Hinged Runner Assembly for Utility Wagons on Loose Terrain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing utility carts and wagons face challenges in efficiently transporting large or expensive items over difficult terrains like sand, mud, and snow without significant physical strain.
Innovation Solution
A runner assembly is removably attached to the wheel assembly of a utility cart, comprising a mounting segment, a runner segment, and an adjustment mechanism, which supports the wheel above and displaces loose terrain below, allowing for smooth locomotion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional wheels are used on utility carts, then the cart can move on solid ground, but it struggles to move through sand, mud, and snow without significant physical strain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the runner assembly adjustable and reconfigurable. The runner can be positioned at different angles relative to the wheel assembly, and the entire assembly can be detached and reattached as needed. This dynamic adaptability allows the cart to optimize its performance for different terrains (sand, mud, snow) while maintaining reliability on solid ground, directly resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and locomotion reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the cart system into distinct functional components: a wheel assembly for support and a separate runner assembly for terrain displacement. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while enabling independent adjustment and maintenance, thereby improving both ease of operation across difficult terrain and overall locomotion reliability.
2Ease of operation
If a runner assembly is added to support the wheel, then terrain displacement is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the runner and wheel assembly into a single integrated unit that functions as one cohesive system. The runner assembly is designed to attach to and work in conjunction with the wheel assembly, combining terrain displacement and support functions into a unified structure. This merging approach improves ease of transport while minimizing the increase in device complexity by avoiding separate, independent components.
Solution Approach 2:
The runner assembly is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a terrain displacement mechanism and as a structural support element. The same components that enable the cart to move through sand and snow also provide stability and support for the wheel assembly, thereby improving ease of operation without proportionally increasing device complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the runner assembly is made adjustable, then adaptability to different terrains is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements adjustability through a dynamic connection mechanism between the runner and wheel assembly. The runner can be positioned at various angles and securely fixed, allowing adaptation to different terrains. This dynamic design provides terrain adaptability while maintaining relatively simple manufacturing by using standard adjustment and fixation components rather than complex custom mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A runner assembly for attachment to a utility cart or wagon. The assembly includes a mounting portion, a runner portion, and a hinge portion, wherein the hinge portion mutually couples the mounting portion with the runner portion. The hinge portion includes mechanical stop(s) to fix the position and/or angle between the mounting portion and the runner portion. The runner portion may include one or more recesses for supporting a wheel. A recess may be longitudinal in orientation. Another recess may be transversal in orientation.