Symmetrical Clamping Hub for Shaft Alignment and Low Wobble
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hubs in robotics often damage shafts with set screws and cause imprecision and damage due to unbalanced clamping, leading to 'wobble' in high-speed applications and misalignment of mounting features.
Innovation Solution
A clamping hub with deformable components that securely grip shafts without deforming the hub, ensuring balanced clamping and proper alignment through symmetrical fastening and alignment extrusions, reducing wobble and misalignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If set screws are used to secure shafts in hubs, then the shafts can be firmly held, but the shafts are damaged by the set screws
Solution Approach 1:
The hub incorporates a flexible clamp with deformable components that can elastically deform to grip the shaft. The clamp includes a first deformable component and a second deformable component that define portions of an aperture, allowing the clamp to conform to the shaft surface without rigid contact points that would cause damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The deformable components change their physical state from undeformed to deformed configuration when fasteners are tightened. This parameter change allows the aperture size to be adjusted dynamically, enabling secure clamping without permanent deformation or damage to the shaft.
2Device complexity
If unbalanced clamping is used to secure shafts, then the clamping mechanism is simpler, but it causes wobble and imprecision in high-speed applications
Solution Approach 1:
The hub features symmetrical deformation patterns with the first and second deformable components positioned opposite each other. This symmetry ensures balanced clamping forces that prevent wobble during high-speed rotation, eliminating the precision problems caused by unbalanced clamping.
3Strength
If the hub deforms during clamping, then the shaft can be secured, but mounting features become misaligned
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping function is segmented from the mounting features. The deformable components are specifically designed to deform only in the clamping regions while the rest of the hub body, including mounting features, remains rigid and maintains its dimensional stability and alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The deformable components are localized to specific regions of the hub where clamping is needed. These components have different mechanical properties (deformability) compared to the main hub body, allowing local deformation without affecting the overall structural integrity and alignment of mounting features.
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
The clamping hub provides secure, balanced, and precise coupling of structural and motion components, preventing damage and misalignment, even in high-speed applications, by using deformable features to adjust aperture size and maintain hub symmetry.
Implementation Method 1
a first deformable component that defines a first portion of the aperture and configured to, when deformed, change a size of the aperture and a second deformable component that defines a second portion of the aperture
Data Source
AI summary
A clamping hub includes a body and an aperture, defined by the body, configured to receive a shaft. The clamping hub also includes a clamp configured to secure the shaft in the aperture. the clamp includes a first deformable component that defines a first portion of the aperture and configured to, when deformed, change a size of the aperture and a second deformable component that defines a second portion of the aperture opposite from the first portion of the aperture and configured to, when deformed, change the size of the aperture.