Bearing Sensor Temporary Support Member for Cable Coiling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing sensor units for bearings are hindered by cables that interweave during storage and are cumbersome for robotic handling and installation, complicating the automation of manufacturing processes and manual assembly.
Innovation Solution
A temporary support member for the sensor unit that accommodates the sensor body, winds the cable in a coiled configuration, and secures the connector, allowing for organized storage and easy robotic manipulation, preventing cable interweaving and facilitating automated manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If cables are left loose and unorganized in sensor units, then the sensor units can be easily assembled, but the cables interweave during storage and handling, making automation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The support member is designed with pre-formed cable routing channels and compartments that guide the cable into a predetermined organized configuration before the sensor unit is stored or handled. This preliminary organization prevents cable interweaving during subsequent storage and handling operations while maintaining ease of assembly during manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member acts as an intermediary structure between the cable and the external environment. It provides a dedicated housing with internal features that hold and organize the cable, preventing direct contact and interweaving between cables of different sensor units while still allowing easy assembly during manufacturing.
2Extent of automation
If cables are organized and coiled in support members, then cable interweaving is prevented and robotic handling is facilitated, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The support member is segmented into distinct functional zones: a cable reception compartment, a coiling section with guiding features, and an external interface portion. Each segment performs a specific function, allowing the cable to be organized in a structured manner while keeping the overall design manageable and not excessively complex.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member incorporates curved and rounded features, including a substantially spherical outer surface, that facilitate robotic grasping and manipulation. These curved geometries naturally guide cable placement and coiling while providing easy-to-grasp surfaces for automated handling, balancing structural complexity with automation requirements.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the support member includes comprehensive cable management features, then cable organization is improved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The support member merges multiple functions into a single integrated component: it provides structural support for the sensor body, incorporates cable routing channels, includes coiling compartments, and offers external interface features. This consolidation ensures stable cable organization while simplifying the manufacturing process by reducing the number of separate parts that need to be assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides mechanical support, cable management, and robotic interface capabilities. This universal design approach ensures stable cable organization throughout the product lifecycle while maintaining ease of manufacture through a single-purpose component that performs multiple functions.
Data Source
AI summary
A temporary support member for a sensor unit of a bearing assembly having a first part for accommodating at least a part of a sensor body of the sensor unit, a second part for accommodating, in a coiled configuration, a cable connected to the sensor body and a third part for accommodating a connector mounted at a free end of the cable.