Wheel Disc Rim Alignment via Locating Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Adjustable wheel systems for tractors face issues where the high spot out of center changes when the wheel track is altered, leading to a loss of tire and rim matching, due to rotational misalignment and tolerance variations during field assembly and disassembly.
Innovation Solution
A wheel design featuring a rim, disc, and spacer system with axially extending fasteners and a locating member, such as a dowel pin, that ensures the disc is securely positioned relative to the rim in specific orientations, preventing rotational misalignment during reassembly and maintaining the high spot's position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the disc is made detachable and repositionable to adjust track width, then adaptability is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates because the high spot position changes during reassembly
Solution Approach 1:
The locating member (dowel pin) is pre-positioned in the spacer at a specific location that corresponds to the high spot marking on the rim. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the disc is reassembled, it will automatically align with the correct orientation relative to the high spot, preventing rotational misalignment and maintaining manufacturing precision despite the detachable design.
Solution Approach 2:
The locating member acts as an intermediary element between the spacer and the disc/rim assembly. It mediates the alignment relationship, ensuring that the disc maintains its correct rotational position relative to the rim's high spot marking. This intermediary component transfers the positional information from the spacer to the disc, preserving the high spot position accuracy.
2Reliability
If the disc is securely fixed to the rim with multiple fasteners, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional locating mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is segmented into distinct functional components: fasteners for clamping force and the locating member for rotational positioning. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function effectively - the fasteners provide secure mechanical attachment while the locating member ensures correct orientation, thereby maintaining reliability without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The locating member replicates the high spot position information from the rim onto the disc assembly. By creating this positional copy through the dowel pin's fixed location in the spacer, the system ensures accurate reassembly without requiring complex alignment procedures or multiple locating features, thus maintaining simplicity while improving reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A wheel (10), including a rim (12) and a disc (14) by which the wheel (10) is attachable to a hub of a vehicle, the disc (14) being attachable to the rim (12) by means of generally axially extending fasteners (20), each of which passes through a respective opening (18) of the disc (14) and is received in a respective generally axially extending passage (24) provided in a connecting member (16) of the rim (12), wherein the wheel (10) also includes a spacer (40) having an axial depth to space the disc (14) from the connecting member (16) of the rim (12), the spacer (40) including an opening (42) through which a fastener (20) is receivable to connect the disc (14) to the connecting member (16) of the rim (10), and a locating member (44) which is receivable in a corresponding locating opening (26) in the connecting member of the rim (12).