Road-Rail Wheel Mount with Lateral Guides for Narrow Road Width
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicles designed for both road and rail use are often wide and unsuitable for most roads, causing disruption and requiring dedicated infrastructure, as they lack the ability to efficiently transition between road and rail modes without increasing width.
Innovation Solution
A wheel mount system that allows track wheels to be moved between a stowed and deployed arrangement using lateral and vertical guides, enabling vehicles to narrow their width for road use while maintaining the necessary separation for rail use, with optional actuators and drive motors for efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If track wheels are permanently positioned for rail use, then rail functionality is ensured, but the vehicle width becomes too large for most roads
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel mount employs a dynamic positioning system where track wheels can be laterally moved between a retracted position (for narrow road width) and an extended position (for rail gauge width). This is achieved through a lateral guide mechanism that allows the wheel mount to shift its lateral position relative to the vehicle body, enabling the vehicle to adapt its width according to whether it is operating on roads or rails.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution adds a lateral dimension of movement to the traditional vertical wheel positioning system. By introducing lateral guides that permit side-to-side movement of the track wheels, the system transforms a static width configuration into a dynamic one, allowing the vehicle to change its effective width by moving wheels laterally rather than being constrained to a fixed wide configuration.
2Adaptability or versatility
If track wheels are kept extended for rail operation, then rail compatibility is maintained, but the vehicle cannot be transported on standard roads
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel mount system dynamically adjusts the lateral position of track wheels, allowing them to be retracted during road transport to minimize vehicle width, and extended when rail operation is required. This dynamic reconfiguration enables the vehicle to meet road width constraints during transport while maintaining full rail compatibility when needed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a mechanism is added to move wheels between road and rail positions, then dual-mode operation is enabled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines the lateral positioning function and vertical wheel support function into an integrated wheel mount assembly. The lateral guides work in conjunction with the vertical support structure to provide both lateral movement and vertical positioning capabilities within a single unified mechanism, rather than using separate independent systems for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel mount mechanism serves multiple functions: it provides lateral movement of track wheels, vertical support for the wheels, and positioning control for both road and rail modes. This multi-functional design reduces the need for additional separate mechanisms, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity while achieving mode transition capability.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A wheel mount (11) for a road-rail vehicle is configured to move one or more wheel (21-22) between a stowed arrangement and a deployed arrangement. The wheel mount (11) comprises one or more lateral guide (31-32) configured to guide the one or more wheel (21-22) laterally. Each lateral guide (31-32) is offset from an axis of rotation of the wheel (21-22). The wheel mount (11) further comprises one or more vertical guide (40) configured to guide the one or more wheel (21-22) vertically. A vehicle is installed with a number of wheel mounts.