Side Wall Cover Rolling Mechanism for Articulated Vehicle Passage Width

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing side wall covers for articulated vehicles reduce the clear passage width when cornering, as they bulge inward due to prestressing, further narrowing the passage when the vehicle turns, which is undesirable for passenger safety and vehicle movement.

Innovation Solution

A side wall cover system with a rollable holding device that uses a tubular shell rolling body and spiral or torsion springs to absorb excess material during cornering, allowing the side wall cover to wind up and maintain a consistent passage width, and is slidably attached to accommodate height offsets and various movements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the side wall cover is prestressed in the direction of the interior of the vehicle to prevent damage, then the protection function is improved, but the clear passage width is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection functionVSAvoidclear passage width
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The side wall cover is designed with dynamic characteristics, being inherently elastically resilient and curved around the vertical axis. This allows the cover to adapt its shape in response to vehicle movements and cornering forces, maintaining protection while accommodating passage width variations during operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The side wall cover utilizes elastic resilience and curvature parameters to change its effective shape and position. The inherent elasticity allows the cover to deform under prestress while the curvature around the vertical axis enables it to absorb dimensional changes during cornering without permanently reducing passage width

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the side wall cover is designed to be elastically resilient and curved to maintain protection, then the reliability is improved, but the clear passage width is further reduced when cornering

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection functionVSAvoidclear passage width
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The side wall cover's dynamic elastic properties allow it to temporarily deform during cornering when the vehicle buckles, absorbing the dimensional changes without permanently reducing passage width. The cover returns to its original configuration after cornering, maintaining both protection and passage width

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The inherent elasticity and curvature parameters enable the side wall cover to change its effective shape during cornering, absorbing the bulging effect that would otherwise reduce passage width, while maintaining its protective function

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 solution maintains a consistent clear passage width during cornering and height adjustments, effectively preventing damage from bulging and ensuring safety and functionality across different vehicle movements, while being pretensioned to handle lateral forces and return to its initial position.

Implementation Method 1

it is provided that the rolling body can be rotated by at least one spiral or torsion spring with the axis is connected. This means that the rolling body is prestressed by the at least one spiral or torsion spring in such a way that when the side wall is relieved, ie when the side wall is shortened, the side wall is wound up by the rolling body due to the spring force.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSpiral spring: Spring

Implementation Method 2

the side wall cover is designed as a plate which is inherently elastically resilient and curved around the vertical axis in the direction of the middle of the transition

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic resilience: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP2394880B1Side wall cover
Publication Date: 2013.08.07 HUBNER GMBH
  • EP2394880B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2394880B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2394880B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The wall covering is held by two holding devices, where each holding device is arranged at the vehicle body (40) of a vehicle. The holding device holds the side wall covering (30) in rolling manner by shortening the length of the side wall covering during cornering. The holding device has an axle (2), which indicates a rolling body.