Telescopic Trailing Axle Assembly for Storage Clearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle suspension assemblies have limitations in adjusting the length of trailing arms, leading to instability in storage positions and potential obstruction issues when transitioning between operative and storage configurations.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle suspension assembly with retractable and extendable trailing arms that change configuration along a longitudinal axis, allowing for increased length in the extended position and reduced height in the retracted position, enabling smoother transition between operative and storage positions without obstructing vehicle components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the trailing arm is kept in a fixed extended position, then weight distribution and road damage reduction are improved, but the ability to store without obstructing vehicle components is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The trailing arm is designed with telescopic sections that allow it to dynamically change its length between extended and retracted positions. This dynamic adjustment enables the arm to provide maximum span for weight distribution during operation, then retract to clear vehicle components during storage, resolving the contradiction between road damage reduction and storage adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The trailing arm is divided into multiple telescopic sections that can extend and retract relative to each other. This segmentation allows the arm to adjust its overall length by extending or retracting the intermediate sections, enabling it to switch between a long configuration for weight distribution and a short configuration for storage clearance
2Adaptability or versatility
If the trailing arm is retracted to reduce height, then storage position clearance is improved, but weight distribution capability is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic trailing arm provides dynamic length adjustment, extending to maximum length for optimal weight distribution and road damage reduction, then retracting to minimum length for storage clearance. This dynamic adaptability resolves the contradiction by allowing the system to optimize for different functions at different times
Solution Approach 2:
The trailing arm is extended to its full length before the vehicle begins operation, ensuring optimal weight distribution and road damage reduction are established in advance. Before storage, the arm is retracted to clear vehicle components, preparing the system for storage configuration in advance
3Device complexity
If a fixed length trailing arm is used, then structural simplicity is improved, but the ability to transition between operative and storage positions without obstruction is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The trailing arm is segmented into telescopic sections that can extend and retract relative to each other along the longitudinal axis. This segmentation enables the arm to change its overall length, allowing it to transition between operative and storage positions without obstructing vehicle components, while adding controlled complexity to achieve the desired adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The telescopic sections of the trailing arm are nested within each other, with intermediate sections sliding inside outer sections. This nesting arrangement allows the arm to compact to a small size for storage clearance while maintaining a long effective length for operation, managing the complexity through an efficient space-saving mechanism
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle suspension assembly includes a trailing axle carried by a frame of the assembly. The frame can retract to a retracted state from an extended state and extend from the retracted state to the extended state. The retraction and extension can occur along a longitudinal axis of the frame. An operator can pivotally raise and lower a free end of frame in the retracted or extended state along an arcuate path when the vehicle suspension assembly connects to a vehicle.