Vehicle Equipment Attaching Device with Pivoting Frame Assemblies

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing equipment attaching devices face challenges in efficiently moving elongated goods, handling goods in inaccessible locations, and reducing strain on bearings, particularly when in a retracted position, leading to play and wear.

Innovation Solution

The equipment attaching device features a modular design with pivotally arranged frame assemblies connected by hydraulic cylinders, allowing for adjustable angles and reduced strain on bearings through pin-and-hole mechanisms, enabling efficient handling and movement of various equipment types, including elongated goods, and minimizing bearing stress.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the attachment bracket uses pivoting axles with bearings to enable rotation of frame assemblies, then the device can handle various equipment types and adjust angles, but play occurs in the bearings due to stressful forces and frequent use

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveability to handle various equipment typesVSAvoidbearing play and wear
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The device is divided into multiple frame assemblies (first, second, third) that are pivotally connected through bearings. This segmentation allows each assembly to rotate independently, enabling the handling of various equipment types while distributing mechanical stresses across multiple bearing points, thereby reducing wear on individual bearings.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The frame assemblies are designed to be dynamically pivotable relative to each other through bearings, allowing the attachment bracket to adapt its configuration based on the equipment being handled. This dynamic capability enables angle adjustment and rotation while the bearing design accommodates the resulting stresses.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Power

If the attachment bracket uses long lifting arms to create powerful lifting capability, then the device can lift heavy equipment, but this creates powerful strains on the bearings of the pivoting axles

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelifting capabilityVSAvoidstrain on bearings
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The lifting function is distributed across multiple frame assemblies rather than concentrated in a single long arm. The first, second, and third frame assemblies work together to provide lifting capability while reducing the moment arm length on individual bearings, thereby decreasing strain on each bearing while maintaining overall lifting power.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Volume of moving object

If the attachment bracket is designed to be compact when folded together, then the device can be stored efficiently, but strain is still placed on the bearings even when retracted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage compactnessVSAvoidstrain on bearings when retracted
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The strain-reducing mechanism is extracted as a separate functional element from the basic folding mechanism. When the frame assemblies are folded together for compact storage, the strain-reducing mechanism actively works to minimize forces transmitted to the bearings, allowing the device to maintain compactness without subjecting bearings to excessive strain during retraction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Ease of operation

If the attachment bracket lifts elongated goods in the transverse direction, then the device can pick up goods from inaccessible locations, but it becomes difficult to move the goods safely along trafficked roads

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveability to reach inaccessible goodsVSAvoidsafety issues when moving on roads
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The frame assemblies are designed with multiple degrees of freedom, allowing dynamic reconfiguration from a transverse lifting position to a longitudinal transport position. The first and second frame assemblies can rotate relative to each other, enabling the attachment bracket to pick up elongated goods transversely and then reorient them for safe longitudinal transport along trafficked roads.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3114073B1Equipment attaching device for vehicles
Publication Date: 2019.06.12 NINEPOINT HLDG
  • EP3114073B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP3114073B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP3114073B1 patent drawingFigure 2A

AI summary

Equipment attaching device (1) for equipment and vehicles comprised of at least one connecting device (18), with which the equipment attaching device (1) attaches to the vehicle's attachment bracket (3), and at least one connecting device (6) to which at least one exchangeable piece of equipment (4) may be attached. The equipment attaching device (1) being comprised of at least one first frame assembly (7) which via at least one bearing (10) is pivotal Ly arranged around a first axis of rotation (11) in relation to at least one second frame assembly (8) which via at least one second bearing (12) is pivotally arranged around a second axis of rotation (13) in relation to at least one third frame assembly (9). The connecting device (6) is pivotally arranged around an axis of rotation (19) which allows equipment attached to the connecting device (6) to be tilted up or down. The bearings (10, 12) include at least one adjustment device for adjustment of the bearings (10, 12) play and that the design includes at least one strain reducing device (22) to reduce the torque affecting the bearing (10) at the first axis of rotation (11) and/or bearing (12) at the second axis of rotation (13).