Wheel Carrier Camber Adjustment via Plug Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for adjusting camber and toe of vehicle wheels are complex in construction and assembly, requiring additional screw connections that complicate the process and increase production costs.
Innovation Solution
A wheel carrier system using tapered roller bearings with a plug connection and X-shaped bearing arrangement, eliminating the need for screw connections by incorporating the bearing housing and adjusting ring in a preloaded assembly, and utilizing steel for bearing components and light metal for less stressed parts to simplify assembly and reduce weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If screw connections are used to secure the wheel bearing to the carrier member, then the connection strength is improved, but the device complexity and assembly difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the wheel bearing housing integration with the carrier member by using a plug connection that merges these two components into a unified structure, eliminating the need for separate screw connections and reducing assembly complexity while maintaining structural strength
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the screw connections from the assembly process and replaces them with a plug connection system, removing the harmful factor of complex assembly while preserving the necessary connection function through the pressed-fit bearing housing into the carrier member
2Reliability
If additional screw connections are added to secure components, then the reliability of component fixation is improved, but the ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing housing is merged with the carrier member through a plug connection system where the bearing housing is pressed directly into the carrier member, combining multiple functions into a single integrated component that maintains reliability while simplifying manufacturing and assembly processes
3Strength
If traditional bearing assembly methods are used, then the structural integrity is maintained, but the weight of the wheel carrier system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material construction by using steel for bearing components that require high strength and stiffness, while using light metal for the wheel carrier housing and other less stressed parts, optimizing the weight-strength ratio of the overall assembly
Solution Approach 2:
Different materials are applied to different parts of the wheel carrier system based on their specific functional requirements - steel is used locally for bearing races and housing where high strength is needed, while light metal is used for the carrier housing where lower strength requirements allow weight reduction
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a robust, easily producible, and simplified assembly process for wheel bearing integration, reducing production complexity and weight while maintaining adjustable camber and toe angles, and effectively supporting radial and axial forces.
Implementation Method 1
The tapered roller bearings of the rotary parts with a common rotational axis are inclined with respect to each other in an X-shaped bearing arrangement
Implementation Method 2
The adjusting ring can be directly or indirectly axially adjustable via a threaded connection in the guide member
Implementation Method 3
The bearing housing is pressed by the bearing assembly formed by the rotary parts into a plug connection with the carrier member
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for adjusting the camber and/or toe of a motor vehicle wheel includes a wheel carrier, on which the wheel is rotatably mounted. The wheel carrier is divided into a carrier member receiving the wheel via a wheel bearing, an axle-side guide member, and a bearing assembly arranged therebetween. The bearing assembly includes rotary parts which can be rotated relative to each other and relative to both the carrier member and the guide member and which interact with confronting inclined faces. The wheel bearing includes a radially outer bearing housing, which is clamped by the bearing assembly formed from the rotary parts into a plug-and-socket connection with the carrier member.