Rail Vehicle Guide Device Impact Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional guide devices for guide rail-type vehicles have complex structures and high part counts, leading to unfavorable maintenance properties and increased manufacturing costs, with existing shock-absorbing mechanisms either complicating the guide arm structure or requiring costly anti-drop measures for the turnout guide wheel.
Innovation Solution
A guide device featuring a guide wheel support member and a cushioning member that absorbs forces applied by guide rails, allowing the guide wheel support member to displace and mitigate impact loads, thereby simplifying the structure and reducing manufacturing costs while facilitating easy maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If an L-shape lever and shock-absorbing elastic member are added to the guide arm, then the impact load is mitigated and ride quality is improved, but the structure becomes complicated and the number of parts increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the shock-absorbing function with the existing guide arm structure by integrating a shock-absorbing groove directly into the guide arm. This eliminates the need for separate L-shape levers and shock-absorbing elastic members, achieving impact mitigation while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The shock-absorbing groove acts as an intermediary element within the guide arm that absorbs impact loads. The groove allows controlled deformation and energy absorption during wheel-rail contact, mitigating impact forces without requiring additional external components.
2Force
If the guide arm structure is made more complex with additional shock-absorbing mechanisms, then the inward force and outward force are suppressed, but the maintenance property deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The shock-absorbing function is merged into the guide arm itself through the integrated groove structure. This reduces the number of separate components that require maintenance, improving maintenance properties while still suppressing excessive inward and outward forces through the groove's deformation characteristics.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If shock-absorbing members are placed in the main guide wheel and turnout guide wheel, then the impact load is absorbed, but the manufacturing cost increases and anti-drop measures are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the shock-absorbing function from the wheels themselves and relocates it to the guide arm structure. By placing the shock-absorbing groove in the guide arm rather than in each wheel, the design eliminates the need for costly anti-drop measures and reduces manufacturing complexity while maintaining impact absorption 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 guide device provides a simple structure for easy maintenance and reduced manufacturing costs while effectively absorbing impact loads, improving the ride quality and extending the life of the guide device by mitigating excessive forces applied by guide rails.
Implementation Method 1
a cushioning member (130) provided between the guide wheel support member (120) and the tip end of each steering arm (110), which absorbs an inward force (P1), an outward force (P2), an up-down force (P3) and a front-rear force (P4) so as to mitigate an impact load
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a guide device for a rail-guided vehicle that is guided to travel along a travel track, the guide device including: guide wheels that roll in contact with guide rails arranged on both sides of the travel track; steering arms that steer the vehicle; guide wheel support members; and shock-absorbing members. One end of each guide wheel support member is supported at the tip end of a steering arm with shock-absorbing members interposed therebetween, and the other end of each guide wheel support member rollably supports a main guide wheel and a diverging guide wheel. The shock-absorbing members are disposed between each guide wheel support member and the corresponding steering arm, and mitigate the impact load transmitted from the guide wheels to the steering arms.