Steering Axle Adjustable Tie Rods for Trailer Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing steering axles in trailers often fail to maintain directional stability, leading to increased wheel wear, ground stress, and higher towing effort due to non-optimal wheel geometry and pivot angles.
Innovation Solution
A steering axle design with adjustable track levers and tie rods allows for precise adaptation of wheel pivot angles, ensuring that wheel axes intersect at the vehicle's center of rotation, reducing shear forces and enhancing directional stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If fixed geometry steering arms are used, then the structure is simple, but the wheel pivot angles cannot be adapted to different vehicle combinations, leading to poor directional stability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements adjustability in the steering arm geometry through adjustable track arms and tie rods, allowing the wheel pivot angles to be dynamically adapted to different vehicle combinations while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the steering arm by providing adjustable track arms with multiple positioning holes and adjustable tie rods, enabling the wheel pivot angles to be optimized for different vehicle combinations
2Manufacturing precision
If non-optimal wheel pivot angles are used, then the steering axle structure is simple, but wheel wear and ground stress increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables precise adjustment of wheel pivot angles through adjustable track arms and tie rods, allowing optimization of wheel geometry to minimize wheel wear and ground stress while maintaining manufacturing feasibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the geometric parameters of the steering components by providing adjustable elements that allow precise control of wheel pivot angles, reducing wheel wear and ground stress
3Force
If fixed steering geometry is used, then the device is simple to manufacture, but the force required to move the trailer increases due to non-optimal wheel alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements adjustable steering geometry through track arms and tie rods that can be positioned to optimize wheel alignment, minimizing the force required to move the trailer while maintaining a practical steering mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the steering geometry parameters by providing adjustable components that allow the wheel pivot angles to be tuned for minimal towing force requirements
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a steering axle (1) for a vehicle, wherein steering arms (31, 32) are hinged to both sides of an axle body (2) and each of the steering arms (31, 32) is operatively connected to a tie rod arm (41, 42), and a tie rod (5) is hinged at both ends at points of contact (61, 62) to the tie rod arms (41, 42). The tie rod arms (41, 42) comprise an adjusting device (71, 72) for varying the position of the points of contact (61, 62).