Actuator Position Sensor Mounting via Segmented Groove Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional position detecting sensors for actuators require manual mounting and a large operating space, making them inefficient and difficult to install in narrow spaces.
Innovation Solution
A position detecting sensor with a housing, mounting member, and connecting member, featuring a wide portion and narrow portion design in the sensor attachment groove, allowing easy insertion and prevention of rotation, enabling efficient mounting even in small spaces with a connecting bolt system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the mounting member is inserted manually from the axial end of the cylinder, then the position detecting sensor can be mounted, but a large operating space is required and operational efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting member is divided into two functional parts: a mounting member main body for insertion into the wide portion, and an extension that protrudes from the opening to engage with the actuator. This segmentation allows the mounting operation to be performed from the axial end without requiring large lateral operating space, while maintaining ease of installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting member extends in the axial direction (perpendicular to the side surface) rather than requiring lateral access. By changing the insertion direction from lateral to axial, the patent enables mounting in narrow spaces where lateral access is limited, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and operating space requirements.
2Ease of manufacture
If the mounting member is inserted from the axial end, then mounting can be performed, but the mounting member may rotate inside the sensor attachment groove
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor attachment groove has an asymmetric cross-sectional shape with a wide portion and a narrow portion. The mounting member main body is positioned in the wide portion while the extension protrudes through the narrow portion. This asymmetric geometry prevents rotation of the mounting member inside the groove, as the narrow portion acts as a mechanical constraint that maintains stable orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the sensor attachment groove have different width characteristics: the wide portion accommodates the mounting member main body, while the narrow portion constrains the extension. This local variation in geometry provides both ease of insertion and rotational stability, resolving the contradiction between mounting ease and positional stability.
3Reliability
If the connecting bolt is used to connect the housing and mounting member, then secure attachment is achieved, but the mounting process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting member integrates multiple functions: it connects the housing to the mounting member, retains the actuator between them, and provides structural support. By merging these functions into a single component, the patent achieves reliable attachment without significantly increasing overall structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A position detecting sensor is mounted in a sensor attachment groove formed in a cylinder device and having a wide portion and a narrow portion. Mounting members each include a mounting member main body positioned in the wide portion having a width dimension larger than a groove width of the narrow portion, and an extension extending from the mounting member main body and positioned in the narrow portion. The housing and the mounting members are connected by connecting bolts, whereby a portion of the cylinder device is retained between the housing and the mounting members.