Actuation Assembly Selective Connector for Hospital Bed Brakes
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Solution Overview
Problem
The accumulation of manufacturing and assembly inaccuracies in hospital bed components, such as oversized bolt holes and settling components during calibration, affects the operation of the braking system, leading to unsatisfactory actuation of brake effectors and synchronization issues, compromising the reliability and confidence in the braking system.
Innovation Solution
A torque actuation assembly with selectively joinable connectors that initially accommodate longitudinal variations to self-adjust during production and then tightly join to synchronize the operation of the brake effectors, ensuring consistent actuation across all casters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If connectors are rigidly fixed to maintain precise torque transmission, then braking system actuation precision is improved, but manufacturing and assembly inaccuracies cause misalignment and operational failures
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is designed with rotational freedom between the first and second sections, allowing it to dynamically adjust to misalignment caused by manufacturing inaccuracies. The connector can rotate about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, transforming the rigid connection into a flexible one that adapts to positional variations while maintaining torque transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector changes its operational parameters by allowing rotational movement within a specific range. This parameter change enables the connector to accommodate misalignment without compromising the torque transmission function, resolving the contradiction between precision and reliability.
2Ease of manufacture
If connectors are made loose to accommodate manufacturing variations, then assembly ease is improved, but torque transmission precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The connector provides dynamic adjustment through controlled rotation rather than static looseness. This allows the system to be tight enough for precision torque transmission while being flexible enough to accommodate manufacturing variations, achieving both ease of assembly and actuation precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable connector acts as an intermediary element between the rigid torque input and output elements. It mediates the connection by allowing controlled movement, enabling both ease of assembly and precise torque transmission without direct rigid contact.
3Ease of operation
If multiple brake pedals are connected through a linkage system, then operational convenience is improved, but synchronization accuracy deteriorates due to accumulated inaccuracies
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable connector in the linkage system allows each brake pedal assembly to dynamically adjust to misalignment, maintaining synchronization accuracy despite manufacturing variations. This dynamic adjustment prevents the accumulation of inaccuracies from propagating through the linkage system.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is designed with built-in rotational freedom that preliminarily compensates for potential misalignment before torque transmission begins. This preliminary adjustment capability ensures synchronized actuation of all brake effectors regardless of manufacturing tolerances.
Data Source
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AI summary
An actuation assembly includes a torque input element, a torque output element, and a transfer linkage assembly comprising a connector assembly which connects the input element to the output element. The connector assembly includes a first connector (166) having a proximate end (168) and a connector portion (170). The proximate end of the first connector is the end closer to either the input element or the output element, and the connector portion is further from that same element. The connector assembly also includes a second connector (190) having a proximate end (192) closer to the other of the input element and the output element, and a connector portion (194). The connector portion is further from that same element. The connector portions are selectively joinable to either permit or resist relative longitudinal translation of the first and second connectors. One example application for the actuation assembly is as an actuation assembly for a braking system on a hospital bed.