Work Vehicle Front Axle Bracket and Hitch Integration

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing working vehicles require a large number of parts and suffer from insufficient rigidity due to the separate attachment of front axle brackets and hitches using bolts, leading to potential shape accuracy issues and reduced structural integrity.

Innovation Solution

A working vehicle design where the front axle case is supported by two front axle brackets, with reinforced plates welded to beams and end parts of one bracket welded to these plates, and the other bracket's end parts welded to a bent plate member forming a front hitch, which is attached to the body frame, reducing the number of parts and enhancing structural rigidity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If separate parts including the body frame, the front axle bracket and the front hitch are fastened with bolts, then assembly flexibility is maintained, but the number of parts increases and rigidity of the body frame is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverigidity of the body frameVSAvoidnumber of parts

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The front axle bracket and front hitch are merged into a single integrated component. The front axle bracket forms a continuous structure that extends to include the front hitch portion, eliminating the need for separate attachment of these components. This integration reduces the total number of parts while maintaining assembly flexibility through the use of bolt connections at key interfaces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The integrated front axle bracket is designed with distinct functional segments: a main bracket portion for supporting the front axle case, and an extended hitch portion for attachment purposes. These segments are formed as one piece through bending and welding operations, allowing the structure to be manufactured in a single component while preserving the functional separation needed for different mounting requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Manufacturing precision

If separate parts including the body frame, the front axle bracket and the front hitch are fastened with bolts, then assembly flexibility is maintained, but shape accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshape accuracy of the body frameVSAvoidnumber of parts

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The front axle bracket and front hitch are merged into a single integrated component. The front axle bracket forms a continuous structure that extends to include the front hitch portion, eliminating the need for separate attachment of these components. This integration reduces the total number of parts while maintaining assembly flexibility through the use of bolt connections at key interfaces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The front axle bracket is pre-formed with bent portions and attachment holes positioned in advance during manufacturing. The continuous structure is created through preliminary bending and welding operations before final assembly, ensuring that shape accuracy is established during fabrication rather than relying on post-assembly alignment of multiple separate parts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of manufacture

If a large number of bolts are used to attach separate parts, then connection flexibility is maintained, but manufacturing cost and assembly time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing efficiencyVSAvoidnumber of bolts

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The front axle bracket and front hitch are merged into a single integrated component. The front axle bracket forms a continuous structure that extends to include the front hitch portion, eliminating the need for separate attachment of these components. This integration reduces the total number of parts while maintaining assembly flexibility through the use of bolt connections at key interfaces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

This design decreases the number of parts required, improves the shape accuracy and rigidity of the body frame, and effectively absorbs shape errors, while simplifying assembly and maintaining flexibility for easy maintenance.

Implementation Method 1

by welding reinforced plates to plate faces of the beams which face to each other

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectWelding: Welding

Implementation Method 2

by welding both end parts of one of the front axle brackets to the reinforced plates; and a front hitch formed by welding both end parts of the other front axle bracket to both end parts of a plate member which are bent

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectWelding: Welding

Data Source

PatentUS10351184B2Work vehicle

Publication Date: 2019.07.16 YANMAR POWER TECH CO LTD

AI summary

A working vehicle where a front axle case is supported by two front axle brackets includes a body flame formed by disposing beams at a prescribed interval, by welding reinforced plates to plate faces of the beams which face to each other, and by welding both end parts of one of the front axle brackets to the reinforced plates; and a front hitch formed by welding both end parts of the other front axle bracket to both end parts of a plate member which are bent. The front hitch is attached to the body flame such that the two front axle brackets are opposed to each other.