Mechanical Adjustable Device Shape Locking via Sleeve Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mechanical arms struggle to be sufficiently flexible to bend into desired shapes and maintain those shapes rigidly over time, as existing solutions rely on friction between interlocked joints which is not consistently reliable.
Innovation Solution
A mechanical adjustable device comprising a spring, longitudinally extended ribs/wires, and a flexible sleeve/tube, where the device can change shape by applying external force and lock into position through pressure within the sleeve, expanding to tighten the ribs against the spring, and then release pressure to change shape again.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the mechanical arm is made flexible to bend into desired shapes, then the adaptability is improved, but the rigidity to maintain the shape deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical arm transitions between two dynamic states: a flexible state allowing bending into desired shapes, and a rigid locked state maintaining the achieved shape. The spring-ribs-sleeve mechanism enables dynamic switching between these states through pressure control, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and rigidity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical state of the ribs by varying the pressure within the flexible sleeve. When pressure is applied, the ribs transition from a loose, flexible configuration to a tightened, rigid configuration that maintains the bent shape, thus resolving the contradiction between adaptability and stability.
2Device complexity
If friction between interlocked joints is used to maintain shape, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces unreliable friction-based joint interlocking with a pneumatic/hydraulic pressure system. Pressure applied to the flexible sleeve reliably tightens the ribs against the spring, providing consistent and controllable shape retention that does not depend on friction variability between joints.
Solution Approach 2:
The system substitutes the mechanical friction-based joint interlocking with a pressure-based mechanical system. The pressure within the flexible sleeve acts as a controllable force mechanism that reliably maintains the arm's shape, replacing the inconsistent friction mechanism while adding minimal complexity.
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
Enables the mechanical arm to be bent into desired shapes and maintain them rigidly, allowing for flexible adjustment and retention of those shapes through controlled pressure within the sleeve, ensuring stability and versatility in spatial configuration.
Implementation Method 1
increasing the pressure within the flexible sleeve/tube, thereby expanding the envelope of the flexible sleeve/tube
Implementation Method 2
a flexible sleeve/tube disposed longitudinally along the enclosure confined by the spring
Implementation Method 3
a spring; a plurality of longitudinally extended ribs/wires characterized in that they are capable of being bent
Data Source
AI summary
A mechanical adjustable device described herein is adapted to enable changing the spatial shape of the device from a first shape to a second shape, while retaining the device in its second shape. Preferably, the device includes: a) a spring; b) a plurality of longitudinally extended ribs or wires that are capable of being bent, wherein these plurality of ribs or wires are circumferentially disposed along an enclosure confined by the spring, adjacent to the inner side of the spring; and c) a flexible sleeve or tube disposed longitudinally along the enclosure confined by the spring.