Vehicle Support Foot with Curved Rolling Compensating Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing support feet for semi-trailers fail to maintain a constant coupling height when the vehicle's rear part lowers due to air suspension system leaks, leading to potential damage during reconnection with a towing vehicle.
Innovation Solution
A support foot with a pivotably mounted compensating element having a curved rolling surface that adjusts its position to maintain a constant height, allowing the support element to change length and compensate for positional offsets, thereby keeping the coupling height consistent.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the support foot maintains a constant length to compensate for position offset, then the support foot can handle vehicle displacement, but the coupling height changes and connecting elements are at risk of damage
Solution Approach 1:
The support foot incorporates a telescopic mechanism with multiple telescopic units that allow the support length to dynamically adjust. When the vehicle body displaces horizontally, the telescopic units extend or retract to maintain constant coupling height, transforming the static support structure into a dynamic one that adapts to position changes while preserving coupling element safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of support foot length from constant to variable. By enabling the support length to change in response to horizontal displacement, the system maintains the coupling height parameter constant, thereby preventing damage to connecting elements while preserving support functionality
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the support foot length changes to maintain constant coupling height, then connecting elements are protected, but the support foot becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The support foot is divided into multiple telescopic units (first, second, third telescopic units) that can independently adjust their lengths. This segmentation allows the complex adjustment function to be distributed across simpler modular components, making the overall complex function achievable through coordinated operation of less complex individual units
Solution Approach 2:
The telescopic units are arranged in a nested configuration where inner tubes slide within outer tubes. This nesting arrangement allows multiple adjustment functions to be compactly integrated within a limited space, reducing the overall structural complexity while maintaining the capability for multi-dimensional length adjustment
3Adaptability or versatility
If a rolling segment is used to allow horizontal movement, then position offset is compensated, but the support foot length remains constant causing coupling height changes
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a static rolling segment design to a dynamic telescopic design. The telescopic units can actively change length in response to horizontal displacement, ensuring that the vertical coupling height remains constant. This dynamic adjustment capability resolves the contradiction by making the support foot adaptable to position changes while maintaining coupling safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter behavior from constant length (with rolling segment) to variable length (with telescopic units). By allowing the support length parameter to change dynamically, the system achieves both position offset compensation and constant coupling height maintenance, eliminating the reliability issue
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
The support foot effectively reduces the risk of damage to connecting elements by maintaining a constant coupling height, ensuring safe reconnection and distributing forces uniformly across uneven surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
the compensating element can be rolled on a rolling area of the base element
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6a~7b
AI summary
The leg has a leg element (2) with a contact area (6) for contacting underground. An adjusting element (4) receives a supporting element and adjusts a position offset, in which the adjusting element is movable between a pair of positions with respect to the leg element. The adjusting element is rotatable by a rotatable axis (c) and rolled on a rolling region (8) of the leg element. A rolling surface (12) of the adjusting element is bent along a rotatable plane in a sectional manner with a non-constant curvature radius.