Vehicle Wheel Carrier Lever Mechanism for Crash Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle wheel carriers do not effectively prevent wheel intrusion into the vehicle interior during crashes, as they fail to release the wheel from the wheel guide, potentially causing injury to occupants and hindering spring support shifting.
Innovation Solution
A wheel carrier with a clamp fit connection to a suspension strut, featuring a lever with a fastening and impact portion, where the lever breaks under stress during a crash, releasing the clamp fit connection and allowing the wheel to move outward, thereby minimizing intrusion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the clamp fit connection is designed to be strong and secure, then the wheel carrier connection to suspension strut is reliable, but the wheel cannot be released during crash causing wheel intrusion into vehicle interior
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp fit connection is segmented into a clamp element and a lever element that can separate from each other. The lever element is designed to break away under crash forces, allowing the wheel carrier to be released from the suspension strut while maintaining secure connection during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection strength parameter is changed dynamically through the lever design. During normal operation, the lever maintains full clamping force. During crash, the lever breaks at a predetermined location, changing the connection state from secure to released, preventing wheel intrusion.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the wheel carrier is firmly connected to suspension strut, then wheel guidance is stable during normal operation, but spring support cannot shift inward during crash
Solution Approach 1:
The connection between wheel carrier and suspension strut is designed to be dynamic rather than static. The lever element can transition from a connected state (providing stable wheel guidance) to a broken state (allowing spring support displacement), enabling the system to adapt to different operational conditions.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a release mechanism is added to allow wheel release during crash, then wheel intrusion is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lever element is designed to automatically break away under crash forces without requiring external control systems, sensors, or active mechanisms. The predetermined break location ensures reliable release while maintaining a simple overall structure, balancing safety functionality with manufacturing simplicity.
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 ensures safe wheel movement during crashes, reducing the risk of wheel intrusion and allowing the spring support to shift inward, thus enhancing occupant safety and preventing wheel penetration into the vehicle body.
Implementation Method 1
By tightening of the screw connection, the further component, in particular the suspension strut, can be clamped via the clamp fit connection
Implementation Method 2
the fastening portion breaks. As soon as the fastening portion breaks out from under the screw head or under the nut, the screw loses approximately the entire prestressing force thereof
Data Source
AI summary
A wheel carrier of a vehicle has a clamp fit connection to a further component, preferably a suspension strut. The wheel carrier includes a screw connection with a screw for clamping the clamp fit connection, and a lever with a fastening portion and an impact portion. The fastening portion is fastened under a head of the screw or under a nut of the screw connection. The impact portion protrudes from the fastening portion in such a manner that, in the event of a vehicle crash and the associated deformation, a part of the vehicle brings about a force on the impact portion in order at least partially to release the screw connection. The fastening portion is designed in order at least partially to break out from under the head or the nut during the action of force on the lever.