Work Vehicle Wheel Orientation Locking on Inclined Terrain
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing work vehicles struggle to maintain a stable stop position on inclined terrain for extended periods without the need for additional components like mechanical parking brakes, which increase cost and complexity.
Innovation Solution
The work vehicle employs a controller to independently steer and orient the drive wheels differently from each other, generating lateral friction to prevent rotation and maintain position, and incorporates hydraulic motors with controlled hydraulic fluid supply to lock wheels when stopped, ensuring stability on uneven terrain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical parking brake is mounted to maintain stop position on inclined land, then the stop position can be maintained for long periods, but the number of components increases and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drive wheels themselves provide the parking brake function by orienting at different angles, eliminating the need for a separate mechanical parking brake system. The controller automatically orients the drive wheels differently when drive control is stopped, and the friction between the drive wheels and ground maintains the stop position without additional components.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive wheels serve dual functions: propulsion during operation and parking brake during stopping. By controlling the orientations of the drive wheels to be different from each other, the system uses the existing drive wheels for both driving and braking functions, eliminating the need for dedicated parking brake components.
2Reliability
If brake mechanisms are mounted on drive wheels to maintain stop position, then stopping stability is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The drive wheels provide their own braking function through differential orientation control. When the controller stops drive control and orients the drive wheels differently, the friction between the drive wheels and ground automatically maintains the stop position without requiring separate brake mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical brake mechanisms with a control-based orientation system. Instead of using mechanical friction from brake pads, the system uses the friction between the drive wheels and ground by orienting the wheels at different angles, achieving braking through geometric configuration rather than mechanical components.
3Duration of action of moving object
If the work vehicle is stopped on inclined land for long periods, then the vehicle can rest, but the braking force decreases over time and the stop position is not maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The controller orients the drive wheels differently from each other before the vehicle begins to move or roll. This preliminary orientation creates friction between the drive wheels and ground that prevents rotation, establishing a stable stop position that is maintained throughout the entire stopping duration without degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a temporary control state (different wheel orientations) that is maintained only during the stopping period. This control-based solution replaces long-lasting mechanical brake components with a simpler, controller-managed orientation state that provides reliable stopping without the degradation issues of mechanical brakes over time.
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
The vehicle effectively maintains its stop position on inclined surfaces for extended periods without additional brakes, enhancing stability and reducing component count while allowing smooth travel on irregular terrain.
Implementation Method 1
each of the right and left drive wheels interacts with a force with each other in directions different from the rotation directions, and receives a reaction force in a lateral skidding direction from the ground. That is, when the drive wheel is about to roll, friction occurs between the drive wheel and the ground.
Data Source
AI summary
A work vehicle includes a vehicle body including a loading portion that is able to load a load, drive wheels located in front and rear on both right and left sides of the vehicle body and steerable separately, a steering angle detector to detect respective orientations of the drive wheels, and a controller configured or programmed to perform drive control to drive each of the drive wheels and control to change the respective orientations of the drive wheels separately. The controller is configured or programmed such that the respective orientations of a first of the drive wheels located on one of right and left sides of the vehicle body and a second of the drive wheels located on the other of the right and left sides of the vehicle body are different from each other when the drive control is stopped.