Wheel Steering Angle Adjustment Device for Man-Powered Vehicles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wheel steering devices for vehicles operated by manpower, such as walking aids and strollers, allow for unrestricted 360° rotation of wheels, posing a risk of unexpected direction changes, especially for elderly or mobility-impaired users who require adjusted steering angles within a specified range.
Innovation Solution
A wheel steering angle adjustment device featuring a fixed body, a rotation body, a lift member, a locking switch, and multi-stage groove portions that limit the rotational angle of the wheel, allowing users to select and restrict the steering range through a clothespin-like mechanism, ensuring the wheel can rotate within 0°, 90°, or 360° based on user needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the wheel is allowed to rotate freely for 360° steering, then the vehicle has high maneuverability and ease of operation, but it creates safety risks by allowing unexpected direction changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by providing multiple fixed groove portions at different angular positions (e.g., 0°, 45°, 90°, 135°) around the rotation support. By changing the rotational position parameter of the lift member, users can select different steering angle ranges, transforming the system from a single fixed state to multiple adjustable states that balance maneuverability with safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by making the steering angle limitation adjustable rather than fixed. The lift member can be rotated to different positions and locked using the locking switch, allowing the system to dynamically adapt between full 360° rotation for high maneuverability and limited rotation ranges for safety, depending on user needs and operating conditions.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the steering angle is restricted to a limited range, then user safety is improved by preventing unexpected direction changes, but the vehicle loses some maneuverability
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the steering angle limitation through the rotatable lift member and locking mechanism. Users can switch between limited rotation ranges (improving safety) and full 360° rotation (improving maneuverability) based on real-time operational needs, making the safety-maneuverability trade-off adjustable rather than fixed.
Solution Approach 2:
By providing multiple fixed groove portions at different angular positions and allowing rotation of the lift member between them, the system changes the steering angle parameter from a single fixed value to multiple selectable values, enabling optimization of the safety-maneuverability balance for different operating scenarios.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a locking mechanism is added to restrict wheel rotation, then safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking switch is designed to be operable by the user without requiring external assistance or complex tools. The clothespin-like structure with spring-loaded arms allows users to easily engage and disengage the locking mechanism themselves, maintaining simplicity in operation despite the added safety function.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking function is extracted as a separate, modular component (locking switch with fixing protrusion and fixing groove) that can be independently operated. This separation allows the safety limitation feature to be added without fundamentally redesigning the entire steering mechanism, thus limiting the increase in overall device complexity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multi-stage groove portions are used to provide multiple steering angle options, then adaptability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotation guide groove is segmented into multiple fixed groove portions at different angular positions around the rotation support. This segmentation allows the system to provide multiple discrete steering angle options (high adaptability) while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure, as each groove portion is a straightforward geometric feature rather than a complex mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
This application relates to a wheel steering angle adjustment device for a vehicle operated by manpower. The device may include a fixed body including a rotation support, a rotation body, a lift member coupled to the rotation support, a locking switch coupled to the lift member, and a plurality of fixing groove portions in the outer peripheral surface of the rotation support. The device may also include a fixing protrusion protruding from the locking switch and configured to be detachably coupled to the fixing groove portions, a rotation range limiting stopper provided on a lower portion of the lift member, and a rotation guide groove portion provided concavely in an upper surface of the rotation body. As the rotation range limiting stopper becomes stuck on an end portion of the rotation guide groove portion, an angle by which the rotation body is rotatable relative to the fixed body is limited.