Forged Wheel Roller Assembly to Reduce Carwash Chain Wear

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wheel roller assemblies for automated carwash systems suffer from high wear and tear, leading to excessive failure rates due to the separation of long bent bars and carrier links, which increases costs and complexity.

Innovation Solution

A wheel roller design featuring a carrier link forging with a main body and carrier link formed as a unitary component, providing enhanced structural integrity and reducing operational stress through integrated design and forging process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a long bent bar with separate carrier link is used, then the wheel roller assembly can be manufactured with simpler processes, but the assembly suffers from excessive wear and high failure rates at the connection points

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice life between failuresVSAvoidunitary component design

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the long bent bar and carrier link into a single unitary component formed by forging or casting. This integration eliminates the separate connection interface between these two parts, removing the wear point that caused high failure rates in previous designs while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through established forging and casting processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If pins are made pivotable to allow wheel movement, then the wheel roller can accommodate operational movements, but the pivotable connection becomes a wear point subject to failure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereduction of wear pointsVSAvoidwheel support functionality

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The pin and its support structure are integrated into the unitary component, eliminating the pivotable connection interface. The pin remains functional for supporting wheels while being fixed to the main body, removing the wear mechanism associated with pivoting connections while preserving the necessary wheel support capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of making the pin pivotable to accommodate movement, the invention inverts the approach by making the entire assembly a rigid unitary structure that accommodates movement through its overall design rather than through pivoting joints, thereby eliminating wear at the pin connection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Strength

If reinforcement is added to the main body, then the structural strength is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and material usage increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidforging process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The reinforcement is integrated into the unitary component during the forging or casting process itself, rather than being added as a separate component. This consolidation provides the necessary structural strength while avoiding the additional manufacturing steps and assembly operations that would result from adding reinforcement as a separate operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUSRE50336E1Wheel roller having a log chain forging or a carrier link forging for an 88 series chain

Publication Date: 2025.03.18 BLUE OWL CAPITAL CORP AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT

AI summary

A wheel roller for a chain conveyor of an automated carwash has a more robust configuration due to a direction connection of the wheels to the carrier link. The wheel roller contains a carrier link forging having a main body with a carrier link formed as an unitary component, pins secured to the main body in a fixed, non-pivotable manner, and wheels attached to the pins.