Tilting Frames for Four-Wheeled Vehicle Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing four-wheeled vehicles with tilting frames lack the ability to seat occupants side by side while providing safety and weather protection, and they suffer from limited ground adherence due to irregular vertical force distribution during turns, especially in high-height, narrow city-use vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A four-wheeled vehicle design featuring a rear unit and two front tilting cells, each equipped with a safety cell, a hinged connection, and a four-bar linkage steering system that allows coordinated steering and tilting, enhancing stability and safety with adjustable tilting axes and integrated safety features like airbags and seatbelts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a four-wheeled vehicle uses a conventional rigid frame structure, then it provides stable seating for multiple occupants, but it suffers from limited ground adherence during bends due to irregular vertical force distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle frame is segmented into multiple independent tilting cells (front cell, rear cell) that can tilt independently relative to each other. Each cell has its own safety cage structure, allowing the vehicle to adapt its posture during bends to optimize ground adherence while maintaining structural integrity and occupancy stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame structure transitions from a rigid static configuration to a dynamic tilting mechanism where cells can rotate relative to each other about hinge axes. This dynamic capability allows the vehicle to actively adjust its orientation during cornering to improve tire contact and force distribution with the ground.
2Reliability
If the vehicle provides a safety cell for each occupant, then it improves safety protection, but it increases vehicle weight
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of one large safety cell, the vehicle uses multiple smaller safety cells (front safety cage, rear safety cage) that can be distributed throughout the vehicle structure. Each cell provides protection for specific occupants while the overall vehicle weight is optimized through this modular approach.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the vehicle allows side by side seating arrangement, then it increases passenger capacity, but it reduces the ability to provide individual safety protection for each occupant
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle body is divided into separate tilting cells (front cell with safety cage, rear cell with safety cage) that can accommodate occupants in different configurations. Each cell maintains its own safety structure, allowing side-by-side seating while preserving individual protection zones for each occupant.
4Ease of operation
If the vehicle uses a high height and relatively small width design for city use, then it improves maneuverability in urban environments, but it further limits ground adherence during bends
Solution Approach 1:
The tilting mechanism allows the vehicle to dynamically adjust its orientation during bends, effectively lowering its center of gravity and improving ground adherence. This dynamic adaptation compensates for the inherent stability limitations of a high-and-narrow city vehicle design.
Data Source
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AI summary
A four wheeled vehicle comprises a rear unit having two wheels (12), and two front frames (1) arranged in a side by side manner, the frames (1) being connected in a tilting manner with respect to said rear unit by means of a hinge joint, each frame (1) comprising a front wheel (3) mounted on a steering system (5a,5b,5c,6,9), and being characterised in that said two front frames (1) are movable in a synchronised tilting motion each with respect to the other and cooperating with said rear traction unit according to the dynamic behaviour of said vehicle.