Lateral Motor Height-Adjustable Vehicle Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing height-adjustable supports for semi-trailers are complex to operate and require high-torque motors, making them difficult to assemble and prone to damage, with manual operation necessary for lifting under load due to uneven ground conditions.
Innovation Solution
A height-adjustable support system featuring an outer and inner support pipe with a motor-driven gear unit, where the motor is positioned laterally outside the support pipe, reducing structural depth and allowing for a lower torque requirement, and a transmission unit with a spur and bevel gear stage for efficient torque and speed reduction, enabling easy assembly and reduced operational complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the motor is arranged inside the support pipe cross section, then the structural depth is reduced, but the motor requires high torque (5-15 Nm) which makes it more prone to damage and harder to assemble
Solution Approach 1:
The motor is relocated from an internal position (within the support pipe cross-section) to an external lateral position (outside the support pipe). This dimensional relocation allows the motor to be positioned in a different spatial plane, reducing structural depth while avoiding the high-torque damage risks associated with internal mounting. The transmission unit acts as an intermediary to bridge this spatial transition.
Solution Approach 2:
A transmission unit is introduced as an intermediary component between the motor and the gear unit. This transmission unit includes a transmission shaft that extends laterally from the motor and transmits torque to the gear unit inside the support pipe. The intermediary transmission mechanism allows the motor to operate at lower torque levels while still achieving the required force output, thereby reducing motor damage risk.
2Force
If a high-torque motor (5-15 Nm) is used to drive the support from the connection shaft position, then the deployment force is sufficient, but the motor assembly becomes complex and difficult to install
Solution Approach 1:
The drive system is segmented into distinct functional modules: the motor unit, the transmission unit with transmission shaft, and the gear unit inside the support pipe. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and assembled in a systematic manner, reducing overall assembly complexity compared to a monolithic high-torque motor arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission unit serves as an intermediary that decouples the motor from the direct drive path to the support pipe. By introducing the transmission shaft and transmission gears as intermediate elements, the system allows for modular assembly where the motor can be mounted separately and connected to the existing gear unit, simplifying the installation process.
3Ease of manufacture
If the motor is positioned laterally outside the support pipe, then assembly is simplified and motor damage is reduced, but a transmission unit must be added to transmit torque
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission unit is designed to perform multiple functions: it transmits torque from the motor to the gear unit, provides mechanical advantage through gear reduction, and enables compact packaging by utilizing the lateral space outside the support pipe. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by delivering multiple benefits from a single integrated component.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission unit is configured to nest efficiently within the available lateral space. The transmission shaft and gears are arranged in a compact configuration that fits within the lateral dimensions of the support structure, minimizing the overall footprint while maintaining the necessary torque transmission capability.
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 system simplifies deployment and retraction, reduces operational complexity, and minimizes motor damage by using a lower torque motor, while maintaining structural robustness and compactness, allowing for efficient height adjustments under varying load conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a drive unit (30) having a motor (32) and a transmission unit (34)
Implementation Method 2
a gear unit (60) which is arranged in the outer support pipe (12) and a drive unit (30) for driving the gear unit (60)
Data Source
AI summary
A height-adjustable support for a vehicle having an outer support pipe, an inner support pipe displaceably supported in the outer support pipe and deployable out of and retractable into the outer support pipe by a drive spindle, a gear unit arranged in the outer support pipe and a drive unit for driving the gear unit for moving the inner support pipe relative to the outer support pipe, wherein the drive unit has a motor arranged outside the cross section of the outer support pipe and a transmission unit, wherein a rotation axis defined by a motor shaft extends outside the outer support pipe and the transmission unit is configured to transmit a torque from the motor shaft to the gear unit, and wherein the transmission unit has a housing and a drive pinion protruding out of the housing and engaging the gear unit.