portions serve multiple functions: they guide the insertion of vanes during assembly, provide alignment features, and act as receptacles for the fasteners. This multi-functionality simplifies the overall hub design while improving assembly ease, as the same structural feature accomplishes multiple tasks in the assembly process.
Data Source
AI summary
An exercise bicycle configured to provide fan-based resistance and a fan wheel thereof are disclosed. The fan wheel includes a hub and a plurality of vanes. The hub includes a pivot portion and a plurality of mounting portions. The mounting portions are arranged in an annular manner around a center defined by the pivot portion and each have a groove. Each vane includes a connecting end inserted into a corresponding one of the mounting portions and fixedly connected to the corresponding mounting portion by a plurality of fasteners. The fan wheel is thus easy to manufacture and assemble.