Trailer Drawbar Displacement Guide Arrangement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional trailers occupy excessive space during storage due to their design, and existing foldable trailers face challenges in simplified handling and secure adjustment between use and stowed positions.
Innovation Solution
The trailer features a displaceable drawbar relative to the chassis in the X-direction, equipped with a guide arrangement and a safety device, allowing for easy adjustment between use and stowed positions, with the drawbar being pushed into the chassis to reduce length and occupy less space, and a tilting mechanism to further minimize storage space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the trailer is designed with a conventional fixed drawbar and chassis structure, then the structural strength and stability are maintained, but the space requirement for storage increases unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The drawbar is designed to be displaceable relative to the chassis along the X-direction, transitioning between a retracted stowage position and an extended use position. This dynamic configuration allows the trailer to reduce its overall length for compact storage while maintaining full functionality during use, directly resolving the contradiction between storage volume and structural functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The drawbar can be pushed into or nested within the chassis structure when not in use, allowing the extended portion of the drawbar to be stored inside the chassis volume. This nesting approach minimizes the external dimensions of the trailer during storage, effectively reducing the space requirement without compromising the drawbar's structural integrity during operation.
2Volume of moving object
If the drawbar is made displaceable to reduce storage space, then the space requirement is reduced, but the reliability of secure positioning between use and stowed positions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The guide arrangement automatically guides the drawbar into the correct positional alignment during displacement between stowage and use positions. The guide structure provides self-aligning features that ensure the drawbar settles into the proper position without requiring external intervention, thereby maintaining reliability while enabling the space-saving displaceable design.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide arrangement provides positional feedback through its mechanical constraints, ensuring the drawbar reaches and maintains the correct position during displacement. The guide structure's geometry and contact surfaces provide inherent feedback mechanisms that confirm proper positioning, enhancing reliability of the displaceable drawbar system.
3Ease of operation
If the drawbar is displaced manually without a guide arrangement, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to difficult adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The guide arrangement acts as an intermediary mechanical element between the drawbar and chassis, facilitating smooth displacement and positioning. This intermediary structure provides guided movement paths and positioning features that make manual adjustment easier and more controlled, directly improving ease of operation despite the added structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide arrangement replaces complex manual positioning operations with a simplified guided mechanical system. Instead of requiring precise manual alignment and positioning, the guide structure provides automated mechanical guidance that simplifies the adjustment process, improving ease of operation while introducing a structured mechanical solution.
4Reliability
If the safety device continuously prevents adjustment, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates when adjustment is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The safety device transitions between two dynamic states: a locked state that prevents unintended adjustment and enhances safety, and an unlocked state that permits deliberate position changes. This dynamic switching capability allows the system to maintain high reliability during normal operation while enabling easy adjustment when required, resolving the contradiction between safety securing and operational flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety device operates in periodic cycles of locking and unlocking, providing continuous safety assurance during most operational phases while allowing periodic adjustments when needed. This periodic action pattern ensures reliability is maintained during critical phases while enabling ease of operation during planned maintenance or reconfiguration periods.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The present invention relates to a trailer (1) for a motor vehicle, comprising a chassis (3) and a drawbar (2), wherein the drawbar (2) extends in an X-direction (5) onto a support frame (4) of the chassis (3), which has at least one frame support (7) extending in the X-direction (5), and wherein the drawbar (2) has at least one drawbar support (8) which is connected to at least one of the frame supports (7). Space-saving storage and simplified handling of the trailer (1) are achieved by connecting at least one of the drawbar supports (8) and at least one of the frame supports (7) to each other via a guide arrangement (9), which allows the drawbar (2) to be adjusted relative to the chassis (3) in the X-direction (5) between a use position (10) and a storage position (11).