Sliding Wheel Boot Structure With Lug Nut Blocking Plate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for enforcing parking regulations, such as towing vehicles, are time-consuming and costly for both municipalities and vehicle owners, and there is a need for an alternative solution that can effectively immobilize vehicles without physical removal.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle locking boot with a horizontal support arm made of thermoplastic polymer, featuring a track, vertical support arms with engagement protrusions, and a lug nut blocking plate, which can be securely attached to a vehicle wheel to prevent movement until fines are paid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If vehicle towing is used to enforce parking regulations, then vehicles can be removed from illegal areas, but the process becomes time-consuming and costly for both municipalities and vehicle owners
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the vehicle immobilization function from the towing process. Instead of removing the entire vehicle through towing operations, the invention applies a locking boot that extracts only the wheel rotation function, leaving the vehicle in place while achieving the enforcement goal. This eliminates the need for towing while maintaining regulatory effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking boot acts as an intermediary device between the enforcement authority and the vehicle. Rather than directly towing the vehicle, the boot mediates by attaching to the wheel and preventing rotation, thereby enforcing parking regulations through a less intrusive means that avoids the time and cost associated with full vehicle towing.
2Productivity
If vehicle towing is used to enforce parking regulations, then vehicles can be removed from illegal areas, but associated costs increase for both municipalities and vehicle owners
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential enforcement function (vehicle immobilization) from the costly towing process. By applying a locking boot that prevents wheel rotation, the system achieves vehicle removal effectiveness without incurring the high costs of towing operations, thereby reducing energy expenditure and associated costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking boot represents a simpler, less expensive alternative to towing operations. While the boot itself may be a temporary device, it provides an cost-effective solution that avoids the substantial costs of towing vehicles, making enforcement more economical for both municipalities and vehicle owners.
3Ease of operation
If a locking boot is applied to a vehicle wheel, then the vehicle can be immobilized without towing, but the boot must be sufficiently strong to prevent removal or damage
Solution Approach 1:
The locking boot is constructed from composite materials that provide the necessary structural strength to prevent removal or damage while maintaining ease of operation. The use of composite materials allows the boot to achieve high strength-to-weight ratio, ensuring it can withstand forces applied during attempted removal while remaining manageable for enforcement personnel.
Solution Approach 2:
The boot incorporates curved or spherical geometric features that enhance its structural strength and resistance to removal. The curved geometry distributes applied forces more effectively, making the boot more difficult to break or remove while maintaining a relatively simple operational mechanism for enforcement personnel.
Data Source
AI summary
A horizontal support arm including a thermoplastic polymer defines a horizontal axis extending along the horizontal support arm. A track is formed in the horizontal support arm. The track extends along the horizontal axis. A first vertical support arm extends from the horizontal support arm. The first vertical support arm includes a front engagement protrusion. The first vertical support arm includes the thermoplastic polymer. A receiving orifice is defined in the horizontal support arm. A horizontal extension portion is slidably received in the receiving orifice by sliding horizontally along the track formed in the horizontal support arm. A second vertical support arm extends from the horizontal extension portion. The second vertical support arm includes a rear engagement protrusion. The second vertical support arm includes the thermoplastic polymer. A lug nut blocking plate extends from the first vertical support arm. The lug nut block plate includes the thermoplastic polymer.