Interlocking Bellcrank Layout for Cabover Master Cylinder Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional master cylinders require significant space between the bulkhead and firewall, making them unsuitable for low-speed vehicles with a cabover design, where space is limited, and they cannot be easily configured to fit different transverse motion requirements.
Innovation Solution
An interlocking bellcrank device with multiple configurations that can transform linear motion into rotational and then transverse motion, allowing the master cylinder to be installed at various angles, including a 90-degree angle, to fit in vehicles with limited space and cabover designs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a conventional master cylinder is used with linear motion only, then the braking function is achieved, but the space between bulkhead and firewall becomes excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The bellcrank device enables the master cylinder to operate in multiple configurations (first configuration with first transverse motion, second configuration with second transverse motion) by rotating the bellcrank 180 degrees. This dynamic reconfigurability allows the system to adapt to different installation spaces and vehicle designs, including cabover designs with limited space between bulkhead and firewall.
Solution Approach 2:
The bellcrank introduces a rotational dimension to the traditionally linear master cylinder operation. By converting linear motion into rotational motion and then into transverse motion, the system can be installed at various angles and orientations, effectively utilizing three-dimensional space more efficiently and reducing the required space between bulkhead and firewall.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the master cylinder is designed for fixed linear motion, then the structure is simple, but the adaptability to different transverse motion requirements is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The bellcrank is divided into a first portion and a second portion that can be independently positioned and interlocked. The first portion includes features (protrusions, recesses) that interlock with corresponding features on the second portion, allowing the bellcrank to be assembled in different configurations. This segmentation enables adaptability to different transverse motion requirements while keeping each individual portion relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The bellcrank device serves multiple functions: it can be configured in a first configuration to provide first transverse motion, or rotated 180 degrees to a second configuration to provide second transverse motion. The same physical component (the bellcrank with its interlocking portions) performs different functional roles depending on its orientation, eliminating the need for multiple separate components for different motion requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus, system, and method according to which a bellcrank is used to transfer an output of a lever to a component requiring actuation. For example, a bellcrank that includes two interlocking portions transfers an output of a linear motion around a fixed axis via a rotational motion then to a transverse motion in order to pressurize brake fluid in a master cylinder of a vehicle.