Folding Bicycle Frame Vertical Hinge Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Folding frames for vehicles face issues with stability and complex operation due to vibration-induced loosening and lack of effective support in the unfolded state, leading to safety risks and poor usability.
Innovation Solution
A folding frame design featuring a cross beam, pillar, and supporting column with a folding mechanism using hinges, an insertion mechanism, and a positioning mechanism, allowing for vertical folding and one-way bending, ensuring stability and simplicity in operation by maintaining the frame's structure during use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a fixed structure is used to prevent sideway shaking, then stability is improved, but the operation becomes complex and the structure is prone to loosening due to vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting column is divided into front column and rear column segments that can rotate relative to each other. This segmentation allows the structure to transition between fixed (stable) and movable (easy to fold) states, resolving the contradiction between stability and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic elements including rotational connections between front and rear columns, and between front beam and rear beam. These dynamic connections allow the frame to be stable during use while enabling simple folding operations, preventing both over-fixation complexity and instability.
2Area of stationary object
If the frame is designed to fold horizontally, then space occupation is reduced, but the structure lacks effective support in unfolded state and stability is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the folding dimension from horizontal to vertical by arranging the front beam and rear beam to fold vertically relative to each other. The supporting column rotates to provide vertical support, maintaining stability in unfolded state while achieving compact folding in vertical dimension, thus reducing space occupation without sacrificing stability.
3Strength
If the supporting column is made rigid, then support effectiveness is improved, but the folding operation becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting column is segmented into front column and rear column with a rotational connection between them. This segmentation allows the column to act as a rigid support when needed while enabling simple rotational movement for folding, reducing the complexity of the folding mechanism compared to a fully rigid structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotational connection between front column and rear column acts as an intermediary element that provides support effectiveness while enabling folding motion. This intermediary mechanism simplifies the overall folding operation compared to complex hinge systems.
Data Source
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AI summary
A folding frame and a folding vehicle are provided. The folding frame includes a cross beam, a pillar, and a supporting column; the cross beam includes a front beam and a rear beam. A rear-end bottom of the front beam is rotationally connected to a front-end bottom of the rear beam so that the two can be vertically folded. An angle between a rotational axis of the front beam and a central axis of the rear beam is an acute angle. The supporting column includes a front column and a rear column, the front column is inserted in the front beam to cooperate, the front column is rotationally connected to the rear column, and the rear column is rotationally connected to the pillar. The front beam and the rear beam are vertically folded, and then they will not spontaneously rotate to fold in the riding process, possessing relatively good reliability. A front end of the front column is inserted in the front beam, and supports below the front beam, thus the cross beam can be positioned in the unfolded state and will not be flipped downwards. The cross beam, the pillar, and the supporting column define a triangular shape, which can ensure the stability of the whole frame. When the rear column and the front column are rotated, the front column and the rear column can be bent relatively, the front column can be pulled out from the front beam, and the front beam is flipped downwards, then the frame can be folded, being simple in operation and convenient in use.