Steerable Axle Body with Spherical Pivot Bearing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing steering axles require constant lubrication, leading to high maintenance costs and complex repairs, as the bolt must be removed entirely for maintenance and replacement, and cannot effectively absorb multidimensional forces due to rigid pivot bearings.
Innovation Solution
The design features part-spherical mushroom heads with corresponding hollow sliding surfaces, allowing for a form-fitting connection that eliminates the need for screw-based holding forces, enabling easy assembly and replacement, and incorporates wedge rings for precise adjustment and tolerance compensation, facilitating the absorption of multidimensional forces without the need for separate bolts or lubrication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a bolt connection is used to connect the wheel carrier to the axle stub, then the connection is simple to manufacture, but the bolt cannot be accessed with handy tools for maintenance and must be driven out using heavy tools
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is segmented into multiple components: the axle stub with integrated pivot bearings, the wheel carrier with steering fork, and the removable bolt connection. This segmentation allows the bolt to be accessed and replaced independently without removing the entire axle assembly, resolving the maintenance accessibility issue while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
2Device complexity
If cylindrical pivot bearings are used to connect the wheel carrier to the axle stub, then the connection is simple in design, but the bearings cannot ideally transfer multi-dimensional forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces cylindrical pivot bearings with part-spherical mushroom heads that fit into corresponding recesses in the axle stub. This spherical geometry allows the connection to accommodate multi-dimensional forces and movements while maintaining relative simplicity. The spherical shape enables force distribution in multiple directions, resolving the limitation of cylindrical bearings.
3Device complexity
If the entire axle is removed for bolt replacement, then the bolt connection is simple in design, but the maintenance process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is segmented into modular components where the bolt connects the wheel carrier to the axle stub independently. This segmentation enables the bolt to be accessed and replaced through openings in the fork legs without removing the entire axle assembly, significantly reducing maintenance time while keeping the design simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The axle stub is pre-designed with integrated pivot bearings and the wheel carrier with steering fork and openings in the fork legs, allowing the bolt to be accessed and replaced independently. This preliminary design configuration enables maintenance without complete disassembly, resolving the time loss issue.
4Strength
If conical tapered roller bearings are used in the pivot bearing device, then the bearing can handle directional forces, but the bearing requires very precise adjustment during assembly and is expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses part-spherical mushroom heads instead of conical tapered roller bearings. The spherical geometry naturally accommodates multi-dimensional forces and movements while being more tolerant of assembly variations. This resolves the contradiction by providing force absorption capability with reduced assembly precision requirements.
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
This solution reduces maintenance costs, allows for easy replacement of components, and effectively absorbs high multidimensional forces, enhancing the durability and reliability of the steering axle while minimizing the need for frequent lubrication and complex repairs.
Implementation Method 1
the partial spherical surface and the hollow hemisphere form a pair of sliding surfaces
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an axle body (2) with a steerable wheel carrier (4) connected via a pivot joint (6), the axle body (2) has an axle pivot (8) rigidly connected to it, at the upper and lower ends of which a pivot bearing (10) is formed, the wheel carrier (4) has a steering fork (12) with an upper and a lower fork leg (14), the fork legs (14) rotate on the respective associated pivot bearing (10) during a steering movement, and the two pivot bearings (10) define an axis of rotation (16) about which the steering fork (12) can rotate around the axle pivot (8).In order to design the rotary bearings in such a way that they are easy to assemble and cost-effective to manufacture, compensate well for tolerances, require little maintenance and are easily replaceable in case of repair, it is proposed that a first part of each rotary bearing (10) is designed as a partially spherical mushroom head (18) and the second part of each rotary bearing (10) is designed, at least in some areas, as a sliding surface formed as a negative mold to the partially spherical shape of the mushroom head (18), which rotates on the partially spherical surface of the mushroom head (18) during a steering movement, so that the partially spherical mushroom heads and the corresponding sliding surfaces (20) formed on the second part of each rotary bearing (10) each form a sliding surface pairing of a rotary bearing (10).