Wheel Fixing Looseness Detection Using Axle Acceleration Comparison
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wheel condition determination systems are influenced significantly by road surface conditions, making it difficult to accurately assess whether wheel fixing mechanisms are loose, especially at night or on various types of bad roads.
Innovation Solution
A wheel condition determination device that uses acceleration sensors to measure axle-direction accelerations, calculates variations in these accelerations, and compares them after smoothing to determine if wheel fixing mechanisms are loose, thereby canceling out road surface influences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If image-based determination is used to detect bad roads, then the system can identify road conditions, but the determination accuracy deteriorates on various types of bad roads and at nighttime
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the optical/image-based road detection system with an acceleration-based mechanical sensing system. By using acceleration sensors to detect vibration patterns and comparing variations between left and right wheels, the system can identify bad road conditions without relying on visual imaging, thereby maintaining high accuracy in wheel condition determination under all lighting and road conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces acceleration data as an intermediary parameter to bridge the gap between road condition detection and wheel condition determination. Instead of directly using images to determine wheel conditions, the system uses acceleration variations as a mediator that reflects both road surface characteristics and wheel fixing status, enabling accurate determination even when image-based detection fails.
2Device complexity
If acceleration threshold comparison is used to detect loose wheels, then the detection process is simple, but false positives occur due to road surface influences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the acceleration analysis by comparing left and right wheel accelerations separately. Instead of directly comparing each wheel's acceleration to a fixed threshold, the system calculates the difference between left and right wheel accelerations, effectively segmenting the road surface influence from the wheel condition signal. This maintains relative simplicity while significantly improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous monitoring and comparison of acceleration variations between left and right wheels. By continuously tracking the difference in acceleration patterns rather than relying on discrete threshold crossings, the system maintains simple operation while improving reliability through sustained observation of abnormal vibration patterns that indicate loose wheels.
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
Accurately determines if wheel fixing mechanisms are loose, reducing the likelihood of erroneous warnings and preventing wheel detachment by providing timely alerts.
Implementation Method 1
an acceleration sensor 6 that sequentially detects accelerations in an axle direction of each of the wheels
Data Source
AI summary
A wheel condition determination device can include an acceleration obtaining unit, a variation calculation unit, an index calculation unit, and a determination unit. The acceleration obtaining unit can sequentially obtain accelerations in an axle direction of each of wheels attached to both ends of an axle of a vehicle. The variation calculation unit can calculate, based on the sequentially obtained accelerations, variations in a time direction among the accelerations of each of the wheels. The index calculation unit can calculate an index for comparing the variations of the wheels. The determination unit can determine whether or not fixing mechanisms for fixing the wheels to the axle are loose, based on the index.