Road Wheel Protective Member with Winch Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Decorative road wheels are prone to scratching or damage during wheel changes when the spare tire is installed, as the decorative side may contact the ground, leading to costly repairs.
Innovation Solution
A protective member with unequal length pins and spoke receiving features that detachably couple to the road wheel, lifting it off the ground to prevent contact and featuring a winch mechanism assembly for secure mounting and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the road wheel is placed on the ground during wheel changes, then the wheel can be easily stored and accessed, but the decorative side of the road wheel contacts the ground causing scratching or damage
Solution Approach 1:
A protective member is introduced as an intermediary component between the road wheel and the ground. This protective member has a planar surface that contacts the ground while the road wheel rests on the protective member, preventing direct contact between the decorative side of the wheel and the ground. The protective member effectively mediates the harmful interaction while enabling easy ground storage of the wheel assembly.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a protective member is used to lift the road wheel off the ground, then the decorative side is protected from damage, but the device complexity increases due to additional components needed for coupling and securing
Solution Approach 1:
The protective member is designed with multiple functions integrated into a single component: it provides ground contact protection, includes pins for securing the road wheel, incorporates a winch mechanism for lifting and positioning, and features a planar surface for stable ground placement. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate protective devices, coupling mechanisms, and lifting equipment, thereby managing device complexity while comprehensively protecting the road wheel.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the road wheel is stored with the vehicle after use, then it is readily available for future use, but it remains vulnerable to damage if placed on the ground during storage or retrieval
Solution Approach 1:
The protective member is pre-equipped with a winch mechanism and coupling pins that enable the road wheel to be lifted off the ground and secured to the protective member before storage or retrieval operations. This preliminary protective action ensures that whenever the wheel is handled, stored, or retrieved, it is already positioned in a protected state on the protective member rather than being placed on the ground, thus maintaining adaptability while preventing damage.
Data Source
AI summary
A protection member for a vehicle road wheel includes a first planar surface and a second planar surface with a central aperture extending therethrough. The protection member further includes a plurality of unequal length pins spaced about the aperture and extending in a direction away from the second surface. The plurality of pins are configured and positioned to engage holes of said road wheel utilized for mounting the road wheel to an axle of the vehicle. The protection member further includes a plurality of spoke receiving features spaced about and extending from the second surface. The spoke receiving features have a complimentary configuration for substantially aligning with a complimentary configuration of spokes of the road wheel. When the road wheel is disposed on the second surface the plurality of pins detachably couple the protection member to the road wheel.