Trailer Steering System with Pivotable Wheel Hubs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing trailer designs with elongated axles struggle to maneuver tightly due to fixed wheel orientations, leading to potential off-roadside deviations during turns, especially in tractor-pulled trailers with extended lengths or multiple axles.
Innovation Solution
The trailer design incorporates pivotable wheel hubs and rotatable axle assemblies, allowing wheels to pivot about vertical axes and rotate relative to the trailer frame, facilitated by mechanical linkages and control bars that adjust wheel orientations based on tractor turns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If fixed wheel orientations are used in elongated trailers, then structural simplicity is maintained, but maneuverability deteriorates during tight turns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the wheel hubs pivotable relative to the axles, allowing the wheels to dynamically adjust their orientation during turns. The wheel hub can pivot about a vertical axis, enabling the wheel plane to change angle relative to the axle, which improves maneuverability during tight turns while maintaining structural simplicity through controlled dynamic adjustment rather than complex active control systems.
2Quantity of substance
If elongated trailers with multiple axles are used, then load capacity is improved, but turning radius increases causing off-roadside deviations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the trailer into multiple independently controllable axle assemblies, where each axle can be steered independently through the pivotable wheel hub mechanism. This allows differential steering of individual axles during turns, enabling the elongated trailer to navigate tighter curves and reduce off-roadside deviations while maintaining the load capacity provided by multiple axles.
3Ease of operation
If traditional steering mechanisms are used, then device complexity is minimized, but tire skid increases during turns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces tire skid by enabling dynamic adjustment of wheel orientation through the pivotable wheel hub mechanism. As the trailer turns, the wheel hub pivots to align the wheel plane with the turning direction, allowing the tires to roll more smoothly without lateral slipping. This dynamic alignment reduces tire skid and improves turn smoothness compared to traditional fixed-wheel steering mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A trailer has an elongated body and a plurality of wheeled frames. The frames are pivotable with respect to the elongated body to move their wheels about a respective first vertical axis. Wheels on the frame are also pivotable about a second vertical axis so that movement of the wheels about the second vertical axis moves the wheels with respect to the frame.