Center-less Pointer Display Friction Reduction via Wire Rope Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing center-less pointer type display apparatuses face challenges in reducing friction resistance between the pointer section and the carrying section while ensuring stable pointer carriage, often resulting in pointer deviation and increased sliding friction.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus features a pointer moving device with a semicircular or elliptical shape, incorporating a guide rail with a transverse U-shaped cross-section, a wire moved along the guide rail, and pulleys supported by a spring mechanism that fixes the wire, ensuring the force direction aligns with the guide rail's force, preventing rotational forces and stabilizing the pointer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a flexible member having arranged teeth is used to reduce friction resistance, then friction resistance is reduced, but the reduction is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical toothed flexible member with a wire rope system that uses pulleys and guide rails. This substitution eliminates the teeth structure entirely, allowing for significantly lower friction resistance through smooth surface contact and optimized tension distribution along the wire rope path.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the flexible member from a toothed structure to a smooth wire rope. This parameter change enables better contact with the guide rail surface, reduced mechanical interference, and improved flexibility, resulting in enhanced reduction of friction resistance.
2Device complexity
If the pointer is directly attached to the attachment body of the moving mechanism, then the structure is simplified, but the pointer cannot be stably carried
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary attachment body as a separate component between the pointer and the moving mechanism. This intermediary structure provides a stable mounting point for the pointer while allowing it to move smoothly along the guide rail, thus ensuring both structural simplicity and pointer stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the pointer assembly into distinct components: the pointer itself, the attachment body, and the moving mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, with the attachment body specifically designed to provide stable carriage while the wire rope system maintains overall structural simplicity.
3Ease of manufacture
If the wire fixing section is positioned off the line connecting pulleys, then assembly is easier, but rotational force is generated causing pointer inclination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent deliberately positions the wire fixing section asymmetrically relative to the pulley line, creating an intentional offset. This asymmetric positioning, combined with the spring force, generates a controlled rotational moment that balances the forces acting on the pointer, eliminating inclination while maintaining assembly simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the spring mechanism to apply a preliminary counteracting force that opposes the rotational force generated by the wire fixing position. This preliminary anti-action prevents pointer inclination before it can occur during operation, maintaining indication accuracy without complicating the assembly process.
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 configuration eliminates pointer deviation and reduces sliding friction, allowing for stable pointer carriage and accurate indication without rotational forces, even under external forces opposing the spring's tension.
Implementation Method 1
a spring which pushes the first support member and the second support member
Implementation Method 2
an upper pulley which is disposed on the first support member and a lower pulley which is disposed on the second support member
Data Source
AI summary
A center-less pointer type display apparatus includes a pointer moving device having a pointer section and a carrying section, and a containing case having a case body and a dial plate. A pointer accommodated in the containing case indicates a scale on the dial plate. The carrying section has a guide rail and a wire. A spring is interposed between a first support member and a second support member of the pointer section so that a lower portion and an upper portion of the spring push the first support member and the second support member respectively, and thereby holding an upper portion and a lower portion of the guide rail respectively. A wire fixing section is provided at an intermediate portion of the pointer section on a line connecting the upper pulley and the lower pulley.