Automatic Wheel Adjustment Mechanism for Foldable Motorized Vehicles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current four-wheel motorized vehicles face safety issues during turning due to front wheels tilting when the front wheel stem is adjusted to an angle, causing one wheel to lift off the ground, which existing technologies are unable to address effectively.
Innovation Solution
An automatic wheel adjustment mechanism with a front wheel supporting shaft, connecting member, and shock absorbers ensures that both front wheels remain in contact with the ground during turns by using bearings and a connecting shaft to maintain parallelism with the ground, preventing tilting and enhancing driving safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the front wheel stem is adjusted to an angle through the angle adjustment mechanism, then the driver can hold the handle comfortably according to different physical conditions, but the front wheel stem assumes an inclined state which causes one of the two front wheels to tilt and lift off the ground during turning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a connecting member as an intermediary between the front wheel stem and the front wheels. This connecting member includes a connecting shaft that rotates relative to the front wheel supporting shaft through bearings, allowing the front wheel supporting shaft to swing parallel to the ground while the front wheel stem can be adjusted to an inclined angle for driver comfort. The intermediary mechanism decouples the steering motion from the wheel support, preventing wheel tilting while maintaining handle adjustability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the front wheel assembly into distinct functional components: the front wheel stem for angle adjustment, the connecting member for motion transmission, the front wheel supporting shaft for wheel mounting, and the connecting shaft for rotation. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently - the front wheel stem can be adjusted for comfort while the connecting shaft ensures the front wheels remain parallel to the ground during turning, resolving the safety issue.
2Device complexity
If the front wheel stem is fixedly connected to the front wheel stem directly, then the structure is simple, but when the front wheel stem is rotated to the left or the right, the front wheel stem drives an axle of the two front wheels to swing, causing one of the two front wheels to tilt with respect to the other one
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a connecting member as an intermediary between the front wheel stem and the front wheels. This connecting member includes a connecting shaft that rotates relative to the front wheel supporting shaft through bearings, allowing the front wheel supporting shaft to swing parallel to the ground while the front wheel stem can be adjusted to an inclined angle for driver comfort. The intermediary mechanism decouples the steering motion from the wheel support, preventing wheel tilting while maintaining handle adjustability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the fixed connection into a dynamic system where the connecting shaft can rotate relative to the front wheel supporting shaft through bearings. This dynamic connection allows the front wheel supporting shaft to swing in a manner that keeps the front wheels parallel to the ground, while the front wheel stem maintains its adjustable angle. The dynamic mechanism enables safe turning operation while preserving structural simplicity.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An automatic wheel adjustment mechanism (100) mounted between two front wheels (201A,201B) and a front wheel stem (202) of a foldable motorized vehicle, comprising: (a) a front wheel supporting shaft (1) having a bearing housing (11) positioned on the top center portion of the front wheel supporting shaft (1), a first connecting portion (12A), and a second connecting portion (12B) positioned on the front wheel supporting shaft (1), (b) a connecting member (2) having a ring (22) on one end and a connecting shaft (21) on other end, wherein the connecting shaft (21) extends upwards to form a connecting portion (21a), and (c) a plurality of bearings (3), wherein outer races of the bearings (3) is fixed at the center portion of the front wheel supporting shaft (1), the ring (22) of the connecting member (2) is connected to the lower end of the front wheel stem (202), the connecting shaft (21) of the connecting member (2) passes through and fixedly connected to the inner races of the plurality of the bearings (3).