Rotary Wheel Clamp Mechanism for Fast, Accurate Wheel Attachment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The handling of wheel clamps for vehicle wheel alignment measurements is complex, requiring multiple steps and often results in incorrect or inaccurate attachment, which can falsify measurement results.
Innovation Solution
A wheel clamp design featuring radially extending arms with movable elements and a central rotary element, allowing arm length adjustment through rotation, simplifying attachment and detachment by extending or shortening the arms to secure or release the clamp.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If wheel clamp uses fixed arm length design, then manufacturing is simple, but attachment accuracy and adaptability are poor
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel clamp employs movable elements that can be adjusted in the radial direction to change arm length dynamically. This allows the clamp to adapt to different wheel sizes and attachment positions, improving manufacturing precision and attachment accuracy while maintaining operational simplicity through the rotary element mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter of arm length by moving movable elements radially. This parameter adjustment enables the wheel clamp to achieve accurate alignment on wheels of various sizes, resolving the contradiction between simple manufacturing and precise attachment by allowing post-manufacturing adjustment.
2Reliability
If wheel clamp requires multiple working steps with two hands, then attachment is secure, but handling complexity increases and time is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines multiple working steps into a single rotational motion of the rotary element. The coupling elements connect the movable elements to the rotary element, so that one rotation simultaneously adjusts all arms, securing the clamp to the wheel in a single action rather than requiring multiple two-handed steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic element automatically returns the movable elements to their initial position after attachment, and the rotary element's rotation automatically positions all movable elements simultaneously. This self-service mechanism reduces the need for manual intervention and multiple steps, improving ease of operation while maintaining secure attachment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If wheel clamp has fixed arm length, then device structure is simple, but adaptability to different wheel sizes is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel clamp achieves universality by incorporating movable elements that can be adjusted radially to accommodate different wheel sizes. The rotary element with coupling elements serves multiple functions: adjusting arm length, positioning movable elements, and securing the clamp, thereby making a single device adaptable to various wheel dimensions without requiring multiple specialized clamps.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic adjustment capability through movable elements and rotary element allows the wheel clamp to adapt its arm length to match different wheel sizes. This dynamic structure replaces the need for multiple fixed-length clamps, improving versatility while the integrated mechanism keeps the overall device complexity manageable.
4Measurement precision
If wheel clamp uses manual positioning, then alignment accuracy may be achieved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic element performs preliminary action by automatically returning the movable elements to their initial position after attachment. This pre-positioning mechanism ensures accurate alignment without requiring time-consuming manual adjustments, as the elastic force naturally guides the movable elements to their correct positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotary element and coupling elements work together in a self-service manner where rotation automatically positions all movable elements simultaneously. This eliminates the need for time-consuming manual positioning of each arm individually, achieving accurate alignment quickly through the mechanical advantage of the rotary mechanism.
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 design simplifies the handling of wheel clamps, enabling accurate alignment and secure attachment with reduced risk of incorrect attachment, suitable for both right and left-hand wheels, and adaptable to different wheel sizes.
Implementation Method 1
the rotary element is coupled to an elastic element which is designed such that it applies an elastic force to the rotary element, whereby the movable elements are pulled by the rotary element and the coupling elements in the direction toward the center of the wheel clamp
Data Source
AI summary
A wheel clamp (2) for fastening to a wheel (1), in particular to a wheel (1) of a motor vehicle, comprises at least two arms (22, 23, 24) which extend outward from a center (28) of the wheel clamp (2) in a radial direction, and a central rotary element (40) which is rotatably arranged in the center (28) of the wheel clamp (2). Each arm (22, 23, 24) has at least one movable element (32, 33, 34) which is movable in the radial direction in order to permit varying the length of the arm (22, 23, 24) in the radial direction. The wheel clamp (2) comprises furthermore at least two coupling elements (52, 53, 54) which each extend between one of the movable elements (32, 33, 34) and the central rotary element (40) such that the movable elements (32, 33, 34) are movable in the radial direction by rotation of the rotary element (40).