Tone Wheel Assembly with Collar and Leg Protuberances

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Solution Overview

Problem

Tone wheels installed near the wheel end are prone to interference and damage from debris, and traditional inboard installations increase manufacturing and service complexity.

Innovation Solution

A tone wheel assembly design featuring a first member attached to the tone wheel with a second member disposed around it, including collar and leg portions with protuberances, allowing the tone wheel to be positioned within the axle housing without adding complexity, with the first leg protuberance positioned inboard and the second leg protuberance outboard of the inner lip, facilitating efficient installation and service.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the tone wheel is installed near the wheel end, then the installation is simple, but the tone wheel is exposed to debris and interference issues

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinstallation simplicityVSAvoiddebris exposure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent repositions the tone wheel from the traditional wheel-end location to an inboard location within the axle housing, effectively moving it to a different spatial dimension that is protected from debris while maintaining installation simplicity through the integrated assembly design

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the tone wheel is installed inboard of the wheel end, then the tone wheel is protected from debris, but the manufacturing and service complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedebris protectionVSAvoidmanufacturing and service complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the tone wheel with the axle shaft by integrating the tone wheel assembly directly onto the axle shaft, creating a unified component that reduces the number of separate parts and simplifies both manufacturing and service procedures while maintaining the protected inboard location

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the tone wheel is installed inboard of the wheel end, then the tone wheel is protected from debris, but the service and manufacture cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedebris protectionVSAvoidmanufacturing and service cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The integrated design combining the tone wheel assembly with the axle shaft reduces the total component count and assembly steps, thereby lowering manufacturing and service costs despite the inboard positioning that provides debris protection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11498362B2Tone wheel assembly, an axle assembly made therewith, and a method of manufacturing an axle assembly

Publication Date: 2022.11.15 DANA HEAVY VEHICLE SYSTEMS GROUP LLC

AI summary

A tone wheel assembly includes a tone wheel. A first member is attached to the tone wheel. A second member is at least partially disposed around a portion of the first member. The second member includes a collar portion, one or more first leg portions extending axially from the collar portion, and one or more second leg portions extending axially from the collar portion. The one or more first leg portions include a first leg portion protuberance that extends radially from an outer surface of the one or more first leg portions. The one or more second leg portions include a second leg portion protuberance that extends radially from an outer surface of the one or more second leg portions.