Specialty Dolly with Segmented Wheel Assemblies for Vehicle Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydraulic floor jacks are inefficient and unsafe for moving disabled vehicles within repair shops due to their design for lifting rather than moving, leading to technician fatigue, potential injury, and premature mechanical failures, and are not suitable for navigating obstacles like potholes and slopes.
Innovation Solution
A combination dolly/floor jack assembly with a mechanical or electromechanical system featuring rotatable and fixed wheel assemblies, an angled design, and optional motorized locomotion to facilitate safe and efficient movement of vehicles over uneven terrain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If hydraulic floor jacks are used to move disabled vehicles, then vehicles can be moved within the repair shop, but technician fatigue increases and safety decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle moving system is segmented into multiple independent wheel assemblies (front left, front right, rear left, rear right wheels) that can be individually controlled. This segmentation allows better weight distribution and reduces the mechanical stress on any single component, thereby improving safety and reducing technician fatigue during vehicle movement operations.
Solution Approach 2:
A dolly platform serves as an intermediary device between the disabled vehicle and the ground. The dolly with its specialized wheel assemblies mediates the movement process, allowing the vehicle to be transported without direct manual handling by technicians, thus improving safety while maintaining ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If hydraulic floor jacks are used to move vehicles, then vehicles can be transported, but mechanical components suffer premature failure
Solution Approach 1:
Different wheel assemblies are designed with locally optimized properties: front wheels are made steerable for maneuverability, while rear wheels are fixed for stability. The wheel assemblies also feature localized reinforcement at stress points and use of durable materials in high-wear areas, extending the overall system life while maintaining transport capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel assemblies incorporate dynamic elements including steerable front wheels that can adapt to different movement directions, and shock-absorbing suspensions that dynamically respond to terrain variations. This dynamic design reduces mechanical stress on components during vehicle transport, preventing premature failure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If hydraulic floor jacks are used on uneven terrain, then vehicles can be moved over obstacles, but safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The dolly system incorporates dynamic suspension elements and shock absorbers in each wheel assembly that automatically adapt to uneven terrain and obstacles. The steerable front wheels can dynamically adjust their orientation to navigate around obstacles, while the suspension system absorbs shocks from potholes and bumps, maintaining safety while providing terrain navigation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel assemblies are designed asymmetrically with steerable front wheels and fixed rear wheels, allowing the dolly to navigate uneven terrain more effectively. The steerable front end can pivot to avoid obstacles while the fixed rear provides stable support, creating a balanced approach to terrain navigation that maintains safety.
4Ease of operation
If hydraulic floor jacks are used for vehicle movement, then disabled vehicles can be transported, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The dolly system is designed to be self-propelled through its wheel assemblies, eliminating the need for technicians to manually push or pull heavy vehicles. The steerable wheels and suspension system allow the dolly to navigate terrain independently, significantly improving technician efficiency while maintaining vehicle mobility.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the vehicle support into four independent wheel assemblies, the system distributes the vehicle weight and allows each wheel to be optimized for specific functions (steering, driving, supporting). This segmentation improves the overall efficiency of vehicle transport operations while maintaining full mobility capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A specialized dolly is provided that works with a hydraulic floor jack; together the assembly performs the lifting and moving of vehicles with ease and efficiency. The configuration and design of the dolly enables a standard hydraulic floor jack to be positioned within a frame of the dolly in a stationary position. A handle of a hydraulic floor jack can then be used to maneuver the combination dolly/floor jack assembly with ease on the floor of the repair shop. The dolly may be designed and configured to have stationary low resistance front rear wheel assemblies, both of which provide for convenient maneuvering and steering. The dolly's wheel tracks (distance between front wheels) and its wheelbase length (distance between front and rear wheels) allows the dolly to be stable and significantly maneuverable, especially over or around potholes, slopes, and ramps, and also provides greater safety for the operating technician.