Conveyor Guide Channel with Rotating Loops to Prevent Buckling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing conveyor-type devices with telescopic tubes for guiding elongated instruments in medical simulators face issues with instrument buckling due to varying diameters along the tube's length.
Innovation Solution
A conveyor-type device featuring a carriage with a first channel and rotatable loops on either side of the path, which adjust the length of a second channel by engaging or disengaging downstream or upstream, maintaining a constant cross-sectional size to prevent buckling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a telescopic tube is used to guide the elongated instrument, then the channel length can be adjusted to follow the conveyor movement, but the tube diameter varies along its length causing instrument buckling
Solution Approach 1:
The channel is divided into multiple rigid sections (first channel in carriage, second channel from loops) that can be independently positioned and connected. This segmentation allows the channel to maintain constant diameter in each section while adjusting overall length, preventing instrument buckling.
Solution Approach 2:
The channel configuration is made dynamic through the rotatable loops that can engage or disengage on demand. The loops rotate to extend or retract the second channel section, allowing real-time adjustment of channel length while maintaining constant diameter for instrument stability.
2Length of moving object
If the telescopic tube is extended to increase channel length, then the conveyor can reach further positions, but the increased diameter at extended sections causes instrument buckling
Solution Approach 1:
The channel is segmented into multiple rigid sections with constant diameters. The first channel in the carriage and the second channel from the loops are separate segments that can be adjusted in length without changing diameter, preventing instrument buckling during extension.
Solution Approach 2:
Each channel section maintains uniform local quality (constant diameter) along its length. The first channel and second channel are designed with consistent cross-sectional dimensions in their respective regions, ensuring instrument stability regardless of overall channel length.
3Length of moving object
If the telescopic tube is retracted to shorten channel length, then the conveyor can return to initial position, but the varying diameter along the tube still presents buckling risks
Solution Approach 1:
The channel is segmented into rigid sections that maintain constant diameter regardless of extension or retraction state. When the loops retract to shorten the channel, the first and second channel sections remain with uniform diameters, ensuring instrument stability throughout the retraction process.
4Reliability
If rotatable loops are used to adjust channel length, then the channel can maintain constant cross-sectional size, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The loops are formed from flexible straps that can rotate and flex to adjust channel length. This flexible strap design simplifies the adjustment mechanism compared to rigid mechanical assemblies, reducing device complexity while maintaining constant cross-sectional size for instrument stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable loops provide dynamic adjustment capability with simple rotational motion. The flexible straps rotate to extend or retract the second channel section, achieving constant diameter maintenance through a simple rotational mechanism rather than complex mechanical assemblies.
Data Source
AI summary
There is described a conveyor-type device comprising: a carriage slidably moveable along a conveyance path and defining a first channel therein; and two loops disposed on opposite sides of the path and rotatable in response to a movement of the carriage along the path to adjust the length of a second channel, the loops being configured to: rotatably engage with one another downstream from the carriage to extend the second channel as the carriage moves towards an end of the conveyance path; and rotatably disengage from one another upstream from the carriage to shorten the second channel as the carriage moves towards a beginning of the conveyance path, wherein the first channel and second channel are aligned for receiving an elongated body therein.