Hollow Driveshaft Coupling for Side-by-Side Vehicle Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ultra-small mobility vehicles face limitations in long-distance travel due to battery issues and fatigue, with no existing solutions for efficient group or collective traveling that address these challenges.
Innovation Solution
A mobility connection system featuring internally hollow driveshafts, a connection shaft, and wheel sensing sensors that allow vehicles to couple and align for shared battery use and coordinated operation, enhancing travel efficiency and steering performance by lifting wheels to prevent ground contact during coupling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If ultra-small mobility vehicles are used for long-distance travel, then travel distance is extended, but battery depletion and driver fatigue increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple ultra-small mobility vehicles into a coupled traveling system where vehicles connect side-by-side. This merging allows battery sharing between vehicles, extending the effective travel distance without increasing individual battery capacity, thereby resolving the contradiction between travel distance and battery performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the traveling system into multiple independent but connectable vehicle units. Each vehicle maintains its own battery, but through segmentation and optional coupling, the system can distribute power demands and share battery resources, improving overall battery performance for long-distance travel.
2Adaptability or versatility
If vehicles are coupled side-by-side for group traveling, then battery sharing is enabled, but alignment precision and steering control become challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a sliding connection shaft mechanism that allows dynamic adjustment during the coupling process. The connection shaft can slide longitudinally to accommodate misalignment between driveshafts, and the wheel sensing sensors provide real-time feedback for dynamic correction, enabling precise alignment despite variations in manufacturing tolerances.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses wheel sensing sensors to detect the relative position and alignment of driveshafts during coupling. This feedback information is used to control the sliding movement of the connection shaft, ensuring precise alignment between vehicles. The feedback mechanism compensates for manufacturing variations and maintains alignment precision throughout the coupling process.
3Ease of operation
If connection shaft is extended for coupling, then coupling range is increased, but structural stability and alignment precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces a purely mechanical rigid connection with a controlled sliding mechanism guided by sensor feedback. Instead of relying solely on mechanical precision, the system uses wheel sensing sensors to detect alignment and control the connection shaft's sliding movement, substituting mechanical stability requirements with sensor-based active control.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling system is designed to self-align through the sliding connection shaft mechanism. The connection shaft automatically slides to the appropriate position based on the relative positions of the driveshafts, and the wheel sensing sensors detect when optimal alignment is achieved, eliminating the need for external alignment assistance.
4Manufacturing precision
If wheel sensing sensors are installed for alignment detection, then coupling precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes existing wheel-related components and sensors for multiple purposes: detecting wheel position for alignment detection during coupling, monitoring wheel rotation for driving control, and potentially detecting ground contact status. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated alignment sensors, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining coupling precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A mobility connection system including a left driveshaft and a right driveshaft having an internally hollow shaft shape, and connected to a left wheel portion and a right wheel portion, respectively; a connection shaft having a shaft shape provided inside the left driveshaft or inside the right driveshaft, and slid to the outside of a vehicle to be inserted into and coupled to the inside of the driveshaft of another vehicle which is disposed adjacent to the side thereof when the vehicle is laterally coupled to another vehicle; and a wheel detecting sensor provided at the left side or the right side of the vehicle, and for detecting whether the driveshafts facing each other when the vehicle is coupled to another vehicle have been aligned with each other or the spacing distance therebetween is formed.