Steering Knuckle Arm Enlarged Portion for Rigidity and Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional steering knuckles face challenges in weight reduction while maintaining rigidity, as increasing thickness to enhance rigidity leads to increased weight and hindered downsizing.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an enlarged portion on the side of an opening in the arm portion, which increases the hollow portion's volume and opening area, and integrates a closed structure around the extending axis to improve rigidity and suppress deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the wall thickness of the cylindrical part and hollow part outer arm are increased to enhance rigidity, then the steering knuckle's structural strength is improved, but the weight of the steering knuckle significantly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing an enlarged portion only at the end portion of the peripheral wall where stress concentration occurs, rather than uniformly increasing wall thickness throughout. This localized thickening enhances rigidity at the critical stress point while minimizing overall weight increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameter of the peripheral wall by creating an enlarged portion with increased width at the end portion. This parameter modification allows the wall thickness to vary along the length, providing enhanced strength where needed while maintaining thinner sections elsewhere to reduce weight.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the hollow portion ratio is decreased to increase rigidity, then the structural stability is improved, but the weight reduction benefit is significantly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains a high overall hollow portion ratio for weight reduction while applying local quality by thickening only the end portion of the peripheral wall. This selective approach preserves the lightweight advantage of hollow structures while providing enhanced rigidity at the specific location where stress concentration occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the peripheral wall into different sections with different thickness characteristics - a thinner main body for weight reduction and a localized enlarged portion for rigidity enhancement. This segmentation allows the hollow structure to maintain its weight advantage while achieving necessary structural strength at critical points.
3Strength
If the thickness is increased to both sides along the hollow part to obtain rigidity, then the structural strength is improved, but downsizing and weight reduction are hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the thickness increase only at the end portion of the peripheral wall rather than increasing thickness to both sides along the hollow part. This localized approach provides the necessary rigidity at the stress concentration point while allowing the overall structure to be more compact and lighter.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle steering knuckle includes a body part to which an axle is attached, an arm portion including one end integrally connected with an outer periphery of the body part and spreading outwardly from the body part along an extending axis, and a connecting portion configured to be connected with a vehicle component. The arm portion includes a first portion, a second portion, and a hollow portion. The first portion including a peripheral wall configured to enclose around the extending axis. The second portion including a peripheral wall including an opening partially opened around the extending axis. At a cross-section intersecting the extending axis, an end portion of the peripheral wall of the second portion on a side of the opening includes an enlarged portion which is enlarged in width as compared with thickness of side portions adjacent to the end portion.