Actuator Casing Spacers for Deep Spring Cavities
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing manufacturing processes for pneumatic actuator casings face challenges in increasing the depth or height of internal cavities to accommodate larger, more powerful springs, leading to increased costs and potential tool jamming issues, making it difficult to fabricate casings that can effectively house longer springs.
Innovation Solution
The use of spacers with ring-shaped or cylindrical members made of metal or plastic, featuring apertures for threaded fasteners, allows for the assembly of spring casings with greater depth or height by spacing actuator casing portions and enabling safe assembly and disassembly, preventing sudden spring energy release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the depth or height of internal cavities within casing halves is increased to accommodate longer springs, then the ability to house more powerful springs is improved, but manufacturing cost increases and may become cost prohibitive
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator casing is divided into multiple separate components: a first casing half, a second casing half, and an intermediate spacer. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently at standard depths, avoiding the need to manufacture single deep-cavity casings that would be costly and difficult to produce.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate spacer is positioned between and connects the first and second casing halves, forming a nested structure where the spacer fits within the overall casing assembly. This nesting approach enables the construction of an effectively deeper internal cavity by stacking standard-depth components vertically.
2Volume of moving object
If the depth of casing halves is increased to accommodate longer springs, then spring accommodation capability is improved, but tool jamming issues occur and casing removal becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the casing into multiple shallower halves rather than one deep casing, each component can be manufactured using standard-depth tools that can be easily removed from the forming tool, eliminating the jamming issues associated with deep-cavity tooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer is pre-manufactured as a separate component with standardized dimensions before final assembly. This preliminary fabrication of the spacer allows the casing halves to be manufactured independently at standard depths, avoiding the need to manufacture and remove deep-cavity tools in one complex operation.
3Power
If larger, more powerful springs are used to satisfy certain applications, then actuator power is improved, but the length of springs increases requiring increased casing depth
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the horizontal footprint or single-dimension depth of the casing, the solution uses vertical stacking of multiple casing halves around a central spacer to achieve the required spring accommodation length. This dimensional approach allows powerful long springs to be housed without proportionally increasing overall casing volume in a single direction.
Data Source
AI summary
Spacers for use with actuator casings are disclosed. An example spacer includes a ring-shaped member defining a central opening and configured to form a part of an actuator casing and to space first and second actuator casing portions a predetermined distance when the first and second casing portions are coupled to the ring-shaped member. The ring-shaped member includes a first surface surrounding the central opening configured to engage the first casing portion and a second surface surrounding the central opening configured to engage the second casing portion. Each of the first and second surfaces includes a plurality of apertures configured to receive threaded fasteners to attach the first and second actuator casing portions to the ring-shaped member.