Variable Position Ball Joint for Multi-Ride-Height Camber Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle wheel camber angle settings are not adaptable to multiple ride heights, leading to inconsistent tire orientation and premature tire wear, as well as compromised vehicle dynamics.
Innovation Solution
A variable position ball joint with a spherical interface featuring non-concentric arcs that allows the center of rotation to move along a defined path during articulation, maintaining concentricity and changing the length of attached components, thus adjusting tire orientation consistently across varying ride heights.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed camber angle is set during vehicle alignment, then the wheel positioning is standardized for a specific ride height, but the tire orientation becomes inconsistent when the vehicle operates at different ride heights, leading to premature tire wear
Solution Approach 1:
The ball joint incorporates a variable center of rotation that dynamically adjusts based on ride height changes. The spherical interface with non-concentric arcs allows the center of rotation to move along a defined path, enabling the camber angle to adapt automatically as the suspension moves between different ride heights, thereby maintaining consistent tire orientation across varying conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the ball joint by using non-concentric arcs with specific radii and center points. These parameter changes create a variable position ball joint where the center of rotation shifts position during articulation, allowing the system to maintain proper camber angle across multiple ride heights rather than being fixed at a single position
2Reliability
If a variable position ball joint with non-concentric arcs is implemented, then consistent tire orientation across multiple ride heights is achieved, but the structural complexity of the ball joint increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses spherical interfaces with curved non-concentric arcs to achieve the variable center of rotation function. By employing spherical geometry with carefully designed arc paths, the complex function of adapting to multiple ride heights is achieved through elegant curved surfaces rather than through multiple discrete mechanical components, thereby reducing overall structural complexity while maintaining the desired functionality
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, apparatuses, and methods of a variable position ball joint with dynamic length are disclosed and include a ball, and a seat with a guide surface; an arc of the ball defines endpoints of an arc path for revolving the ball in the guide surface; a center point of the ball is concentric with a center of rotation of the seat so that the center point of the ball and the seat move in a single axis of movement; and an interface that guides the ball along the guide surface, wherein the guide surface is parallel to the single axis of movement to cause the ball to traverse the seat travel arc while maintaining a center of rotation concentric with the seat resulting in a change in length of an attached component with respect to a concentric center point of rotation during an articulation action of the ball joint.