Stabilizer Bar Disconnect with Pin Coupling for Wheel Articulation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Modern vehicle suspensions with stabilizer bars often restrict independent vertical movement of wheels, which can hinder off-road performance by requiring synchronized movement of both wheels, limiting clearance over obstacles and stability when one side needs to lift independently.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle stabilizer system with a disconnect mechanism using a ball screw actuator, pins, and axial grooves/slots allows for torsional coupling and uncoupling of side-bars, enabling independent vertical movement of wheels by transitioning between connected and disconnected positions via electrical power control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the stabilizer bar maintains continuous torsional coupling between side-bars, then vehicle stability during cornering is improved, but independent vertical wheel movement is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizer bar system transitions from a static connected state to a dynamic system that can switch between connected and disconnected states. The disconnect mechanism allows the stabilizer bar to adapt its connectivity based on driving conditions, enabling independent wheel movement when disconnected while maintaining stability when connected.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilizer bar is divided into separable components (first side-bar and second side-bar) that can be torsionally coupled or uncoupled. The disconnect mechanism creates a segmented system where the side-bars can move independently when separated, resolving the contradiction between stability and independent movement.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the stabilizer bar allows independent vertical wheel movement, then off-road clearance is improved, but vehicle stability during cornering is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts its connectivity state based on operational needs. During off-road traversal, the disconnect mechanism separates the side-bars to allow independent wheel movement for obstacle clearance. During cornering, the side-bars are reconnected to restore stability, thus resolving the contradiction through conditional adaptability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a disconnect mechanism is added to the stabilizer bar, then independent wheel movement is enabled, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A disconnect mechanism acts as an intermediary component between the first and second side-bars. This mediator enables the transition between connected and disconnected states, facilitating independent wheel movement while containing the added complexity to a specific subsystem rather than the entire stabilizer bar structure.
4Extent of automation
If an actuator is added to control the disconnect mechanism, then controlled wheel movement independence is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The disconnect mechanism is designed to be manually operated or passively actuated through suspension movement itself. The system uses the natural forces generated during wheel movement to trigger the disconnect or connection, eliminating the need for external powered actuators and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining automated functionality.
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
Enables each wheel to move vertically without affecting the other, improving off-road performance by allowing differential wheel movement and reducing the risk of vehicle tipping during cornering, while maintaining robustness and noise reduction through pre-loaded pins and non-symmetrical slot configurations.
Implementation Method 1
The actuator is a ball screw actuator comprising a stator fixed to the housing, a rotor, a threaded rod fixed to the rotor, and a set of balls engaging threads of the threaded rod and internal threads of the nut
Implementation Method 2
the vehicle stabilizer also includes a spring that is configured to bias the nut and the pins toward the first connected position
Data Source
AI summary
A stabilizer bar has a first connected position and a second disconnected position. One side-bar is fixed to a housing while the other side-bar is fixed to a tulip within the housing. The housing has a plurality of axial grooves. The tulip defines a plurality of slots which are aligned with the grooves when the vehicle is level. A nut has a plurality of pins that extend radially such that the nut is torsionally coupled to the housing. In a first connected position, the pins fit within the slots of the tulip to torsionally couple the nut and the housing to the tulip. To facilitate a second disconnected position, a motor driven actuator moves the nut axially such that the pins no longer engage the slots. When motor power is withdrawn, a spring pushes the nut back to the first connected position.