Ball-Member Roller Assembly With Laser Bonding for Noise Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional roller assemblies for storage devices face issues with smooth rolling and noise due to concentrated load, require precise press-fitting of rolling bearings, and are prone to separation under external impacts or excessive loads.
Innovation Solution
A roller assembly design featuring a shaft member with a head portion and coupling portion, a rolling member with a cylindrical shape and guide grooves, and a cover member that are laser-bonded together, using ball members for rolling with guide grooves and a press-fitting structure to disperse force and prevent separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If a rolling bearing is press-fitted between the roller and shaft, then the rolling operation becomes smooth and noise is reduced, but the assembly process becomes extremely difficult and requires precise size control
Solution Approach 1:
The roller assembly is divided into separate components: a shaft member with a head portion, a rolling member with guide grooves, and ball members. This segmentation eliminates the need for press-fitting a complete rolling bearing, allowing easier assembly while maintaining smooth rolling operation and reducing noise through the guide grooves that constrain ball member movement.
Solution Approach 2:
Guide grooves are introduced as intermediary structures on the shaft member and rolling member. These grooves act as mediators that constrain and guide the ball members, replacing the function of a press-fitted rolling bearing while allowing for easier assembly and tolerance accommodation.
2Ease of operation
If a rolling bearing is press-fitted between the roller and shaft, then the rolling operation becomes smooth, but the assembly requires precise size control of the outer ring, inner circumferential surface, or outer circumferential surface
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the rolling bearing into separate ball members and guide grooves, the manufacturing precision requirements are significantly reduced. The guide grooves provide geometric constraints that ensure proper ball member alignment and movement, eliminating the need for high-precision press-fitting of complete bearings.
Solution Approach 2:
The design changes the critical parameters from dimensional precision (outer diameter, inner circumference) to geometric form (guide groove shape and position). This parameter transformation allows for easier manufacturing while maintaining smooth rolling operation through the constrained movement paths provided by the guide grooves.
3Ease of operation
If a rolling bearing is used in the roller assembly, then the rolling operation improves, but the rolling bearing moves from accurate location and separates when external impact or excessive load is applied
Solution Approach 1:
The guide grooves are pre-formed on the shaft member and rolling member surfaces before assembly. These grooves preliminarily establish the correct positions and movement paths for the ball members, ensuring they remain properly located during operation even when subjected to external impacts or excessive loads, thereby preventing separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide grooves act as preventive structures that cushion against misalignment and separation. By providing predetermined movement paths and position constraints, they prevent the ball members from moving from their accurate locations under external impacts or excessive loads, ensuring reliable operation.
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 easy assembly, smooth rolling operation, and stable maintenance by dispersing force through the press-fitting structure and preventing damage to ball members during laser bonding, ensuring accurate coupling and reduced noise.
Implementation Method 1
ball members configured such that circumferential surfaces thereof are partially seated on opposite surfaces of the shaft member and the rolling and cover members and the ball members perform a rolling operation
Implementation Method 2
the rolling member and the cover member are laser-bonded together
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a roller assembly for a storage device. The roller assembly includes a shaft member, a rolling member, a cover member, and ball members. In particular, the ball members are configured to perform a rolling operation while being maintained in the state of being seated at specific locations by a seating groove formed in the shaft member and guide grooves formed in the rolling member and the cover member, and the rolling member and the cover member are configured to be coupled to each other by a fitting method and are then completely coupled to each other through laser bonding. The roller assembly is additionally characterized in that the damage of the ball members is prevented from occurring during the above laser bonding.