Foldable Vehicle Link Unit for Compact Parking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional folding vehicles face challenges in minimizing wheelbase, overall length, and height during folding, leading to inefficient use of space, especially in narrow parking areas, as the roof and rear are not fully folded, causing the vehicle to protrude and occupy more space than necessary.
Innovation Solution
A link unit for a foldable vehicle featuring a windshield part, rear cabin part, and roof part with a linear driver and connection link, where the windshield and roof can rotate and fold inward, utilizing a motor, ball screw, and ball nut mechanism controlled by a controller to maintain vertical alignment and reduce space, allowing for complete folding and unfolding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If traditional folding structure is used, then the vehicle can be folded, but the wheel base cannot be minimized and occupies a lot of space
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle body is divided into separate modular components (windshield part, rear cabin part, roof part) that can be independently folded and positioned. The windshield part and rear cabin part are separable from the main body, allowing the wheel base to be minimized by folding these segments inward, thereby reducing the parking space occupied while maintaining structural integrity.
2Length of moving object
If traditional folding structure is used, then the vehicle can be folded, but the roof and rear are not completely folded and overall length is not minimized
Solution Approach 1:
The folding structure employs dynamic hinges and connection links that enable the windshield part and rear cabin part to rotate and fold completely inward. The connection link between the windshield part and roof part, along with the linear driver mechanism, ensures that all components can achieve full folding motion, minimizing the overall length of the vehicle when folded without compromising manufacturing feasibility.
3Weight of stationary object
If traditional folding structure is used, then the vehicle is folded, but the overall height increases and it is difficult to park in narrow height spaces
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of folding the vehicle upward which increases height, the invention folds the windshield part and rear cabin part inward toward the center of the vehicle body. This inverted folding approach keeps the overall height minimized while achieving complete folding of all components, allowing the vehicle to be parked in narrow height spaces without the roof or rear protruding upwards.
4Shape
If traditional folding structure is used, then the vehicle is folded, but the roof or rear protrudes upwards and the appearance is very bad
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic hinge mechanisms enable the windshield part and rear cabin part to fold completely inward along a controlled rotational path, ensuring that no portion of the vehicle protrudes upward during or after folding. The connection link and linear driver work together to maintain proper alignment and positioning, resulting in a compact, aesthetically pleasing folded appearance while minimizing protrusion height.
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
Enables optimal space utilization by minimizing the wheelbase and overall height, allowing for efficient parking in narrow spaces and preventing cabin and roof interference during folding and unfolding, facilitating parking of multiple vehicles in a single space.
Implementation Method 1
a ball screw extended along the slot, and a ball nut fastened with the ball screw to be slid along the slot
Implementation Method 2
a windshield part configured to have a lower end hinge-coupled with a front portion of a floor to rotate in a front and rear direction of a vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
A link unit for a foldable vehicle includes: a windshield part having a lower end hinge-coupled with a floor to rotate in a front and rear direction of a vehicle; a rear cabin part forming a dome-shaped cabin having a lower end hinge-coupled with the floor to rotate in the front and rear direction of the vehicle; a roof part having a rear end hinge-coupled with the rear cabin part and a front end provided with a slot in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle; a linear driver including a motor at an end of the slot, a ball screw extended along the slot, and a ball nut fastened with the ball screw to be slid along the slot; and a connection link having a front end hinge-coupled with an upper end of the windshield part and a rear end connected with the ball nut by a hinge pin.