Collapsible Golf Trolley Front Wheel Joint Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

The assembly of existing collapsible golf trolleys is complicated and expensive due to the complex mechanisms involved in the front wheel joint, making them difficult and costly to produce.

Innovation Solution

A collapsible golf trolley design that simplifies the front wheel joint mechanism using a slider pin and slits in the joint parts, eliminating the need for a sleeve with radial teeth and a flat toothed rack, allowing for easier production and assembly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a complex mechanism with sleeve and toothed rack is used in the front wheel joint, then the coupling between transverse and longitudinal rotation is achieved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoupling mechanism reliabilityVSAvoidfront wheel joint complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the complex sleeve with radial teeth and flat toothed rack from the front wheel joint mechanism. Instead, it uses a simplified coupling between the spindle and middle joint part that directly achieves the required motion transformation without these intermediate components, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining the coupling function

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent inverts the traditional approach by making the middle joint part rotatable with respect to the outer joint parts about a transverse pivot axis, while the spindle rotates about a longitudinal pivot axis. This inverted configuration with the slider pin extending through helical and straight slits achieves the coupling function through a different, simpler mechanical arrangement

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Reliability

If a complex mechanism with sleeve and toothed rack is used in the front wheel joint, then the motion coupling is achieved, but the manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemotion coupling reliabilityVSAvoidproduction ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the expensive sleeve with radial teeth and flat toothed rack components from the front wheel joint. The simplified design using a spindle with helical slit and slider pin with straight slit reduces the number of precision-machined parts, making the trolley easier and less costly to manufacture while preserving the motion coupling function

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the functions of the sleeve and toothed rack into a single integrated spindle structure with a helical slit. The slider pin with its straight slit combines the coupling and motion transformation functions that were previously distributed across multiple separate components, simplifying manufacturing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 simplified mechanism reduces production costs and complexity, making the collapsible golf trolley more affordable and easier to assemble while maintaining stability and reliability.

Implementation Method 1

The spindle comprises a first helical slit on an outside of the spindle facing the middle joint part. The middle joint part comprises a first straight slit. One of the right outer joint part and left outer joint part comprises a first spiral slit on an inside of the respective outer joint part facing the middle joint part. The first slider pin extends through the first helical slit, the first straight slit, and the first spiral slit for coupling a rotating movement of the middle joint part with respect to the right outer joint part and the left outer joint part about the transverse pivot axis with a rotating movement of the spindle with respect to the middle joint part about the longitudinal pivot axis.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHelical slit mechanism: Helix

Data Source

PatentEP3341260B1Collapsible golf trolley with front wheel joint
Publication Date: 2019.10.23 A C M PROD BV
  • EP3341260B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3341260B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3341260B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A collapsible golf trolley has a frame, a front wheel, and two rear wheels. The front wheel is mounted on a front wheel support. The front wheel support is connected via a front wheel joint 100 to a forward end of the frame for collapsing the front wheel from a use position to a collapsed position. The front wheel joint 100 has a slider 110 with a slider pin. A spindle 108 has two helical slits on an outside. A middle joint part 106 has two straight slits. The right outer joint part 102, and left outer joint part 104 each have a spiral slit on an inside. The slider pin extends through the helical slits, the straight slits, and the spiral slits for coupling a rotating movement of the middle joint part about a transverse pivot axis with a rotating movement of the spindle about a longitudinal axis.