Modular Wheel Traction Structure for Mud Escape and Repairability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wheel traction devices are economically inefficient due to being single, integral units that are either too heavy and costly when made of metal or not strong and durable enough when made of plastic, and they become compromised if any part is damaged.
Innovation Solution
A modular wheel traction device comprising a guiding unit made of metal, a bearing unit made of plastic, and a fastening unit that secures their connection, allowing for detachment and replacement of damaged components, combining the strength and lightness of both materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a conventional wheel traction device is made of metal, then strength and durability are improved, but weight and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel traction device uses a composite structure combining metal guiding unit and plastic bearing unit. The metal guiding unit provides structural strength and guidance function, while the plastic bearing unit provides bearing capability and reduces overall weight. This composite material approach resolves the contradiction by leveraging the advantages of both materials in different functional zones.
2Weight of moving object
If a conventional wheel traction device is made of plastic, then weight is reduced, but strength and durability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The device combines plastic bearing unit with metal guiding unit through fastening elements. The plastic material reduces weight while the metal guiding unit and fastening elements provide necessary strength and durability. The composite structure allows the plastic component to bear weight without compromising overall structural integrity.
3Device complexity
If a conventional wheel traction device is integrally formed as one piece, then structural simplicity is improved, but repairability and cost-effectiveness deteriorate when damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel traction device is divided into separate modular components: guiding unit, bearing unit, and fastening elements. These segments are detachably connected, allowing individual replacement of damaged parts without replacing the entire device. This segmentation maintains reasonable structural simplicity while dramatically improving repairability and cost-effectiveness.
4Ease of manufacture
If a conventional wheel traction device uses a single material, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but adaptability to different functional requirements deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The device uses different materials (metal and plastic) for different functional units. The metal guiding unit is optimized for guidance and structural strength, while the plastic bearing unit is optimized for bearing loads and reducing weight. This multi-material approach enhances adaptability to different functional requirements while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through standardized components and assembly methods.
Data Source
AI summary
A wheel traction device is adapted for providing traction for a wheel of a vehicle to escape from a mud ground during rotation of the wheel, and includes: a guiding unit having a guiding portion adapted to abut against the wheel; a bearing unit that is detachably connected to the guiding unit, and that has a bearing portion adapted to be positioned on the mud ground such that, during rotation of the wheel, the bearing unit and the guiding unit are prevented from being driven by the rotation of the wheel to move relative to the mud ground, thereby allowing the wheel to roll over the bearing portion under guidance of the guiding portion; and a fastening unit that detachably fastens the bearing and guiding units together.