Hand Crank Anti-Rotation Bracket for Trailer Jockey Wheels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Support wheels for vehicle trailers experience unintentional hand crank rotation due to vibrations, leading to dangerous ground contact and extension of the jockey wheel during driving.
Innovation Solution
A hand crank anti-rotation device featuring a safety bracket that can be pivoted into and out of engagement with the hand crank, utilizing a clip holder and pivot bearing device to securely lock the hand crank in place, preventing unintentional rotation without requiring drill holes or material weakening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a hand crank is used to adjust the support wheel height, then the support wheel height can be adjusted, but the hand crank can rotate unintentionally due to vibrations causing dangerous ground contact
Solution Approach 1:
The safety bracket is positioned to preemptively block the hand crank's rotation path before unintentional rotation can occur. The bracket acts as a preventive barrier that stops vibrational forces from causing dangerous crank rotation, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of adjustment and rotational stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety bracket serves as an intermediary element between the hand crank and the external environment. It mediates the interaction by providing a physical barrier that prevents unwanted rotation while allowing intentional adjustment when the bracket is moved, thus maintaining both reliability and operational ease.
2Strength
If drilling holes in the outer tube for fastening the safety bracket, then the bracket can be securely mounted, but the material strength is weakened and water/dirt penetration risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp holder concentrates the mounting function at a specific localized area on the outer tube surface without requiring penetration into the tube material. This localized approach maintains the overall structural integrity and material strength of the outer tube while providing sufficient mounting security for the safety bracket.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting function is extracted from the outer tube material itself and transferred to the surface of the outer tube. The clamp holder utilizes the outer tube's surface geometry and material without requiring holes or openings, thereby preserving the tube's structural strength and preventing water/dirt penetration while still achieving secure bracket mounting.
3Reliability
If a complex anti-rotation device is designed, then rotation prevention can be achieved, but manufacturing cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The anti-rotation function is segmented into distinct functional components: the safety bracket for blocking rotation, the clamp holder for mounting, and the pivot bearing device for movement. This segmentation allows each component to be simple and inexpensive while collectively achieving reliable rotation prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of designing a complex active mechanism to prevent rotation, the invention uses a passive geometric barrier (the safety bracket) that relies on its shape and position to prevent crank rotation. This inverted approach—using a simple blocking structure rather than a complex control mechanism—greatly reduces device complexity and manufacturing cost while maintaining effective rotation prevention.
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5~8
AI summary
A hand-cranked anti-rotation device for support wheels of vehicle trailers has a locking bracket (15) which can be engaged and disengaged by a hand crank (4) of the support wheel (1) by means of a pivoting movement. Furthermore, a clamp bracket (14) is provided for pivoting the locking bracket (15), wherein the clamp bracket (14) has a retaining clamp (16) designed to enclose an outer tube (3) of the support wheel (1), and a pivot bearing device attached to the retaining clamp (16) for pivoting the locking bracket (15).