Rear Axle Clevis Guide Means for Coaxial Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

The assembly of a rear axle in motor vehicles is challenging due to the need for precise alignment of bulky and heavy components, which often results in imprecise coaxiality of holes and sleeves, leading to difficulties in fixing the axle to the body structure element, causing delays in the assembly process.

Innovation Solution

The introduction of guiding means in the yoke, such as arch-profiled ribs and lugs, to align and immobilize the tubular sleeve coaxially with the sidewall holes, facilitating precise positioning and alignment during assembly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If guiding means are added to the yoke to align the sleeve with holes, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoaxial alignment precisionVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces guiding means (ribs with arch profiles and lugs) as intermediary elements between the yoke and the tubular sleeve. These guiding means act as mediators that facilitate the alignment process by providing physical constraints and reference surfaces, enabling precise coaxial alignment without requiring complex external alignment equipment or procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The guiding means are pre-integrated into the yoke structure during manufacturing. The ribs with arch profiles and lugs are formed as permanent features of the yoke, establishing the alignment geometry in advance. This preliminary action eliminates the need for complex alignment operations during assembly, as the alignment geometry is already built into the component.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If manual alignment of heavy components is attempted without guiding means, then device complexity remains low, but assembly time increases due to multiple alignment attempts

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly speedVSAvoidalignment time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The guiding means serve as intermediary alignment aids that bridge the gap between the yoke and tubular sleeve. By providing physical guidance through ribs and lugs, they enable rapid and accurate alignment in a single operation, eliminating the time loss associated with multiple trial-and-error alignment attempts that would occur with manual alignment of heavy components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Manufacturing precision

If the tubular sleeve is received with reduced clearance in the bracket, then manufacturing precision of the assembly is improved, but the difficulty of alignment during assembly increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly precisionVSAvoidalignment ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The guiding means (ribs with arch profiles and lugs) act as intermediary alignment aids that facilitate the insertion of the tubular sleeve into the bracket. By providing pre-aligned reference surfaces and physical constraints, they enable the reduced clearance fit to be achieved easily during assembly, eliminating the alignment difficulty that would otherwise result from the tight tolerance requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3122576B1Motor vehicle comprising running gear attachment guide means
Publication Date: 2019.06.05 RENAULT SA
  • EP3122576B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3122576B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3122576B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising a bodywork structural element (12) and a running gear (14), particularly a vehicle back end, that comprises at least one arm (16) comprising a top attachment end (18) that is received in a sheet metal clevis (20) supported on a bottom surface (22) of a floor (24) of the bodywork structural element (12). Said attachment end (18) comprises at least one transverse tubular sleeve (26) that is received with reduced play between two parallel flanks (30) of said clevis (20), and an attachment screw (28) that is capable of passing through two coaxial bores (32) of both flanks (30) and said transverse tubular sleeve (26) so as to enable attachment of said attachment end (18) into the clevis (20). Said motor vehicle is characterized in that the clevis (20) comprises a means for guiding the attachment end (18) into a position for aligning the bores (32) of the flanks (30) and the sleeve (26).