Rearward Protruding Towing Bracket for Low-Floor Bus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Low-floor buses experience reduced ride comfort and durability due to the towing apparatus contacting the ground when crossing bumps or entering hilly roads, leading to vibration and impact issues that weaken the coupling force between the towing apparatus and the vehicle.
Innovation Solution
A towing apparatus for low-floor buses is designed with a coupling structure where the towing bracket protrudes rearward from the rear end frame, incorporating upper and lower reinforcement brackets and vertical reinforcement brackets to prevent ground contact, enhancing the coupling force and durability by allowing the towing mechanism to be securely attached without protruding downward.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the towing apparatus is coupled to protrude downward from the rear end frame, then the towing apparatus can be securely attached to the vehicle, but the towing apparatus comes into contact with the ground when crossing bumps or entering hilly roads, causing impact and vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The towing bracket is designed to protrude in the horizontal direction (rearward) rather than the vertical direction (downward). This dimensional change in protrusion direction allows the towing apparatus to maintain secure coupling while avoiding ground contact during vehicle operation on uneven terrain.
2Device complexity
If the towing apparatus protrudes downward from the rear end frame, then the structure is simple, but the ride comfort is degraded due to impact transferred to passengers
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the protrusion direction from vertical (downward) to horizontal (rearward), the design maintains structural simplicity while eliminating the source of vibration and impact that would otherwise be transferred to passengers during towing operations.
3Ease of manufacture
If the towing apparatus protrudes downward, then the installation is straightforward, but the durability is degraded due to repeated impact with the ground
Solution Approach 1:
The towing bracket is configured to protrude horizontally from the rear side surface of the rear end frame rather than vertically downward. This dimensional change preserves ease of installation while preventing repeated ground contact that would cause durability degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful function of the towing bracket (contacting the ground) is extracted by repositioning it to protrude in a different direction. The bracket is taken out from the problematic vertical protrusion configuration and repositioned to protrude horizontally, eliminating ground contact while maintaining the towing function.
Data Source
AI summary
A towing apparatus includes a towing bracket configured to protrude rearward from a rear end frame which is disposed to extend in a left-right direction at a rearmost lower end of a vehicle body, and a towing pin assembly which is detachably assembled with the towing bracket and to which a towing mechanism provided in a towing vehicle is to be caught and coupled.