Flat Tire Trolley Brake Assembly for Safe Wheel Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flat tire trolleys lack secure safety loading and arresting mechanisms, leading to potential disconnection during use, and are often not compact for storage, with some models being projectiles due to the absence of braking stoppers.
Innovation Solution
A flat tire trolley design featuring a cradle with a front wheel abutment and pivotable ramp, coupled with a brake assembly that includes rotatable front wheels and brake pads, and rear wheels made of metal alloy to resist deformation under heavy loads, ensuring secure positioning and arrestment of the vehicle wheel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing flat tire trolleys are designed without brake assemblies, then the device complexity is reduced and manufacturing cost decreases, but the trolleys become projectiles during wheel loading/unloading and lack safety arresting mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The brake assembly is segmented into independent components: brake pads, lever, and spring mechanism, allowing each part to perform its specific function while maintaining overall system manageability. The front wheel assembly is separated into plate, arms, and wheels, enabling modular manufacturing and assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The brake pads are pre-positioned on the front wheel assembly to contact the front wheels before the vehicle wheel is fully loaded onto the cradle. The spring is pre-loaded to automatically engage the brake pads when the lever is actuated, ensuring safety arresting action is ready in advance.
2Ease of operation
If the front wheel assembly is made freely rotatable, then ease of operation for steering the trolley is improved, but the trolley cannot maintain stable position during vehicle wheel loading and unloading
Solution Approach 1:
The front wheel assembly is designed with dynamic characteristics: it can rotate freely on its vertical axis for steering maneuverability, but the brake mechanism can dynamically lock it in position when safety arresting is required. The spring-loaded brake pads provide dynamic engagement and disengagement based on operational needs.
3Volume of moving object
If the trolley is designed to be compact for trunk storage, then ease of storage is improved, but the structural components may be insufficient for heavy vehicle loads
Solution Approach 1:
The cradle features a curved, arched structure that distributes vehicle wheel loads along its arch, providing high strength-to-volume ratio. The rounded contours allow the compact cradle to nest efficiently in vehicle trunks while maintaining structural integrity under heavy loads.
4Strength
If the rear wheels are made of metal alloy to resist deformation under heavy loads, then strength and load bearing capacity are improved, but the weight of the trolley increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rear wheels utilize metal alloy construction that combines strength with weight efficiency. The alloy material provides high resistance to deformation under vehicle loads while maintaining a weight that is manageable for the overall trolley system, achieving an optimal balance between strength and weight.
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 trolley provides a secure, compact, and safe solution for carrying a flat tire, allowing vehicles to be driven with minimal user effort and without the risk of injury or damage, with the brake assembly ensuring stability during loading and unloading.
Implementation Method 1
a brake assembly coupled to the plate, the brake assembly comprising a pair of brake pads that are configured and positioned to forcibly contact respective wheels of the pair of front wheels when in an engaging position
Implementation Method 2
the pair of brake pads and the lever are coupled to a bar that moves the brake pads between the engaging position and the non-engaging position using a spring that is coupled to the lever and the bar
Implementation Method 3
each respective wheel of the pair of rear wheels and the pair of front wheels are comprised of a metal alloy that resists deformation in a compression test for loads over 20,000 pounds
Data Source
AI summary
A trolley for a vehicle wheel with a flat tire and a kit having the same are disclosed. The trolley can include a cradle with a bottom wall, a pair of side walls, a front wheel abutment, a front deck projecting from the abutment, and an open rear end having a pivotable ramp; a pair of rear wheels; and a front wheel assembly coupled to the front deck having a pair of arms, a pair of front wheels, and a brake assembly. The brake assembly can have a pair of brake pads configured to contact the front wheels when in an engaging position. The trolley can include a pair of posts projecting downward from the front deck, and the front wheel assembly can include a tine projecting rearward that contacts the posts when rotated. The kit can include the trolley and straps for coupling the trolley to the vehicle wheel.