Trailer Frame Dimple Assembly for Camber Precision
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing trailer frame manufacturing methods lack precision in achieving consistent camber, often requiring heat deformation and additional welding, which can alter material properties and lead to inconsistent load distribution and potential frame failure.
Innovation Solution
A bolt-together trailer frame design utilizing a dimple pattern assembly, where dimples on the axle section and adjacent sections are offset to create a preset camber, allowing for precise control of frame orientation and load distribution without heat deformation, using a dimple pattern to set the camber between sections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If heat deformation and welding are used to create camber, then camber can be achieved, but material properties are altered and consistency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is divided into separate sections (front section, axle section, rear section) that are manufactured independently and then assembled together using dimple patterns, allowing each section to maintain consistent material properties while achieving precise camber through the assembly configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal-mechanical system (heat and welding) with a purely mechanical assembly system using dimple patterns and fasteners, eliminating heat-induced material alterations while maintaining camber precision through geometric design
2Manufacturing precision
If welding is used to create camber, then camber can be adjusted, but additional welding is required and material properties are altered
Solution Approach 1:
The dimple patterns are pre-configured with specific offsets during manufacturing, so that when sections are assembled, the camber is automatically established without requiring field adjustments or additional welding operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the complex thermal-welding adjustment system with a simplified mechanical assembly system where camber is determined by the predetermined geometric relationship between dimple patterns on different frame sections
3Ease of manufacture
If frame members are pounded or mechanically deformed to achieve camber, then camber can be created, but consistency and precision are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the frame into separate sections with pre-configured dimple patterns, the patent eliminates the need for inconsistent manual deformation while maintaining ease of assembly through standardized mechanical connection points
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the approach from altering material shape through force (pounding) to altering the geometric configuration of connection points (dimple patterns), achieving precise camber through parameter design rather than physical deformation
4Manufacturing precision
If pre-assembled frames are manufactured, then camber can be set, but shipping difficulty increases and inventory is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the frame into separate sections that can be shipped individually in compact forms, eliminating the need for maintaining pre-assembled frame inventory while enabling precise camber to be established through the dimple pattern assembly process at the destination
Solution Approach 2:
The dimple patterns are pre-configured with precise geometric relationships during component manufacturing, so that when sections are assembled, the camber is automatically established without requiring pre-assembly of complete frames, enabling both precision and shipping efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
A trailer frame including an axle section having two spaced longitudinal frame members connected by at least one cross member, the longitudinal frame members each having a first end and a second end; a rear section attachable to the axle section; and a dimple assemble joining the axle section to the rear section, the dimple assembly including a dimple pattern formed on each frame member of the axle assembly, the dimple pattern on the axle assembly defining a first dimple axis, and a dimple pattern formed on one end of the rear section and nestable within the dimple pattern formed on the axle section, the dimple pattern on the rear section defining a second dimple axis offset relative to the first dimple axis to create a camber between the axle section and the rear section when the first dimple is nested within the second dimple pattern.