Actuated Flap Assembly with Energy Storage for Pinching Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing actuatable flap arrangements face challenges in user-friendliness and handling, particularly in balancing the forces required for opening and closing, which can lead to unintentional movements and safety issues like pinching.
Innovation Solution
An actuatable flap assembly with an energy storage element to compensate for the flap's dead weight, a linear actuator, and system friction, allowing the flap to be held in any position, and a control unit to monitor and manage the actuation forces, ensuring safe and reliable operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the flap is actuated using conventional actuators without energy storage elements, then the actuator must provide full force to overcome the entire flap dead weight, but this increases the actuator size and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces energy storage elements (springs) that act as counterweights to compensate for the flap's dead weight. The springs are arranged to provide lifting force during opening and closing movements, reducing the force burden on the actuator. This allows the actuator to be smaller and less complex while still effectively actuating the flap.
Solution Approach 2:
The energy storage elements are pre-loaded during the closing movement to store energy, which is then released during the opening movement to assist with lifting the flap. This preliminary action of storing energy during one phase of operation reduces the force requirements during the opposite phase, enabling a more compact actuator design.
2Reliability
If the actuator provides full closing force to ensure the flap remains closed, then the flap stays securely closed, but this creates pinching hazards in the closing area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the closing force generation function from the actuator and assigns it to the energy storage elements (springs). The springs provide the necessary closing force to keep the flap securely closed, while the actuator only needs to provide a small difference force to maintain or adjust the closing state. This separation of functions eliminates the pinching hazard caused by high actuator forces in the closing area.
Solution Approach 2:
The energy storage elements act as intermediaries between the flap's dead weight and the actuator. The springs absorb and manage the closing forces, mediating the interaction between gravity and the actuator. This allows the actuator to operate with minimal force while still achieving secure flap closing, thereby eliminating pinching hazards.
3Ease of operation
If the actuator is positioned to provide direct actuation force, then actuation is effective, but the loading surface or loading cross-section of the housing is impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the force generation function from the actuator and assigns it to the energy storage elements. The actuator only needs to provide a small difference force, allowing it to be positioned in locations that do not interfere with the loading surface or loading cross-section. This functional extraction enables the actuator to be placed in more favorable locations for maintaining accessibility.
4Device complexity
If the actuator is designed to be small with low range of services, then the system is more compact, but it must overcome the full dead weight force
Solution Approach 1:
The energy storage elements serve as counterweights that compensate for the flap's dead weight. By arranging the springs to provide lifting force during opening and closing movements, the actuator only needs to overcome a small difference force rather than the entire dead weight. This enables the actuator to be small with limited service range while still effectively actuating the flap.
Solution Approach 2:
The springs are pre-loaded during closing movements to store energy, which is then released during opening to assist with lifting. This preliminary energy storage action reduces the force requirements during operation, allowing a compact actuator with low service range to suffice.
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 solution enhances user-friendliness by maintaining the flap in desired positions, preventing unintentional openings or closings, and improving safety by detecting potential pinching hazards, thus minimizing the risk of accidents.
Implementation Method 1
an energy storage element (35) is provided which is used to compensate for the dead weight of the flap (6)
Implementation Method 2
The actuating device, which has a linear actuator and a coupling element for connecting the linear actuator to the flap
Implementation Method 3
The system friction is provided in such a way that an, in particular inherent, frictional force counteracts a closing force acting on the flap as a result of gravity
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
An actuated flap assembly (1; 1a) comprises a housing (2; 2a) having a housing opening (5), a flap (6; 6a) pivotally hinged to the housing (2; 2a) for opening and closing the housing opening (5), an actuating device (13) for actuating the flap (6; 6a) with a linear actuator (15) and a coupling element (16; 16a) for connecting the linear actuator (15) to the flap (6; 6a), and a force storage element (35; 35a) for compensating the flap's own weight.