Vehicle tire guard device
Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to a vehicle tire guard that retracts in response to a force. In one embodiment, the vehicle tire guard device includes a tire guard extending downward from a vehicle frame and a retraction system attached to the vehicle frame. The retraction system includes a spring-loaded wheel with circumferential interface elements to engage with and retract the tire guard responsive to a vertical force applied to the tire guard, a curved cam affixed to a planar surface of the spring-loaded wheel, and a spring-loaded rod biased against the planar surface. The spring-loaded rod and cam interact to prevent rotation of the spring-loaded wheel to retract the tire guard until the vertical force exceeds a threshold.
1 . A vehicle tire guard device, comprising:
a tire guard extending downward from a vehicle frame; and
a retraction system attached to the vehicle frame, the retraction system comprising:
a spring-loaded wheel with circumferential interface elements to engage with and retract the tire guard responsive to a vertical force applied to the tire guard;
a curved cam affixed to a planar surface of the spring-loaded wheel; and
a spring-loaded rod biased against the planar surface, the spring-loaded rod and the curved cam interact to prevent rotation of the spring-loaded wheel to retract the tire guard until the vertical force exceeds a threshold.
2 . The vehicle tire guard device of claim 1 , wherein the spring-loaded wheel is biased to position the tire guard in a retracted position.
3 . The vehicle tire guard device of claim 1 , wherein rotation motion of the spring-loaded wheel translates the tire guard in a vertical direction.
4 . The vehicle tire guard device of claim 1 , wherein:
the curved cam comprises a sloped leading surface in a rotational direction of the spring-loaded wheel to retract the tire guard;
the spring-loaded rod sits in front of the sloped leading surface in the rotational direction and presses against the planar surface in absence of the vertical force; and
the vertical force causes the spring-loaded wheel to rotate such that the spring-loaded rod slides across the sloped leading surface.
5 . The vehicle tire guard device of claim 4 , wherein:
the curved cam further comprises an apex between the sloped leading surface and a sloped trailing surface;
the sloped trailing surface is orthogonal to the sloped leading surface; and
as the spring-loaded rod reaches the apex:
a clock spring of the spring-loaded wheel rotates the spring-loaded wheel; and
the circumferential interface elements retract the tire guard.
6 . The vehicle tire guard device of claim 4 , wherein the sloped leading surface is a multi-sloped surface.
7 . The vehicle tire guard device of claim 1 , wherein:
a spring force of a clock spring of the spring-loaded wheel is less than the spring force of a compression spring of the spring-loaded rod; and
a combination of the spring force of the clock spring and the vertical force is greater than the spring force of the compression spring.
8 . The vehicle tire guard device of claim 1 , wherein the circumferential interface elements comprise arms extending from the spring-loaded wheel that interact with slots formed in the tire guard.
9 . The vehicle tire guard device of claim 1 , further comprising a leading edge stop and a trailing edge stop affixed to the planar surface of the spring-loaded wheel on either side of the curved cam to prevent over-rotation of the spring-loaded wheel.
10 . The vehicle tire guard device of claim 1 , further comprising a retention device to translationally couple the tire guard to the vehicle frame, the retention device comprising a shaft attached to the tire guard which slides in a slot in the vehicle frame.