Stabilizing Wheel Rollover Prevention Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial vehicles are prone to rollovers due to factors like incorrect speed adjustment, distracted or sleeping drivers, over-steering, lack of experience, and unbalanced loads, leading to costly damage, environmental impact, and potential injuries or fatalities.
Innovation Solution
A rollover prevention apparatus featuring primary and secondary hydraulic cylinders and a stabilizing wheel, which deploys to make contact with the road and uses hydraulic power to prevent rollover events, accompanied by a warning system and sensors for detection and automatic deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a stabilizing wheel apparatus is deployed to prevent rollover, then vehicle stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing wheel apparatus is divided into separate functional components: a stabilizing wheel assembly, primary hydraulic cylinders for wheel deployment, secondary hydraulic cylinders for positioning, and a control system. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while simplifying the overall system architecture and maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilizing wheel apparatus is pre-positioned in a retracted state along the vehicle's longitudinal axis, ready for rapid deployment. The hydraulic systems are pre-charged and the control system is continuously monitoring vehicle stability, enabling immediate activation when rollover conditions are detected, thus preventing the need for complex real-time decision-making during critical moments.
2Speed
If hydraulic cylinders are used to deploy the stabilizing wheel, then response speed is improved, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic cylinders operate in periodic cycles: extending rapidly when rollover is detected, holding position during stabilization, and retracting when stability is restored. This periodic operation allows the system to use energy only when necessary, rather than maintaining continuous high-energy states, thus reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining fast response capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydraulic power system is extracted as a separate, dedicated subsystem with its own power source and control logic, independent of the vehicle's primary propulsion system. This allows the stabilizing wheel apparatus to be activated independently without draining the vehicle's main battery or engine resources, enabling rapid response with minimal impact on overall vehicle energy consumption.
3Ease of operation
If the stabilizing wheel is positioned in line with other wheels when retracted, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing wheel apparatus utilizes asymmetric positioning relative to the vehicle's longitudinal axis, with the wheel and cylinder assembly arranged to deploy laterally from one side of the vehicle. This asymmetric configuration simplifies the mechanical linkage requirements compared to a symmetric center-mounted design, as the stabilizing wheel only needs to counteract rollover forces in one direction at a time, reducing the complexity of the cylinder arrangement while maintaining ease of operation.
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
Effectively prevents rollovers by deploying the stabilizing wheel to counteract potential rollover events, reducing damage and risk of injury, while alerting nearby drivers and providing a safer operational environment.
Implementation Method 1
a hydraulic power pack to pressurize a hydraulic fluid such that the hydraulic power pack to enable the primary hydraulic cylinder and the secondary hydraulic cylinder function as specified
Implementation Method 2
a compressed air tank to provide compressed air to the primary hydraulic cylinder and the secondary hydraulic cylinder to increase responsiveness when the rollover event is detected
Implementation Method 3
The rollover prevention apparatus may include a braking system connected to the stabilizing wheel
Data Source
AI summary
A rollover prevention apparatus includes a primary hydraulic cylinder attached to a frame bracket, a secondary hydraulic cylinder attached to the primary hydraulic cylinder and a wheel bracket. The rollover prevention apparatus includes a stabilizing wheel affixed to the wheel bracket. The stabilizing wheel is substantially in line with a plurality of wheels affixed to the frame while the primary and secondary hydraulic cylinders are retracted, the line being substantially perpendicular to the primary and secondary hydraulic cylinders. The stabilizing wheel has a negative camber angle with respect to the plurality of wheels while the primary and secondary hydraulic cylinders are retracted. A rollover event may be averted by extending the primary and secondary hydraulic cylinders such that the stabilizing wheel makes contact with a road without substantially leaving a lane, and using the secondary hydraulic cylinder to push against the road until the rollover event has been averted.