Roller-based height adjustment system for leveling instrument

Abstract

To provide a roller-based height adjustment system for leveling and repositioning an instrument to be relocated at a desired vertical height relative to a ground reference.SOLUTION: A wheel assembly 3 further comprises a rotary shaft 5 with threaded end portions, lead screw nuts, swing levers, rods and wheels. The roller-based height adjustment system 1 allows an instrument to be relocated at a desired vertical elevation, where the instrument can be a subunit of a bigger interconnected instrument system. The roller-based height adjustment system 1 facilitates height adjustment of each of the subunits, such that they are aligned in relation to one another and can be coupled accurately. Furthermore, the roller-based height adjustment system 1 reduces the manual work needed to relocate the subunits of the instrument system.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to height adjustment systems, and more particularly to roller-based height adjustment systems for leveling and repositioning equipment. [Background technology]

[0002] Various lifting devices are known in the art. For example, U.S. Patent No. 4,219,186 discloses a system for enabling a wheeled truck to cooperate with a relatively stationary lift table assembly. The truck is carried thereon to its selectively engaged position and elevated using a lift table equipped with a scissor jack linkage. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] However, current systems do not facilitate the repositioning and alignment of equipment, making equipment alignment cumbersome. An equipment may be a subunit of a larger equipment system in which several pieces of equipment are interconnected. To assemble an equipment system comprising multiple subunits, it is necessary to adjust the height of each of the subunits so that they can be aligned with each other and precisely connected. A common practice is to manually position each subunit, and once positioned, its height is adjusted using four support legs attached to the subunit's frame. Conventional methods for positioning and aligning subunits typically require the effort of multiple people and involve multiple readjustment steps due to the size and weight of the subunits in the equipment system.

[0004] In the following, when we refer to positioning of the equipment, we mean positioning of the equipment in the xy plane parallel to the floor. When we refer to height adjustment, adjustment or "adjusting", we mean leveling of the equipment in the z direction perpendicular to the floor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a roller-based height adjustment system that allows mounted equipment to be directly repositioned to a desired height, facilitating assembly of the equipment system. According to the present invention, the roller-based height adjustment system includes a frame and a wheel assembly. The frame supports the equipment and allows the equipment to be coupled to the wheel assembly. The wheel assembly is attached to the frame. The wheel assembly further includes a rotating shaft, a lead screw nut, a swing lever, a rod, and a wheel. The rotating shaft has a threaded end and is attached to the frame. The lead screw nut is attached to the threaded end of the rotating shaft. Rotational motion of the rotating shaft is converted into linear back-and-forth motion of the lead screw nut. The swing lever is attached to the lead screw nut at its lower end. The back-and-forth motion of the lead screw nut pivots the coupled swing lever. The rod is attached to an upper portion of the swing lever. Pivoting motion of the swing lever rotates the rod clockwise and counterclockwise. The wheel is coupled to the rod. Rotational motion of the rod results in linear up-and-down motion of the wheel.

[0006] Simultaneous height adjustment of all wheels makes the roller-based height adjustment system more robust, leveling combined equipment equally on all sides. Additionally, the roller-based height adjustment system allows for the repositioning and alignment of heavy, large equipment system subunits by a single person.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the wheel assemblies of the roller-based height adjustment system are attached directly to the frame, for example, using fasteners (e.g., screws, bolts), welding, or other direct attachment methods.

[0008] According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the wheel assembly is attached to the frame using a cantilever, which increases stability, provides additional support and allows for optimized use of space.

[0009] According to a further alternative embodiment, the wheel assembly is integrated into the frame such that the stem of the wheel is directly integrated into the vertical post of the frame, and the protrusion of the cam is coupled to the stem of the wheel such that rotational movement of the cam is translated into up and down movement of the wheel.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the wheels of the wheel assembly are casters that provide increased mobility for the roller-based height adjustment system, allowing for omnidirectional movement of the equipment at a desired vertical height, which is particularly useful for aligning and docking equipment in industrial or laboratory environments.

[0011] According to a further aspect of the invention, the wheels may have brakes attached so that when the brakes are deployed, the wheels are fixed and cannot rotate. In some use cases, it may be desirable to have the possibility to hold the wheels to the ground and use the brakes on the wheels to fix the position of the roller-based height adjustment system.

[0012] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the frame may further include support legs on the bottom surface of each corner of the frame. Once the equipment is positioned in a desired location using the wheel assembly, the support legs can be adjusted and locked in place, and the wheels can be raised.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the rotating shaft is rotatably mounted to the lower part of the frame using slide bushes, which are mounted at its center and at its ends, and various types of bearings are possible instead of slide bushes, such as ball bearings, pivot bearings, roller bearings, tapered roller bearings, needle bearings, thrust bearings, sleeve bearings, etc.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the rotating shaft of the roller-based height adjustment system is a drive shaft, which allows for greater precision and durability.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, one end of the rotating shaft includes an exposed socket for insertion of a complementary actuator. Various actuators can be used, such as an Allen key, a cordless screwdriver, or a crank. By way of example, if a hex wrench is used as the actuator, rotating the hex wrench causes rotation of the rotating shaft, resulting in linear up and down movement of the wheel and height adjustment of the attached equipment. Alternatively or additionally, a small motor can be used as the actuator. The motor can be attached directly to the shaft or via a gear.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the components of the wheel assembly are mounted in mirror symmetry, with the plane of symmetry perpendicular to the rotating shaft and centered on the center of the rotating shaft. In this configuration, the rotating shaft has left-handed and right-handed threads. The attached lead screw nuts are therefore left-handed and right-handed nuts. Two swing levers are mounted to pivot in opposite directions. Two rods rotate in opposite directions. The four wheels simultaneously move in a linear up-and-down motion due to the rotational movement of the rods. The mirror symmetry of the components allows for equal distribution of forces.

[0017] The rod used to transmit torque can have various shapes. By way of example, some options are a round rod, a tri-square rod, and a square rod. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the wheel assembly includes a rod that is a square rod. A swing lever attached to the center of the rod can have a more secure grip, ensuring more stability and robustness.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the roller-based height adjustment system further includes cams. The cams are attached to the ends of the rods. In particular, one cam is attached to each end of each rod. Each cam is in sliding contact with the stem of the associated wheel. The sliding contact facilitates the transfer of rotational motion of the rod and associated cam to the wheel height adjustment. This embodiment provides a compact and cost-effective solution. Furthermore, it prevents twisting of the wheel stem, further improving the stability of the roller-based height adjustment system.

[0019] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the roller-based height adjustment system further includes cylindrical gears attached to the ends of the rods. In particular, one cylindrical gear is attached to each end of each rod. Each gear is coupled to a wheel via a toothed bar as a stem so that the cylindrical gear meshes with the toothed bar. Various types of gears may be used, such as spur gears coupled with toothed rails.

[0020] There can be multiple ways to attach the cam or cylindrical gear to the rod, such as using fasteners (e.g., screws), wedge connections, welding, adhesives, and the like.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the threaded end of the rotating shaft included in the roller-based height adjustment system is a self-locking screw.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the frame of the roller-based height adjustment system is connected to the object by a fixation device, which can be achieved by fasteners (e.g., screws, bolts, and nuts), clamps, interlocking mechanisms, and other fixation devices.

[0023] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the object is a sub-unit of an equipment system.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a roller-based height adjustment system is used to level and reposition at least one piece of equipment in a laboratory environment.

[0025] Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are given like reference numerals throughout. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1A] 1 shows a perspective view of a roller-based height adjustment system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a wheel assembly of a roller-based height adjustment system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1C] 10 shows a perspective view of a roller-based height adjustment system according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1B illustrates a top view of the roller-based height adjustment system shown in FIG. 1A, further illustrating the insertion of a hex wrench as an actuator. [Figure 3A] 1B illustrates a cross-sectional view through AA of FIG. 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1A. [Figure 3B] 3 shows a cross-sectional view through a similar view AA of FIG. 2 according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4]1B illustrates a cross-sectional view through BB of FIG. 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1A. [Figure 5A] 10 shows a cut-out view of a perspective view of a roller-based height adjustment system according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5B] 3 shows a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment through similar view AA of FIG. 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] FIG. 1A illustrates a roller-based height adjustment system 1 for leveling and repositioning equipment, according to one embodiment of the present invention. The roller-based height adjustment system 1 comprises an aluminum cuboid-shaped frame 2 and a wheel assembly 3. The frame's shape and materials are selected to ensure optimal support for the mounted equipment. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the frame is fabricated using standard aluminum profiles. Other alternatives to the aluminum profiles are possible, such as welded steel components, or bonded plastic components, or reinforced plastic components, or a combination thereof.

[0029] A cantilever 4 is used to connect the wheel assembly 2 to the frame 1. Additionally, the cantilever stabilizes the bottom of the frame 1 and therefore the attached equipment. The drive shaft 5 of the wheel assembly 2 is rotatably mounted to the base of the frame 1. The base of the frame 1 is made up of four aluminum profiles fixed to the four vertical corner aluminum profiles that form a rectangle. An intermediate aluminum profile connects the two longer rectangular profiles in the central region of the rectangle. The drive shaft 5 is rotatably fixed to the shorter rectangular aluminum profiles and is fed through the intermediate aluminum profile.

[0030] FIG. 1B shows the wheel assembly of the embodiment of FIG. 1A in more detail. The wheel assembly includes a drive shaft 5 with threaded ends 6A, 6B, two lead screw nuts 7A, 7B, two swing levers 8, two square rods 9 with welding cams 11, and four casters 10. The components of the wheel assembly 3 are mounted with mirror symmetry to ensure even distribution of force. Additionally, this figure shows a hex wrench 15 as an actuator for activating rotation of the rotating shaft 5 and its complementary socket 14 in the drive shaft 5.

[0031] The drive shaft 5 is rotatably secured to the base of the frame 1 by a sliding bushing 12. The sliding bushing 12 is used to reduce friction in the mounting area. The drive shaft 5 features self-locking threaded ends 6A, 6B that maintain mirror symmetry: one end has a left-handed thread 6A and the other has a right-handed thread 6B. The threaded ends of the drive shaft are mated with corresponding lead screw nuts 7—left-handed lead screw nut 7A and right-handed lead screw nut 7B. Rotational motion of the drive shaft 5 is converted into lateral motion of the lead screw nuts 7A, 7B. The laterally extending posts of the lead screw nuts 7A, 7B engage with two parallel, open, U-shaped recesses in the side walls of the swing lever. As a result, movement of the lead screw nuts 7A, 7B shifts the connected swing lever 8 portion back and forth in the x-y plane. The opposite portion of the swing lever 8 is attached to a square rod 9 using a form fit. The swing lever 8 converts the rotational motion of the drive shaft 5 into the rotational motion of the connected square rod 9. A cam 11 is attached to the end of the rod 9 using a form fit. The square rod 9 is connected to the caster 10 through the cam 11. The connection between the stem 13 and the cam 11 is shown in more detail in Figure 3. The rotational motion of the square rod 9 drives the linear up and down movement of the caster 10. The caster 10 provides mobility for the roller-based height adjustment system, allowing the equipment to move in all directions.

[0032] FIG. 1C illustrates an alternative embodiment of a roller-based height adjustment system 1 for leveling and repositioning equipment. The roller-based height adjustment system 1 includes an aluminum rectangular parallelepiped frame 2 and a wheel assembly 3. A cantilever 4 is used to connect the wheel assembly 2 to the frame 1. The wheel assembly includes a drive shaft 5 with threaded ends 6A, 6B, two lead screw nuts 7A, 7B, two swing levers 8, two square rods 9 with welded cams 11, and four casters 10. The components of the wheel assembly 3 are mounted with mirror symmetry to ensure even distribution of force. This figure also illustrates a miniature motor 16 as an alternative actuator for driving the rotation of the rotating shaft 5 and its complementary socket 14 within the drive shaft 5.

[0033] FIG. 2 shows a top view of roller-based height adjustment system 1. This view shows the aluminum elements that make up frame 2. Cantilever 4 connects wheel assembly 3 to frame 2. Additionally, this view shows a top view of elements of the wheel assembly, such as drive shaft 5 with threaded ends 6A, 6B, swing lever 8, square rod 9, cam 10, and caster 10. Additionally, this view shows hex wrench 15 and its complementary socket 14 in drive shaft 5.

[0034] FIG. 3A shows in more detail the connection between the cam 11 and caster stem 13 of the embodiment of FIG. 1A. The caster stem 13 includes two sections. A first, lower, free section of the caster stem 13 is directly connected to the fork of the caster 10. The caster fork has a flat top plate. The caster stem 13, above the flat top plate and below its connection to the cam 11, includes a swivel joint, allowing the fork and attached caster to move in all directions within the x-y plane, providing increased mobility. The second section of the caster stem 13 acts as a follower and is interconnected with a protrusion on the cam 11, such that the rotational movement of the cam 11 is translated into vertical movement of the caster stem 13. In the illustrated embodiment, this is implemented as a sliding gear. The caster stem 13 is secured to the cantilever 4 using a sliding bushing to reduce friction in the linear vertical movement. Correspondingly, adjusting the height of the caster 10 results in an adjustment of the roller-based height adjustment system and ultimately the height of the attached equipment. The type of coupling between cam 11 and caster stem 13 and the span of the circular path covered by the rotational movement of cam 11 determine the range of displacement of follower 13 and therefore the range of height adjustment of system 1. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3A, the span of the circular path covered by the protrusion of cam 11 is limited by two parallel plates of cantilever 4 coupled to cam 11. A concentric opening in each of the parallel plates holds caster stem 13.

[0035] The height range can be expanded with an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 3B, in which a cylindrical gear 17 is coupled to a toothed bar (tooth rail) as the stem 13 of the caster 10. In this embodiment, the caster stem 13 again includes two sections. The first, lower, free section of the caster stem 13 is directly connected to the wheel-receiving fork of the caster 10. The caster fork has a flat top plate. The caster stem 13 above the flat top plate and below the connection to the spur gear 17 includes a swivel joint, allowing the fork section and attached caster to move in all directions within the x-y plane with increased mobility. The second section of the caster stem 13 is a toothed rail that meshes with the cylindrical gear 17. As a result, the rotational movement of the cylindrical gear 17 is converted into vertical movement of the toothed rail and, therefore, the caster 10. In this embodiment, the height range of the roller-based height adjustment system 1 depends on the length of the toothed bar of the caster stem 13.

[0036] 4 shows an exposed socket 14 on the drive shaft 5, which is intended to receive a complementary hex wrench 15. Turning the hex wrench 15 causes rotation of the drive shaft, allowing the height of the roller-based height adjustment system 1 to be adjusted.

[0037] FIG. 4 further illustrates the coupling between the lead screw nut 7 and the swing lever 8. As the lead screw nut 7 moves laterally, the portion of the swing lever 8 connected to the lead screw nut shifts back and forth in the xy plane. The opposite portion of the swing lever 8 is fixed using a form fit to the square rod 9. The swing lever 8 transfers the lateral movement of the lead screw nut 7 into rotational movement of the coupled square rod 9.

[0038] FIG. 5A shows an alternative embodiment of a roller-based height adjustment system 1 for leveling and repositioning equipment according to the present invention. The roller-based height adjustment system 1 comprises an aluminum rectangular parallelepiped-shaped frame 2 and a wheel assembly 3. Instead of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, the presented embodiment has the wheel assembly 2 integrated into the frame 1. The wheel assembly 3 comprises a drive shaft 5 with threaded ends 6A, 6B, two lead screw nuts 7A, 7B, two swing levers 8, two square rods 9 with cams 11 attached to the ends of the rods 9 using a form fit, and four casters 10. The components of the wheel assembly 3 are mounted with mirror symmetry to ensure even distribution of force. The caster stems 13 are integrated directly into the vertical aluminum profile that makes up the frame (FIG. 5B). The protrusions of the cams 11 are elongated and coupled to the caster stems 13 within the aluminum profile so that the rotational movement of the cams 11 is transferred to the caster stems 13 and, therefore, to the up and down movement of the casters 10. An aluminum plate 18 coupled to the square rod 9 following the cam 11 further stabilizes the connection of the wheel assembly 2 to the frame 1. Additionally, this view shows a socket 14 in the drive shaft 5 for coupling with a complementary actuator to facilitate rotation of the rotating shaft 5.

[0039] Figure 5B is a cross-sectional view of the alternative embodiment shown in Figure 5A taken through a similar location AA in Figure 2. Figure 5B illustrates the connection between the cam 11 and the caster stem 13, which is directly integrated into the vertical aluminum profile that makes up the frame 2. The vertical aluminum profile has a cutout section that allows the cam 11 and the caster stem 13 to be connected together. The caster stem 13 includes two sections. A first, lower, free section of the caster stem 13 is directly connected to the fork of the caster 10. The caster fork has a flat top plate. The caster stem 13 above the flat top plate and below the connection to the cam 11 includes a swivel joint, allowing the fork and attached caster to move in all directions within the x-y plane, providing increased mobility. The second section of the caster stem 13 acts as a follower and is coupled to the elongated protrusion of the cam 11 so that the rotational movement of the cam 11 is converted into up and down movement of the caster stem 13.

[0040] The range of height adjustment of the system 1 depends on the span of the circular path covered by the rotational motion of the cam 11 and the length of the caster stem 13. The span of the circular path is limited to the extent to which the engagement between the protrusion of the cam 11 and the caster stem 13 is maintained. However, the minimum height of the roller-based height adjustment system 1 corresponds to the cumulative height of the caster fork and caster 10.

Claims

1. A roller-based height adjustment system (1) for leveling and repositioning equipment to a desired vertical height relative to a ground reference, comprising: a frame (2) for supporting the equipment; a wheel assembly (3) attached to the frame; Equipped with The wheel assembly includes: a rotating shaft (5) having threaded ends (6A, 6B) and attached to said frame (2); a lead screw nut (7A, 7B) attached to the threaded end of the rotating shaft (5), wherein rotational movement of the rotating shaft (5) is converted into linear back and forth movement of the lead screw nut (7A, 7B); a swing lever (8) attached to a lower end portion of the lead screw nut (7A, 7B) so that the back and forth movement of the lead screw nut (7A, 7B) pivots the swing lever (8); a rod (9) attached to the upper part of the swing lever (8), such that pivoting of the swing lever (8) causes the rod (9) to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise; Wheels (10) connected to the rods (9), wherein the rotational movement of the rods (9) results in linear up and down movement of all the wheels (10); A roller-based height adjustment system (1).

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the desired vertical height is in the range of 1 mm to 100 mm, specifically in the range of 1 mm to 50 mm, and more specifically in the range of 1 mm to 26 mm.

3. 3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the wheel assembly (3) is attached to the frame (2) via a cantilever (4).

4. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the attached wheels (10) are attached casters.

5. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rotating shaft (5) is rotatably mounted at its central part and at its ends to the bottom of the frame via slide bushes (12).

6. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the rotating shaft (5) is a drive shaft.

7. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the end of the rotating shaft comprises an exposed socket (14) for the insertion of a complementary actuator (15) that drives the rotation of the rotating shaft (5).

8. The components of the wheel assembly (3) are: a plane of symmetry perpendicular to the rotating shaft (5) and centered on the center of the rotating shaft (5); The threads of the rotating shaft are left-hand threads (6A) and right-hand threads (6B), Therefore, the lead screw nuts installed are left-hand thread nuts (7A) and right-hand thread nuts (7B), The two swing levers (8) are mounted so as to pivot in opposite directions to each other, The two rods (9) rotate in opposite directions to each other, The four wheels (10) move simultaneously in a linear up-and-down motion due to the rotational movement of the rod (9). The system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the system is mounted with mirror symmetry so that

9. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said rod (9) is a square shaped rod.

10. 10. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a cam (11) is attached to the end of the rod (9), and the wheel (10) is coupled to the cam (11) via a wheel stem (13 - Figure 2A), resulting in a sliding contact.

11. 11. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a cylindrical gear is attached to the end of the rod (9), and the wheel (10) is connected to the cylindrical gear via a toothed bar, the cylindrical gear meshing with the toothed bar of the wheel stem.

12. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the threaded ends (6A, 6B) of the rotating shaft (5) are self-locking threads.

13. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the frame (2) is connected to at least one other object by means of a fastening device.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the object is a device.

15. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the roller-based height adjustment system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, relating to a roller-based height adjustment system, is used for leveling and repositioning at least one instrument in an examination room environment.

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