Displacement assembly

Abstract

The invention relates to a displacement assembly (100), comprising a displacement unit (102) which is connected to a suspension unit (106) and can be displaced relative to the suspension unit (106). Two gears (108, 110) are connected to the suspension unit (106) in fixed positions, the rotational axes (R1, R2) of said gears being angled relative to each other, and the two gears (108, 110) are designed to mesh with a tooth surface (116) which is connected to the displacement unit (102) such that on the basis of the activation of the gears (108, 110), the displacement unit (102) is displaced relative to the suspension unit (106), wherein the tooth surface (116) and the teeth of the gears (108, 110) are designed such that in response to an activation of only one of the two gears (108, 110), teeth of the respective other gear (110, 108) are moved between teeth of the tooth surface (116). The invention additionally relates to a system (200) comprising such a displacement assembly (100).

Description

[0001] Relocation order

[0002] Description

[0003] The invention relates to a displacement arrangement comprising a displacement unit connected to a suspension unit and displaceable relative to the suspension unit. The invention further relates to a system comprising such a displacement arrangement and at least one pivotable component arranged on the displacement unit of the displacement arrangement.

[0004] Such systems are known from the prior art, for example, in the form of lighting units comprising displacement arrangements of the type mentioned above and used, for example, in the field of medical technology, particularly in surgical technology. A specific application in this case is the illumination of a surgical wound. However, it should be noted at this point that, although the invention will be partially explained below using the example of illuminating surgical wounds, no limitation of any kind can be derived from this.

[0005] To achieve ideal illumination of a surgical wound, also known as the "situs," the surgeon usually has to manually adjust the light during the operation, according to state-of-the-art technology. This requires complex mechanical components for the lights, and the surgeon must repeatedly interrupt their normal work every time they adjust the light. This can prolong the operation and thus place additional strain on the patient.

[0006] Although lighting units with motor-operated adjustment arrangements have been proposed in the past, it has become apparent that the mechanics used in this context are generally unable to meet the requirements for optimal adjustability while simultaneously maintaining high reliability, minimal installation space, and reasonable manufacturing costs.

[0007] It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a displacement arrangement and a lighting unit with such a displacement arrangement, which can remedy this situation.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the invention, this object is achieved by a displacement arrangement comprising a displacement unit which is connected to a suspension unit and is displaceable relative to the suspension unit, wherein two gears are connected in a positionally fixed manner to the suspension unit, the axes of rotation of which are arranged at an angle to one another, wherein the two gears are designed to mesh with a tooth surface which is connected to the displacement unit such that, due to an activation of the gears, the displacement unit is displaced relative to the suspension unit, wherein the tooth surface is designed and the teeth of the gears are designed such that, upon activation of only one of the two gears, teeth of the respective other gear move between teeth of the tooth surface.

[0009] According to the invention, the displacement of the displacement unit can be achieved in at least two, particularly mutually orthogonal, directions solely through the interaction of the two gears with a single tooth surface. The two gears forming a drive thus interact with a tooth surface forming the common output. As a result, a particularly compact yet versatile displacement arrangement can be provided.

[0010] Preferably, the rotational axis of the non-activated gear, whose teeth move between the teeth of the tooth surface, runs substantially parallel to a direction of displacement of the displacement unit caused by the activation of one gear. In particular, the teeth of the other gear can move between the teeth of the tooth surface in a substantially sliding manner, i.e., substantially without a rolling motion.

[0011] Likewise, by simultaneously activating both gears, a displacement of the displacement unit can be effected, which corresponds to a superposition of the displacements caused by activating only one of the two gears. As a result, the invention also allows for a particularly versatile adjustable displacement arrangement, which consistently enables optimal illumination, particularly during complex surgical procedures. Activating the gears can correspond to a clockwise or counterclockwise rotation.

[0012] Preferably, the axes of rotation of the gears can run in a common plane and / or be arranged at an angle of 60° to 120°, preferably of 80° to 100°, particularly preferably substantially orthogonal or orthogonal, to one another.

[0013] In order to achieve sufficiently reliable, i.e. wear-resistant, toothing of the tooth surface that can nevertheless be produced with reasonable effort, one embodiment of the invention proposes that the teeth of the tooth surface and / or the teeth of the gears can be designed essentially conically and / or involutely and / or round and / or as a rack and pinion toothing. Also, the teeth of the tooth surface and / or the gears do not necessarily have to be identical to one another, but each tooth or a predetermined number of teeth can be designed differently from one another. In this context, it should be noted that each tooth of the tooth surface should be designed such that it can mesh with the teeth of the gears with an orthogonal pivot axis in order to bring about the corresponding displacement of the displacement unit.The teeth of the tooth surface can, for example, have four tooth flanks, each consisting of two pairs of two opposing tooth flanks, with each opposing tooth flank being configured to mesh with one of the two gears of the suspension unit. Furthermore, the teeth of the tooth surface can also be rotationally symmetrical, for example, conical or truncated cone-shaped. This proves particularly advantageous in the case of rotational displacement.

[0014] In principle, the displacement unit can be connected to the suspension unit in such a way that the displacement unit can be displaced translationally relative to the suspension unit. If the displacement unit according to the invention is used, for example, in conjunction with a lighting unit, it can be advantageous if an arrangement angle of the displacement unit relative to the suspension unit, and thus a light emission angle of the lighting unit, can also be adjustable. Advantageously, the displacement unit can therefore be connected to the suspension unit via an articulated bearing and can be pivoted relative to the suspension unit, wherein the articulated bearing can comprise at least one pivot axis. As a result, the activation of the two gearwheels can bring about a pivoting movement of the displacement unit relative to the suspension unit about the at least one pivot axis.

[0015] In a further development of this embodiment, the tooth surface can have a curvature, wherein the central axis of the curvature can coincide with the at least one pivot axis. This enables the two gears to continuously mesh, i.e., engage, with the tooth surface regardless of the prevailing pivot angle.

[0016] If the displacement unit is connected to the suspension arrangement via the articulated bearing so that it can pivot about more than one pivot axis, the tooth surface can have a curvature for each pivot axis in an analogous manner, whereby a central axis of a curvature can coincide with an associated pivot axis.

[0017] Advantageously, the rotational axes of the two gears can be not only angled to each other, but also skewed. With skewed rotational axes, the two gears can therefore have different diameters. Alternatively, it is conceivable for the rotational axes of the two gears to intersect, which leads to a particularly compact design of the displacement arrangement according to the invention.

[0018] To further ensure that the meshing of the two gears can occur with the least possible sliding component and thus low wear, it is preferable for at least one of the rotational axes of the two gears to run substantially parallel to the at least one pivot axis. In this context, "substantially parallel" means in particular that an angle formed between at least one of the rotational axes and the at least one pivot axis is at most ±10°, preferably at most ±5°, but particularly preferably 0°.

[0019] Furthermore, it is fundamentally conceivable to design the toothing of the gears or the tooth surface as helical gearing or worm gearing. This consequently allows an angled arrangement between the rotational axis of a respective gear and the at least one pivot axis of the articulated bearing.

[0020] In order to be able to adjust a virtually unlimited number of displacement positions of the displacement unit relative to the suspension arrangement, a further embodiment proposes that the articulated mounting be a cardanic mounting with two pivot axes, in which the two pivot axes are arranged orthogonally to each other. A cardanic mounting can also prove particularly advantageous in conjunction with a lighting unit mentioned above, since it not only enables a corresponding variety of light beam angles but can also be used in conjunction with, for example, recessed ceiling lights.

[0021] If the tooth surface has the above-mentioned curvature, the tooth surface can advantageously be at least partially spherical, i.e. at least partially simulate a spherical surface section.

[0022] Additionally or alternatively, a center of curvature of the tooth surface may coincide with an intersection point between two pivot axes of the articulated bearing.

[0023] To activate, i.e., preferably to drive the two gears in rotation, each gear can be assigned a separate drive unit configured to activate the respective gear. In this context, a signal input of the respective drive unit can be connected to a corresponding signal output of a control unit. The control unit can, but does not have to, be a component of the displacement arrangement according to the invention and can preferably be configured to control the two drive units and thus the two gears in such a way that a desired displacement of the displacement unit relative to the suspension unit is achieved.

[0024] It should also be added that in order to achieve low-friction meshing between gears and tooth surface, the tooth flanks of the teeth of the gears and / or the tooth flanks of the teeth of the tooth surface can be laterally chamfered and / or can have a friction-reducing coating and / or can be rotationally symmetrical, for example conical or truncated conical.

[0025] According to a further aspect of the invention, the above-mentioned object is achieved by a system comprising a displacement arrangement according to the invention and at least one component to be pivoted, which is arranged on the displacement unit of the displacement arrangement. This results in several advantages, for example, easier cable routing, since any cables required for the component are not moved, thus eliminating the risk of cable breakage, and a higher adjustment speed, since the moving mass is smaller. Furthermore, the motors of the gearwheels can be of identical design, since no motor needs to move the other. This also leads to a smaller installation space.

[0026] The component to be pivoted can, for example, comprise a light source and / or a camera and / or a laser pointer and / or a mirror tile or the like. If the component to be pivoted is, for example, the light source, the system can be configured so that a displacement of the displacement unit relative to the suspension unit causes a change in the area illuminated by the light source.

[0027] Thus, the beam angle of the illuminant can be adjusted by the space-saving displacement arrangement according to the invention. The control signal for this purpose can be transmitted to the displacement arrangement, for example, from an input unit operated by a user, e.g., a surgeon, and / or from a control unit based on a detected parameter, in particular an illuminance of a predetermined area, and / or sensor information, e.g., from a depth camera.

[0028] If, for example, a plurality of systems according to the invention with a light source or the like are mounted on a ceiling of an operating room or the like, a significantly improved illumination of a surgical wound can be achieved.

[0029] With regard to the further advantages and effects of the system according to the invention, reference is made to the above discussion of the displacement arrangement according to the invention.

[0030] The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment in the accompanying drawings. They show:

[0031] Figure 1 A is a perspective view of a displacement arrangement according to the invention according to an embodiment,

[0032] Figure 1 B shows the displacement arrangement according to Figure 1 A in a pivoted state starting from Figure 1 A,

[0033] Figure 2 is a side view of the displacement arrangement of Figure 1 B in the pivoted state,

[0034] Figure 3 is a partial perspective view of the displacement assembly according to the invention, in which the tooth surface and the gears are removed, Figure 4 is a partial perspective view of the displacement assembly of Figure 1B, in which the suspension unit is removed, and

[0035] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the displacement arrangement of Figure 1A, which is supplemented by a motor holding element for attaching motors to gears.

[0036] In Figure 1, a displacement arrangement according to the invention is generally designated by reference numeral 100. The displacement arrangement 100 comprises a displacement unit 102, which is connected to a suspension unit 106 and is displaceable relative thereto. Two gears 108 and 110 are connected in a fixed position to the suspension unit 106. The gears 108 and 110 are rotatable about rotation axes R1 and R2, respectively.

[0037] R2 is rotatable. For this purpose, a motor 112 is assigned to gear 108, while a corresponding motor 114 is assigned to gear 110. The motors 112 and 114 can be embodied as electric motors and electrically connected to an electrical energy source not shown in the drawings.

[0038] The two gears 108 and 110 mesh with a tooth surface 116, which is connected to the displacement unit 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the tooth surface 116 is screwed to the displacement unit 102 via fastening means in the form of screws 118.

[0039] The two gears 108 and 110 mesh with the tooth surface 116 such that, upon activation of the gears 108 and / or 110, i.e., rotation of the gears about the rotation axes R1 and R2, respectively, the displacement unit 102 is displaced relative to the suspension unit 106. In the illustrated embodiment, the displacement of the displacement unit 102 can consist of pivoting about a pivot axis S1 and / or pivoting about a pivot axis S2. For this purpose, the displacement unit 102 is pivotally connected to an intermediate suspension unit 120 via a bearing 107a of an articulated bearing 107, thereby enabling pivoting about the pivot axis S2.The intermediate suspension unit 120 is in turn pivotally connected to the suspension unit 106 via a bearing 107b of the articulated support 107, allowing pivoting of the intermediate suspension unit 120 and thus of the displacement unit 102 about the pivot axis S1 relative to the suspension unit 106. The suspension unit 106 and the intermediate suspension unit 120 thus form the articulated support 107 in the form of a cardanic suspension with the two intersecting pivot axes S1 and S2.

[0040] The tooth surface 116 can be configured such that a central axis of curvature M1 and / or M2 of a curvature of the tooth surface 116 coincides with the pivot axis S1 and / or S2 (see Figure 2). The teeth of the tooth surface 116 and the corresponding teeth of the gears 108 and 110 are further configured such that upon activation of only one of the two gears 108, 110, the teeth of the other gear move between the teeth of the tooth surface 116. Thus, if only one of the two gears 108 and 110 is rotated, the teeth of the non-rotating gear do not move about the respective rotation axis R1 or R2, but merely perform a sliding movement relative to the teeth of the tooth surface 116, which is caused by the rotation of the other gear. However, it is of course also conceivable to activate both the gear 108 and the gear 110 simultaneously, ie to rotate the axes R1 and R2 respectively.R2 to rotate, so that the displacement unit 102 is displaced or pivoted both about the pivot axis S1 and about the pivot axis S2. In this case, a drive movement of the respective gear meshing with the tooth surface can then take place superimposed on the sliding movement described above. In Figure 1A, the displacement arrangement 100 is shown in a vertical state, i.e. in a state in which the displacement unit 102 is neither pivoted about the pivot axis S1 nor about the pivot axis S2. Figure 1B, on the other hand, shows the displacement arrangement 100 of Figure 1A after it has been pivoted about the pivot axis S1 or S2 due to a rotation of the gears 108 and 110 about the rotation axes R1 or R2. However, as already mentioned above, starting from the configuration shown in Figure 1A, the displacement unit 102 can also be displaced only about the pivot axis S1 or the pivot axis S2.

[0041] Figure 2 shows a side view of the displacement arrangement 100 in the configuration shown in Figure 1B. In the illustrated embodiment, the axes of rotation R1 and R2 of the gears 108 and 110, respectively, are arranged orthogonally to one another. However, it should be noted that this is not absolutely necessary. The axes of rotation R1 and R2 can also be angled in some other way, i.e., at an angle other than 90° to one another, as required. Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, the axes of rotation R1 and R2 are arranged such that they are skewed to one another (see Figure 2). Nevertheless, it is also conceivable for the axes of rotation R1 and R2 to be arranged such that they intersect.

[0042] In an analogous manner, in the illustrated embodiment, the pivot axes S1 and S2 are arranged orthogonally to each other.

[0043] As can be seen, for example, in Figures 1A, 1B, 2, 4 and 5, the tooth surface 116 in the illustrated embodiment is spherical, i.e. it simulates a section of a spherical surface. A center of curvature of the tooth surface 116 can coincide with an intersection point SP of the two pivot axes S1 and S2 (see Figure 2). It should also be added that the teeth of the gears 108 and 110 and / or the teeth of the tooth surface 116 can be substantially conical and / or involute and / or round and / or designed as a rack and pinion gear. The teeth of the gears 108 and 110 and / or the teeth of the tooth surface 116 can also be chamfered laterally and / or have a friction-reducing coating (not shown).

[0044] For a better overview, Figure 3 shows the displacement unit 102 without the tooth surface 116 and the gears 108 and 110.

[0045] Figure 4, on the other hand, shows the displacement unit 102 with the tooth surface 116 arranged thereon as well as the associated gears 108 and 110, wherein the suspension unit 106 and the intermediate suspension unit 120 are omitted.

[0046] The displacement arrangement 100 shown in Figure 5 corresponds to the displacement arrangement 100 according to Figures 1A and 1B, but is additionally supplemented by a motor mounting element in the form of a motor mounting plate 122 for the motors 112 and 114 of the gears 108 and 110, respectively. The motor mounting plate 122 can be screwed to the motor 112 via a screw connection 122a (only schematically indicated) and to the motor 114 via a screw connection 122b (also only schematically indicated). In addition to screw connections, other suitable fastening methods, such as gluing, welding, soldering, and the like, can be used.

[0047] The motors 112 and 114, and thus the gears 108 and 110, can be connected in a fixed position to the suspension unit 106 via the motor mounting plate 122. This can also be done via screw connections 122c and 122d, or the like, which are only indicated schematically here.

[0048] A light source 104 is arranged on the displacement unit 102 as a component to be pivoted. The displacement arrangement 100 and the light source 104 thus form a system 200 in the form of a lighting unit 200, wherein the lighting unit 200 is configured such that a displacement of the displacement unit 102 relative to the suspension unit 106 causes a change in the area illuminated by the light source 114. However, it should be noted that the system according to the invention is not limited to a lighting unit. Alternatively, a camera and / or a laser pointer and / or a mirror tile or the like can also be arranged on the displacement unit 102 as a component to be pivoted, instead of the light source 114.

Claims

Claims Displacement arrangement (100), comprising a displacement unit (102) which is connected to a suspension unit (106) and is displaceable relative to the suspension unit (106), wherein two gear wheels (108, 110) are connected in a positionally fixed manner to the suspension unit (106), the axes of rotation (R1, R2) of which are arranged at an angle to one another, wherein the two gear wheels (108, 110) are designed to mesh with a tooth surface (116) which is connected to the displacement unit (102) such that due to an activation of the gear wheels (108, 110), the displacement unit (102) is displaced relative to the suspension unit (106), wherein the tooth surface (116) is designed and the teeth of the gear wheels (108, 110) are designed such that, upon activation only one of the two gears (108, 110), teeth of the other gear (110, 108) move between teeth of the tooth surface (116).Displacement arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotation axes (R1, R2) of the gears (108, 110) extend in a common plane and / or are arranged at an angle of 60° to 120°, preferably of 80° to 100°, particularly preferably substantially orthogonally, to one another. Displacement arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the displacement unit (102) is connected to the suspension unit (106) via an articulated bearing (107) and is pivotable relative to the suspension unit (106). is pivotable, wherein the articulated bearing (107) comprises at least one pivot axis (S1, S2). Displacement arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that the tooth surface (116) has a curvature, wherein a central axis (M1, M2) of the curvature coincides with the at least one pivot axis (S1, S2). Displacement arrangement according to claim 4, characterized in that the tooth surface (116) has a curvature for each pivot axis (S1, S2), wherein a central axis (M1, M2) of a curvature coincides with an associated pivot axis (S1, S2). Displacement arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the axes of rotation (R1, R2) of the two gearwheels (108, 110) intersect or are skew relative to one another.Displacement arrangement according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that at least one of the rotation axes (R1, R2) of the two gearwheels (108, 110) runs substantially parallel to the at least one pivot axis (S1, S2). Displacement arrangement according to one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the articulated bearing (107) is a cardanic bearing with two pivot axes (S1, S2), in which the two pivot axes (S1, S2) are arranged orthogonal to one another. Displacement arrangement according to one of claims 3 to 8, characterized in that the tooth surface (116) at least. is partially spherical, i.e. at least partially simulates a section of a spherical surface. Displacement arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a center of curvature of the tooth surface coincides with an intersection point (SP) between two pivot axes (S1, S2) of the articulated bearing (107). Displacement arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each gear (108, 110) is assigned a separate drive unit (112, 114) which is designed to activate the respective gear (108, 110). Displacement arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the teeth of the gears (108, 110) or the teeth of the tooth surface (116) are substantially conical and / or involute and / or round and / or designed as a rack and pinion gear.Displacement arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that tooth flanks of the teeth of the gears (108, 110) and / or tooth flanks of the teeth of the tooth surface (116) are laterally chamfered and / or have a friction-reducing coating. System (200) comprising a displacement arrangement (100) according to one of the preceding claims and at least one pivotable component (104) which is attached to the. Displacement unit (102) of the displacement arrangement (100) is arranged.

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