Preload and Retraction Device for Confined Space Cart Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing self-driving vehicles with suspension and locomotion assemblies on wheels face challenges in installation and centring procedures in confined spaces, such as railway tracks or ducts, requiring manual and non-standardized processes that are time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A mechanical suspension and locomotion assembly on wheels with a preload and retraction device, featuring a linear guide, internal and external sliders, and a linear elastic member, allows for semi-automatic and standardized installation and removal operations by selectively configuring the wheels to minimize transverse dimensions for entry and to engage with track surfaces for operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual installation procedures are used for wheels in confined spaces, then flexibility in handling is maintained, but installation time and labor intensity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel assembly incorporates movable support arms that can dynamically transition between retracted and extended positions. The support arms are designed to be manually movable along the longitudinal axis, allowing the wheel to adapt its position according to operational needs. This dynamic configuration enables fast installation by allowing the wheel to be quickly retracted for insertion and then extended for operation, resolving the contradiction between installation speed and operational functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel assembly is segmented into distinct functional components: the wheel body, support arms, and mounting mechanism. Each component can be independently positioned and adjusted. The support arms can be moved separately along the longitudinal axis, allowing selective extension or retraction. This segmentation enables standardized installation procedures where each component can be quickly positioned without complex coordinated adjustments, improving installation productivity while maintaining manageable device complexity.
2Length of moving object
If wheels are kept in extracted configuration for operation, then functional performance is optimized, but transverse dimensions increase preventing entry in confined spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The support arms are designed to be movable along the longitudinal axis of the wheel assembly, enabling dynamic adjustment between retracted and extended positions. During installation in confined spaces, the support arms are kept retracted to minimize transverse dimensions. Once positioned, they can be extended to provide reliable wheel support functionality. This dynamic capability resolves the contradiction by allowing the same component to satisfy both compact size requirements and functional performance requirements at different operational stages.
Solution Approach 2:
The support arms are designed to nest within or alongside the wheel body when in the retracted position. The movable support arms can be positioned inside the wheel structure or adjacent to it, minimizing the overall transverse envelope. This nested configuration allows the wheel assembly to pass through confined spaces with minimal transverse dimension while maintaining the capability to extend the support arms for reliable wheel support during operation, thus resolving the contradiction between compact size and functional reliability.
3Loss of time
If standardized installation procedures are implemented, then installation time is reduced, but adaptability to different confined space configurations decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel assembly is divided into independently adjustable segments, particularly the support arms that can be moved along the longitudinal axis. This segmentation allows standardized installation procedures to be applied consistently across different applications, as each segment can be independently positioned. The modular nature of the segmented design provides inherent adaptability to different confined space configurations, as the same standardized procedure can accommodate varying spatial requirements by adjusting individual segments. This resolves the contradiction by making standardization and adaptability complementary rather than opposing.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel assembly is designed with universal mounting capabilities and movable support arms that can accommodate different confined space configurations. The support arms can be positioned at various locations along the longitudinal axis to adapt to different spatial constraints. This multi-functionality allows a single standardized installation procedure to be applied across diverse applications, from railway inspection to duct inspection, while maintaining adaptability to specific confined space geometries. The universal design resolves the contradiction by enabling one standardized system to serve multiple configurations.
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 fast, semi-automatic, and standardized installation and removal of self-propelled carts in confined spaces, optimizing maintenance operations by reducing manual effort and time expenditure.
Implementation Method 1
a linear elastic member (14) connecting said internal slider (12) and external slider (13) to each other so as to hinder relative movements of moving away and/or approaching said internal slider (12) and said external slider (13) with respect to a defined natural length distance
Data Source
AI summary
A preload and retraction device (10, 10′) of a wheel assembly comprises a linear guide (11), an internal slider (12) and an external slider (13) movable along the linear guide (11), a linear elastic member (14) arranged to connect the two sliders (12) (13), a first wheel support arm (15) integral with the internal slider (12) and a second wheel support arm (19) integral with the external slider (13), with the external slider (13) carrying a weight support wheel (20) that is actuated and the internal slider (12) carrying a traction wheel (16) that comes into contact with a rolling surface with a preload force that is a function of the geometry of the system. The use of the device (10, 10′) is particularly advantageous for supporting the wheels in a self-propelled cart (100) of the type suitable for moving along a railway track for the inspection of the underbody of railway vehicles as it greatly facilitates and at least partially automates the installation of the self-propelled cart (100) on the track.