Wheel Weight Assembly with Integrated Centering and Shared Fasteners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wheel weight assemblies for agricultural tractors are cumbersome to mount and dismount, require multiple bolts for weight attachment, and often necessitate the removal of centering cones, making them time-consuming and difficult to re-torque, while also being costly to produce and not allowing for easy variance in weight adjustment.
Innovation Solution
A wheel weight assembly featuring a starter weight mounted directly to the wheel center disk with bolts and long nuts, where the outer weight is centered using integral centering features and shares the same bolt and nut system as the starter weight, allowing for easy removal and re-torquing without interfering with wheel attachment or detachment, and accommodating varying weight configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If weights are attached using stud-type bolts that protrude through the wheel and weight, then weights can be secured to the wheel, but weight removal becomes time-consuming and re-torquing difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The weight assembly is divided into a starter weight and outer weights that can be independently removed. The starter weight remains attached to the wheel with bolts, while outer weights can be detached without removing the starter weight or wheel bolts, enabling quick weight adjustment without time-consuming complete disassembly
Solution Approach 2:
The bolt system is designed to allow dynamic configuration where bolts remain in the wheel but can accommodate different weight combinations. The long nuts and bolts stay positioned in the wheel, allowing weights to be added or removed by simply attaching or detaching weight components rather than removing and re-installing fasteners
2Manufacturing precision
If removable centering cones are used to position outer weight relative to inner weight, then centering is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The centering function is extracted from removable cones and integrated directly into the starter weight structure through permanent centering protrusions. These protrusions are built into the starter weight itself, eliminating the need for separate centering cones and reducing the number of components while maintaining precise centering capability
Solution Approach 2:
The centering function is merged with the starter weight structure by incorporating centering protrusions directly into the starter weight body. This integration combines the weight-bearing function and centering function into a single component, simplifying the overall assembly by eliminating separate centering elements
3Reliability
If multiple separate bolts are used for starter weight and outer weight attachment, then secure attachment is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The same long bolts and nuts are used for both securing the starter weight to the wheel and for attaching outer weights to the starter weight. This universal fastening system allows a single set of fasteners to perform multiple functions, reducing the total number of bolts needed and simplifying the attachment system while maintaining secure attachment of all weight components
Data Source
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AI summary
A wheel weight assembly for use on a vehicle wheel having a wheel disk section, the wheel weight assembly comprising: an annular starter weight mounted to the wheel disk section, the starter weight having a plurality of mounting bores extending axially therethrough; a plurality of nut members; a plurality of threaded members for attaching the starter weight to the wheel disk section, each threaded member extending through a corresponding one of the mounting bores and into a corresponding one of the nut members; an annular outer weight having a plurality of attaching bores aligned with the bores of the starter weight extending axially therethrough; and a plurality of attaching bolts, each attaching bolt extending through a corresponding one of the attaching bores and being threadably received by a corresponding one of the nut members, wherein the nut members are positioned between the starter weight and the outer weight.