Lightweight Wheel Clamp Using Composite Magnesium and Lead Screw
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle wheel alignment systems are heavy, leading to operator fatigue and equipment damage due to shock loading when the alignment equipment falls, and they struggle with accommodating large wheel diameters and obstacles during measurements.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates lightweight cast magnesium parts, eliminates unnecessary components, and features a lead screw serving as both a guide bar and lead screw, along with adjustable and rotatable measurement head mounting locations to reduce weight and improve accessibility for various wheel sizes and orientations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If conventional wheel clamp is used, then structural strength and stability are maintained, but weight increases causing operator fatigue and equipment damage
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel clamp employs composite construction combining magnesium alloy for the main body with steel components for high-stress areas. The magnesium alloy body provides weight reduction while the steel reinforcement elements maintain structural integrity during operation, resolving the contradiction between weight reduction and strength requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel clamp is divided into modular components including the main clamp body, adjustable arms, mounting brackets, and fastening mechanisms. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for weight reduction while maintaining overall structural strength through precise connection design.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional wheel clamp with fixed mounting is used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but adaptability to different wheel sizes and obstacles is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel clamp incorporates adjustable arms and repositionable mounting brackets that can be dynamically configured to accommodate different wheel diameters and vehicle types. The lead screw mechanism enables continuous adjustment of bracket positions, providing adaptability without requiring multiple fixed configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel clamp design integrates multiple functions into a single device: it can accommodate various wheel sizes, adjust to different vehicle platforms, and position measurement heads at multiple locations. This multi-functionality is achieved through the adjustable mechanism rather than requiring separate specialized clamps for each application.
3Adaptability or versatility
If measurement head is fixed on wheel clamp, then device simplicity is maintained, but ability to avoid obstacles during measurement is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement head mounting system allows dynamic repositioning of the measurement head relative to the wheel clamp body. The adjustable mechanism enables the measurement head to be moved to different locations and orientations to avoid obstacles such as tire wells, fenders, and other vehicle components that may interfere with measurement.
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
This solution significantly reduces operator fatigue, minimizes equipment damage, and enhances the ability to perform accurate wheel alignments on vehicles with large wheels by allowing better positioning of measurement heads to avoid obstacles.
Implementation Method 1
a lead screw threadingly engagable with the upper and lower brackets when the guide bar is engaging the upper and lower brackets, for adjusting a distance between the upper and lower brackets to rigidly attach the wheel clamp assembly to the vehicle wheel
Implementation Method 2
a guide bar simultaneously slidably engagable with the upper and lower brackets
Data Source
AI summary
A lightweight wheel clamp assembly is provided for attaching to a vehicle wheel for performing a wheel alignment on the vehicle. Examples include a wheel clamp having an upper sliding bracket for engaging the vehicle wheel, a lower sliding bracket for engaging the vehicle wheel, a guide bar simultaneously slidably engagable with the upper and lower brackets, and a lead screw threadingly engagable with the upper and lower brackets for adjusting a distance between the upper and lower brackets to rigidly attach the wheel clamp assembly to the vehicle wheel. The lower bracket has a plurality of measuring device mounting locations for adjustably mounting a wheel alignment element. The mounting locations are disposed such that when the wheel alignment element is mounted to one of them, the wheel alignment element can sight to a second wheel alignment element on the opposing side of the vehicle.