Kickstand Assembly With Planetary Gear Height Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing kickstands lack a reliable mechanism for adjusting their height, which can lead to instability and inefficiency in supporting vehicles, particularly in varying terrain or when storing vehicles upright.
Innovation Solution
A kickstand assembly with a height-adjusting mechanism that incorporates a planetary gear assembly, allowing for precise adjustment of the kickstand's vertical height through a gear assembly with input, intermediate, and output devices to transmit height-adjustment forces effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed-height kickstand is used, then the structure is simple, but the kickstand cannot adapt to different terrain or storage conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The kickstand is transformed from a fixed structure to a dynamically adjustable one through the integration of a planetary gear assembly. This gear assembly enables the kickstand height to be varied between multiple positions (e.g., first, second, and third heights), allowing the kickstand to adapt to different terrain conditions and storage requirements while maintaining a relatively compact mechanical structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The height-adjusting mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: a planetary gear assembly with sun gear, planet gears, and ring gear; a height-adjusting member with threaded engagement; and a locking mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while contributing to the overall adaptability of the kickstand system.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a height-adjusting mechanism is added to the kickstand, then the adaptability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The planetary gear assembly serves as an intermediary mechanism between the user's manual input and the height-adjusting member. By using the gear assembly to translate rotational motion into linear motion through the sun shaft and planet gears, the system achieves smooth height adjustment with mechanical advantage, reducing the effort required while maintaining manageable complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The height-adjusting mechanism incorporates a self-locking feature through the threaded engagement of the height-adjusting member with the ring gear. Once the kickstand reaches the desired height, the threading automatically locks the position without requiring additional locking components or complex control systems, thereby maintaining simplicity while enabling height adjustment.
3Ease of operation
If manual height adjustment is used, then the device complexity remains low, but the ease of operation may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The planetary gear assembly enables smooth and controlled height adjustment through its inherent mechanical dynamics. The user simply needs to rotate the sun gear, and the gear assembly automatically translates this rotation into linear movement of the height-adjusting member, providing ease of operation without requiring complex controls or actuators.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces what could have been a simple but difficult-to-operate direct-threaded mechanism with a planetary gear-based mechanical system. This substitution provides mechanical advantage, reducing the force required by the user to adjust the height while maintaining a purely mechanical operation that does not require electronics or complex control systems.
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 enables the kickstand to be adjusted for optimal stability and support, accommodating different terrain and storage conditions, thereby enhancing the usability and reliability of the kickstand.
Implementation Method 1
A planetary gear assembly is operatively mounted to the height-adjusting mechanism of the kickstand assembly. The planetary gear assembly is configured to adjust the height-adjusting mechanism in such a way that a vertical height of the kickstand assembly is adjusted.
Implementation Method 2
The gear assembly includes an input device configured to receive a height-adjustment force. An intermediate device is configured to receive the height-adjustment force that was received by the input device. An output device is coupled to the intermediate device and configured to transmit the height-adjustment force to the height-adjusting mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes a kickstand assembly having a height-adjusting mechanism. A planetary gear assembly is operatively mounted to the height-adjusting mechanism of the kickstand assembly. The planetary gear assembly is configured to adjust the height-adjusting mechanism in such a way that a vertical height of the kickstand assembly is adjusted.