Actuating Gear Coupling Element for Lift-Slide Misalignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing actuating gear for lift and slide elements is prone to unintentional misalignment, particularly when using an actuating force reduction device, leading to potential misalignment of the actuating lever during the lowering and raising of the lift and slide element.
Innovation Solution
The actuating gear incorporates a coupling element that acts as a restoring spring, providing a preload torque to the input shaft, which counteracts torques from the actuating force reduction device, ensuring the input shaft remains in its locked position and preventing misalignment. This is achieved through an eccentric articulation point and a contact section that is clamped against an abutment, creating a snap-over mechanism for tactile feedback and automatic locking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If an actuating force reduction device (spring) is used to counteract the weight of the lifting and sliding element, then the operating force required is reduced, but the actuating lever may perform unintended free strokes and tilt undesirably
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling element is designed to apply a preliminary counteracting torque to the input shaft that opposes the torque generated by the actuating force reduction device during the free stroke phase. This preliminary anti-action prevents the input shaft from rotating unintentionally while still allowing the spring to reduce the operating force during the main lifting operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling element preloads the input shaft into the locking position before the actuating lever begins its free stroke. This preliminary positioning ensures that the input shaft is securely held against unintended rotation from the start, and the coupling element maintains this position throughout the free stroke phase.
2Reliability
If the coupling element preloads the input shaft into the locking position, then unintentional misalignment is prevented, but the device complexity increases due to the eccentric articulation mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling element combines multiple functions into a single component: it transmits the actuating force from the drive rod to the input shaft, provides the restoring torque to maintain the locking position, and enables the snap-over mechanism for tactile feedback. This merging reduces the need for separate springs or locking mechanisms, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The eccentric articulation point and the snap-over mechanism utilize curved geometric paths to achieve the locking and unlocking actions. The eccentric connection creates a rotational motion that naturally produces the snap-over effect, leveraging geometric curvature rather than complex mechanical linkages to achieve reliable locking.
3Device complexity
If the coupling element acts as a return spring with elastic preload force, then no separate return spring is needed, but the device complexity increases due to the integrated elastic mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling element integrates the return spring function directly into its structure, eliminating the need for a separate return spring component. The elastic deformation capability of the coupling element allows it to store and release energy, providing the necessary restoring torque while reducing the total component count.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling element's material properties and geometric parameters are specifically designed to provide the required elastic preload force. By adjusting parameters such as material elasticity, cross-sectional dimensions, and articulation point positions, the coupling element can be manufactured to deliver the precise restoring torque needed without requiring additional components.
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 effectively prevents unintentional misalignment of the actuating lever, providing a secure locking mechanism with tactile feedback and reducing the risk of the actuating lever being tilted or skewed, ensuring reliable operation of the lift and slide element.
Implementation Method 1
the coupling element itself can act, at least in the locking position, as a kind of return spring by applying an elastic preload force to the input shaft
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an actuating mechanism for raising and lowering a lifting-sliding element, which is slidable along a guide rail and can be moved from a lowered position, in which the lifting-sliding element is fixed, to a raised position, in which the lifting-sliding element is slidable. The actuating mechanism comprises an input shaft, which is rotatable about an axis between a locking position corresponding to the lowered position and an unlocking position corresponding to the raised position by means of an actuating lever, and a coupling element for effectively coupling the input shaft to a drive rod effectively coupled to a lifting element, which is pivotally connected to the input shaft at a pivot point.The input shaft is preloaded in its locking position by the coupling element in such a way that it experiences a restoring torque acting in the direction of its locking position.