Suspension Wishbone Bearing with Variable Thickness Grooves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle front suspension wishbones face challenges in adapting to different cylindrical wedges of varying diameters, leading to unnecessary material surplus and weight when using smaller diameter wedges, as they require the same fitting height as larger diameter wedges to maintain mechanical integrity, resulting in overweight suspension triangles.
Innovation Solution
A receiving bearing with a non-constant axial thickness, featuring grooves at the upper and lower parts, allowing the bearing to be adapted to different shim diameters by varying the thickness according to the radial direction, reducing the fitting height of smaller diameter wedges to minimize material usage and weight, while maintaining mechanical strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the fitting height of the bearing is increased to accommodate larger diameter wedges, then the mechanical strength is improved, but the weight of the suspension wishbone increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing thickness is made non-uniform by creating grooves at specific locations (upper and lower parts of the bearing). This allows the bearing to have varying thickness in different radial directions, providing sufficient strength where needed while reducing material where less strength is required, thereby reducing overall weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing design allows for adaptability to different wedge diameters by modifying the bearing thickness profile through grooves. This dynamic adaptation capability enables the same bearing structure to serve multiple functions with different size requirements, optimizing the weight-strength balance for each specific application.
2Weight of moving object
If the bearing thickness is reduced for smaller diameter wedges, then the weight is reduced, but the mechanical strength may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly reducing bearing thickness, grooves are created at specific locations to achieve non-uniform thickness distribution. This ensures that the bearing maintains sufficient thickness and strength at critical locations while reducing material and weight in non-critical areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The grooves are pre-formed in the bearing structure during manufacturing, creating the non-uniform thickness profile in advance. This preliminary structuring ensures that when smaller diameter wedges are installed, the bearing already has the optimized thickness distribution needed to provide adequate strength with minimal weight.
3Reliability
If the bearing is designed with fixed thickness to maintain strength, then the reliability is improved, but the adaptability to different wedge sizes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing design incorporates grooves that create a non-uniform thickness profile, enabling the same bearing structure to adapt to different wedge diameters. This dynamic design maintains reliability by ensuring sufficient thickness where needed while providing versatility for different wedge sizes.
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing with non-uniform thickness created by grooves serves multiple functions: it can accommodate different wedge diameters (50mm and 68mm) while maintaining adequate strength for each application, making the suspension wishbone more versatile and adaptable to different vehicle configurations.
Data Source
Figure 1~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a mechanical part comprising a receiving bearing (12) suitable for receiving at least two different possible cylindrical shims, each possible cylindrical shim having a predetermined diameter (D, D') and insertion height (H, H'), characterised in that the receiving bearing (12) consists of a receiving opening having a slightly smaller diameter than the diameter (D') of the shim (E2') having the smallest diameter and having an axial thickness ("e") that varies depending on the radial direction of the bearing in order to be equal, for each possible shim diameter (D, D'), to the desired insertion height (H, H') of said possible shim, the adaptation of the mechanical part to the cylindrical shim selected among the possible shims being carried out by boring the receiving bearing (12) to the diameter of said selected cylindrical shim.