Toe-In Omnidirectional Front Wheels for Stable Low-Vibration Mobility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electromobility vehicles face challenges in stabilizing the rider's posture and reducing vibrations generated by the contact of rollers with the ground, leading to undesirable tilting and increased vibration transmission to the seat.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates omnidirectional wheels with a toe-in arrangement supported by a suspension system that includes a biasing member to absorb vibrations, where the axle is inclined relative to the vehicle frame, and the rollers have rubber-like elasticity and circumferential grooves to mitigate impact forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If rollers are used to form the wheel's outer circumferential surface, then the wheel can provide tractive force, but vibrations are generated when the rollers come into contact with the ground one after another
Solution Approach 1:
A rubber buffer member is interposed between the rollers to cushion the impact before it reaches the wheel hub. This buffer member absorbs the shock generated when rollers contact the ground, reducing vibrations while maintaining the rollers' tractive force generation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel structure combines rigid components (rollers, wheel hub) with elastic materials (rubber buffer member). This composite structure allows the rigid rollers to provide tractive force while the elastic rubber material absorbs vibrations, resolving the contradiction between force generation and vibration reduction.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the wheel uses a smooth circular outer circumferential surface, then vibrations are reduced, but tractive force is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel's outer circumferential surface is segmented into multiple rollers instead of being a smooth continuous surface. This segmentation allows each roller to independently contact the ground, reducing vibration transmission while the collective arrangement of rollers maintains effective tractive force.
3Device complexity
If the front wheels are arranged in parallel, then the structure is simple, but the vehicle becomes unstable and tends to tilt
Solution Approach 1:
The front wheels are arranged in a toe-in configuration where the inner edges of the wheels are closer together than the outer edges. This asymmetric arrangement creates a stabilizing effect that prevents the vehicle from tilting, while still maintaining relatively simple structural implementation.
4Stability of the object's composition
If a spring is used to bias the floor frame, then idling is suppressed, but the structure becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The suspension system combines multiple functions into an integrated structure: the spring provides both the biasing force to suppress idling and the suspension function to reduce vibrations. This merging of functions achieves stability and comfort without requiring separate complex systems for each purpose.
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
This configuration effectively reduces vibrations transmitted to the seat while maintaining tractive force and preventing uneven wear, enhancing rider stability and comfort.
Implementation Method 1
a rubber buffer member is interposed between the rollers in order to reduce vibrations that are generated when the rollers come into contact with the ground
Implementation Method 2
a suspension attached to a front-end side of the vehicle frame; a pair of front wheels arranged in a vehicle width direction and supported by the suspension
Implementation Method 3
the rollers have rubber-like elasticity and circumferential grooves to mitigate impact forces
Data Source
AI summary
This electromobility vehicle includes a vehicle frame, a seat unit mounted to the vehicle frame, a suspension mounted to a front-end side of the vehicle frame, a pair of front wheels aligned in a direction parallel to a width dimension of the vehicle and supported by the suspension, at least one rear wheel supported by the vehicle frame, and a drive device that drives either of the front wheels and the rear wheel, where the front wheels are omnidirectional wheels whose outer circumferential surfaces are formed by a plurality of rollers and the pair of front wheels is supported by the suspension such that it is placed in a toe-in arrangement.