Adjustable Carriage Structure for Height Alignment of Separating Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing adjustable carriages for holding separating elements, such as glass plates, experience undesirable shifts and torque issues when adjusted in height, leading to misalignment and potential material stress, and can become disengaged under strong forces.
Innovation Solution
A carriage design with a coupling member comprising inclined coupling surfaces allows for height adjustment without shifting the carriage body, maintaining alignment and load transfer, and is integrated with a retraction device for compact operation within the rail's cross-section.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the carriage body is shifted along the inclined guide surface to adjust height, then the separating element can be adjusted in height, but the carriage body shifts horizontally in the running direction causing misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The carriage is divided into two independent functional components: a carriage body that moves vertically along the rail to adjust height, and a mounting body that remains stationary horizontally to maintain alignment. The coupling member connects these two bodies, allowing vertical movement while preventing horizontal shift, thus resolving the contradiction between height adjustment capability and horizontal alignment precision.
2Length of moving object
If the carriage body shifts during adjustment, then height can be changed, but undesirable torque acts on the separating element and connecting device
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the vertical movement function (carriage body) from the horizontal positioning function (mounting body), the invention ensures that height adjustment does not induce horizontal forces or torque on the separating element. The coupling member acts as a constraint that allows vertical displacement while blocking horizontal force transmission, eliminating the harmful torque effect.
3Length of moving object
If the carriage is designed to allow horizontal shifting for height adjustment, then height can be changed, but the buffer device must be shifted along the rail to maintain position
Solution Approach 1:
The invention decouples the height adjustment mechanism from the buffer device positioning. The carriage body moves vertically independent of the mounting body's horizontal position, allowing the buffer device to remain stationary while the separating element is adjusted in height. This eliminates the need to shift the buffer device along the rail.
4Length of moving object
If the carriage body moves horizontally during adjustment, then height can be adjusted, but the carriage may get released from the rail under strong forces
Solution Approach 1:
By confining the carriage body's movement to purely vertical motion along the rail, the invention maintains constant horizontal contact between the carriage and rail. The mounting body remains stationary horizontally, ensuring that strong forces cannot cause the carriage to detach from the rail, thereby improving reliability while still allowing height adjustment.
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 enables precise height adjustment and horizontal alignment of separating elements without torque or misalignment, ensuring stable and secure operation while minimizing space and material stress, and allowing for independent operation of the retraction device.
Implementation Method 1
The bridge member has a first coupling surface that is inclined relative to the running direction and that supports the carriage body or the mounting body, so that with a movement of the coupling element the carriage body and the mounting body are shifted relative to one another.
Data Source
AI summary
A carriage, which serves for holding and shifting a separating element in a running direction along a rail, includes a carriage body that holds at least one running element and a mounting body that is slidably connected to the carriage body and is connectable to the separating element. A coupling member includes a first and second coupling element connected via a bridge member, wherein the first coupling element is slidably held in the carriage body and the second is slidably held in the mounting body. The bridge member has a first coupling surface inclined relative to the running direction which supports the carriage body or the mounting body, so that with a movement of the coupling member the carriage and mounting bodies are shifted relative to one another. The shifting device includes two inventive carriages that are guided in a rail and that are connected to a separating element.