Belt-Drum Holder Elevation Control for Variable Winding Diameter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing article elevating devices face precision issues due to changes in the winding diameter of the belt, leading to errors in elevation amount control, especially when raising or lowering holders in transporting apparatuses.
Innovation Solution
An article elevating device with a controller that calculates a unit elevation amount based on the change in the belt's outer circumferential diameter and determines the drive motor's rotation amount accordingly, ensuring precise elevation operations by adjusting for the varying diameter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a belt is used instead of a wire as a suspension member wound around a drum, then the structure becomes more flexible and easier to manufacture, but the winding diameter changes as the belt is wound and unwound, causing errors in elevation amount control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the elevation amount detection sensor's detection position movable rather than fixed. The sensor moves radially to track the changing outer circumferential surface of the belt as it winds and unwinds from the drum, maintaining accurate detection despite the dynamic change in winding diameter. This resolves the contradiction by allowing the use of a flexible belt while compensating for its variable diameter through dynamic sensor positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of the detection position (radial position of the sensor) to adapt to the changing winding diameter. By adjusting the detection position based on the current winding state, the system maintains accurate elevation measurement despite the belt's variable outer diameter during winding and unwinding operations.
2Device complexity
If the elevation amount is controlled based on the rotation amount of the drive motor, then the control system becomes simpler, but errors occur due to the varying winding diameter of the belt
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces feedback by using an elevation amount detection sensor that directly measures the holder's position based on the belt's winding state. This feedback mechanism provides accurate real-time information about the actual elevation amount, allowing the control system to compensate for the varying winding diameter and maintain precision without significantly increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces pure motor rotation-based control with a mechanical sensing approach that directly detects the belt's winding state. The elevation amount detection sensor mechanically tracks the changing outer circumferential surface, substituting the need for complex computational compensation and providing direct physical measurement of elevation changes.
3Manufacturing precision
If a relatively small set elevation amount is used to suppress errors, then elevation precision improves, but the operation efficiency decreases due to multiple operations required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces motor rotation-based control with a mechanical sensing approach that directly detects the belt's winding state. The elevation amount detection sensor mechanically tracks the changing outer circumferential surface, substituting the need for complex computational compensation and providing direct physical measurement of elevation changes.
Data Source
AI summary
While a controller performs an elevation operation that is at least either an operation of lowering a holder or an operation of raising the holder, the controller (i) calculates a unit elevation amount, which is an amount by which the holder is raised or lowered per unit rotation amount of the drive motor in an elevation operation range that is a range of heights of the holder in the elevation operation, in accordance with a change in a diameter of an outer circumferential surface of a belt wound around a drum due to winding and unwinding of the belt, and (ii) determines a rotation amount of a drive motor for the elevation operation based on the unit elevation amount.