Locally Hardened Trailer Coupling Carrier Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Carrier arrangements for trailer hitches and load carriers face challenges in achieving a balance between rigidity for load carrying and flexibility to withstand rear-end collisions, as existing solutions either lack sufficient flexibility or compromise on strength.
Innovation Solution
A carrier arrangement is designed with locally hardened critical stress points using induction hardening or other methods, allowing for targeted structural and strength changes, while maintaining elongation and damage tolerance in other areas, and featuring a shell construction with varying wall thicknesses and reinforcement bodies to optimize rigidity and weight efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the base body is uniformly hardened throughout, then the overall strength and rigidity increase, but the elongation and damage tolerance in less stressed areas are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local hardening to specific critical areas of the base body where stress concentrations occur, rather than uniformly hardening the entire structure. This selective approach strengthens high-stress zones while preserving the ductility and damage tolerance of less stressed regions, resolving the contradiction between overall strength and reliability.
2Strength
If additional reinforcement elements are added to increase rigidity, then the load carrying capacity improves, but the weight and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent varies the wall thickness of the base body locally, creating thicker sections in high-stress areas and thinner sections in low-stress areas. This differential thickness design provides enhanced rigidity where needed while minimizing material usage and weight in less critical regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the base body by creating local thickness variations through controlled hardening processes. By modifying the physical dimensions (thickness) in specific areas, the structure achieves optimal rigidity-to-weight ratio without adding separate reinforcement elements.
3Strength
If the base body is locally hardened, then the rigidity in critical areas increases, but the manufacturing process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes phase transition of the material during the hardening process, where controlled heating and cooling transform the microstructure of the metal in critical areas. This phase transition approach allows for localized property modification using established thermal processing techniques, balancing enhanced rigidity with manufacturability.
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 solution provides a high-strength, lightweight carrier arrangement that effectively distributes forces and moments, enhancing the vehicle's ability to absorb impact forces during collisions while maintaining structural integrity and reducing material usage.
Implementation Method 1
The base body is post-treated after e.g. casting, forming, pressing or the like, i.e. following its shaping. Local hardening is advantageous there. Local hardening is expediently carried out after sheet metal forming.
Implementation Method 2
The base body is quickly heated locally by an induction coil using low and/or high-frequency alternating current, e.g. depending on the desired penetration depth, and after the hardening temperature has been reached, it is quickly cooled again with water, in particular quenched.
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5~8
Figure 9~11
AI summary
The invention relates to a support arrangement for a trailer coupling (1) or a load carrier (L), comprising a cross member (11; 111; 211; 311) and side carriers (12, 112; 212; 312) connected to the cross member (11; 111; 211; 311) for mounting on a rear of a vehicle body (F), and at least one bracket (15; 215; 315) arranged on the cross member (11; 111; 211; 311) for a trailer coupling (1) or for a coupling part (M) of a load carrier (L). It is provided that the support arrangement (10; 110; 210; 310) has at least one supporting component (50-350) which has a base body (16; 116; 216, 316) produced by forming or primary forming, which is locally hardened outside of a forming or pressing tool.