Self-Leveling Bearing Interface for Patient Support Coupling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing interfaces for coupling extension modules to patient supports are costly and time-consuming to machine to high tolerances, leading to potential uneven loading and catastrophic failure risks due to high points in contact areas, and often require complex mechanisms or tightly toleranced interfaces.
Innovation Solution
The use of bearings with one or more degrees of freedom, specifically self-leveling bearings, to allow for angled upper and lower bearing surfaces that reduce the need for precise tolerances, combined with tenons and load plates to distribute loads evenly, enabling easy installation and removal without additional tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high tolerance machining is used to reduce movement between support and extension, then coupling reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost and time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
A bearing assembly is introduced as an intermediary component between the support and extension. The bearing assembly includes a bearing that rotates on a tenon, with upper and lower bearing surfaces that provide controlled contact points. This intermediary mechanism absorbs tolerance variations and ensures reliable coupling without requiring high-precision machining of the support and extension mating surfaces.
2Ease of manufacture
If face contact is used to provide contact points between support and extension, then manufacturing is simplified, but uneven loading and catastrophic failure risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing assembly utilizes curved spherical surfaces for the upper and lower bearing surfaces. The spherical geometry allows the bearing to self-align and distribute loads evenly across multiple contact points on the tenon, eliminating high-point concentration and ensuring uniform loading while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
3Manufacturing precision
If tightly toleranced interfaces such as snap connections and closely machined rods and sockets are used, then coupling precision is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing assembly introduces dynamic capability through the rotating bearing on the tenon. This dynamic element allows the interface to accommodate misalignments and tolerance variations through rotation, achieving precise coupling without requiring tightly toleranced static interfaces. The dynamic bearing mechanism simplifies the overall interface design compared to complex snap connections or closely machined rod-and-socket joints.
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
This solution reduces manufacturing costs and time, minimizes the risk of components falling out of tolerance, and ensures even loading across multiple contact points, enhancing safety and reliability while simplifying the coupling process.
Implementation Method 1
bearings that allow the upper and lower bearing surfaces to lie at different angles while still providing a structure through which large forces can be transferred
Data Source
AI summary
An interface for releasably coupling an extension and a support includes a plurality of tenons extending beyond respective mating edges of the support and the extension to form at least one slot between the tenons and a plurality of bearings to react to loading of the extension. Each bearing has at least one degree of freedom. The one degree of freedom may be a rotational degree of freedom.