Scooter Hinge Joint Torque-Free Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing scooter designs with obliquely downward struts suffer from safety issues due to worn-out locking notches under driving stress and result in a bulky, space-consuming arrangement when folded for transport.
Innovation Solution
A hinged joint with a bracket arrangement featuring an arcuate slot and a locking element with a tilting axis, which engages a guide pin to form a torque-free locking mechanism, ensuring high safety and compactness when folded.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a locking element with locking notches is used on an obliquely downward strut, then the locking connection can be formed, but the locking notches wear out quickly under driving stress leading to safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the locking function from the strut structure and relocates it to the bearing block. The locking element is now part of the bearing block rather than the strut, which eliminates the wear problem on the locking notches by changing the load path and removing the strut from the torque-carrying path.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the locking element on the moving strut that experiences wear, the invention inverts the arrangement by placing the locking element on the stationary bearing block. This reversal makes the locking connection more durable as the locking notches are no longer subjected to the same wear mechanisms.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a long obliquely downward strut is used to connect the steering column and running board, then the structural connection is achieved, but the distance between components increases leading to a bulky arrangement requiring more storage space
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the connecting function from the long obliquely downward strut and replaces it with a bearing block that directly connects the steering column and running board. This eliminates the need for the lengthy intermediate strut, significantly reducing the folded height and overall volume of the scooter.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the spatial arrangement by positioning the bearing block to directly interface between the steering column and running board, eliminating the need for the long strut that extended the distance between components in the vertical dimension.
3Reliability
If the locking element is subjected to forces during driving, then the locking function is active, but torque acts on the locking element causing it to twist and potentially disengage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the torque-carrying function from the locking element and assigns it to the bearing block structure. The locking element now only needs to maintain the locking position without resisting driving torques, which eliminates the twisting and potential disengagement problems.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the locking element resist torque directly, the invention inverts the load path so that the bearing block structure carries the torque loads while the locking element only provides positional retention. This separation of functions improves the reliability of the locking engagement.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~9
Figure 5~8
AI summary
In a hinge joint for connecting two components that can be folded relative to each other about a pivot axis, in particular a footboard (5) and a steering column (4) of a scooter, which are provided with interlocking joint elements that are pivotably connected to each other by a bearing bolt (7) passing through them and forming the pivot axis, and which can be locked relative to each other in two end positions by an associated, manually releasable locking lock (14), a high degree of safety is achieved in the driving position and a compact arrangement in the transport position by virtue of one of the joint elements being formed by a tab arrangement (8) which is provided with an arc-shaped slot (11) concentric to the pivot axis.into which a pivot-axis parallel guide pin (12) of the respective other joint element engages, and that to form the locking lock (14) a locking element (15) is provided which is pivotable on the tab arrangement (8) of one joint element about a tilting axis parallel to the pivoting axis, which also has an arc-shaped slot (18) concentric to the pivoting axis of the two joint elements and cooperating with the guide pin (12), which is extended by catch pockets (19, 20) assigned to the end positions of the two components that can be folded against each other, which are bent concentrically to the tilting axis of the locking element (15) and are oriented in the same direction with respect to the tilting axis, and which cooperates with an engagement device that acts in the opposite direction to the rotation of the catch pockets (19, 20).