Cylinder Assembly Adjustable Stop Spacer Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing cylinder arrangement with shim assemblies can cause damage, scratching, and wear of the piston rod due to the spacers coming into contact with it in the stop position.

Innovation Solution

A receiving device is provided to hold spacer disks in their stop position at a radial distance from the piston rod, using frictional engagement and an elastically deformable material that expands to securely clamp itself in the device, preventing contact with the piston rod.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If spacers are positioned directly against the piston rod in the stop position, then the piston rod retraction is limited effectively, but the piston rod suffers damage, scratching, and wear

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepiston rod protectionVSAvoidscratching and wear of piston rod
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a receiving device as an intermediary structure between the spacer and the piston rod. This receiving device has a radial distance from the piston rod surface, allowing the spacer to be held in the stop position without directly contacting the piston rod, thereby preventing scratching and wear while maintaining effective retraction limitation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The receiving device creates a dimensional offset by positioning the spacer at a radial distance from the piston rod. This spatial repositioning in the radial dimension allows the spacer to fulfill its stopping function while being separated from the piston rod surface that would otherwise be subject to damage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If spacers are held firmly in the receiving device to prevent contact with the piston rod, then protection is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespacer positioning stabilityVSAvoidreceiving device structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The receiving device utilizes friction as a holding mechanism, changing the parameter of interaction from mechanical clamping to friction-based retention. The spacer is held in the receiving device through friction forces that are sufficient to maintain positioning during operation but do not require complex fastening structures

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the spacer from direct contact with the piston rod by placing it in the receiving device. This separation simplifies the overall structure by eliminating the need for complex positioning mechanisms, as the receiving device provides a simple friction-based holding solution

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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 solution effectively prevents scratching and wear of the piston rod by maintaining the spacer disks at a safe distance, ensuring reliable and secure positioning without damaging the rod.

Implementation Method 1

the spacer is held in the receiving device by friction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Implementation Method 2

the spacers are made of an elastically deformable material... the outer shape of the spacers can be reduced for placement in the mounting device. Because the spacers tend to expand again after being compressed and placed in the mounting device, they clamp themselves firmly in the mounting device

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3218612B1Cylinder assembly having an adjustable stop
Publication Date: 2019.07.10 AMAZONEN WERKE H DREYER GMBH & CO KG
  • EP3218612B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3218612B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3218612B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a cylinder assembly, comprising a cylinder (1), which has a cylinder housing (2) and a retractable and extendable piston rod (3) that protrudes from the cylinder housing, and a spacing-plate assembly (5), which has spacing plates (6) that can be brought into a storage position and into a stop position, wherein, in the stop position, the spacing plates form a mechanical stop and limit the retraction of the piston rod in relation to the cylinder housing in order to define a stop position for the piston rod, wherein the stop position depends on the number of spacing plates brought into the stop position, wherein the spacing plates have a shape matched to the piston rod and are arranged at least partially surrounding the piston rod in the stop position, wherein the stop is formed between the cylinder housing and the stop element, which is connected to the piston rod, and the associated spacing-plate assembly. In order to ensure in a simple manner that, when the spacing plates are in the stop position, the spacing plates do not damage the piston rod, the spacing-plate assembly, according to the invention, has an accommodating device (7) for accommodating the spacing plates in the stop position of the spacing plates and, when the spacing plates are arranged in the stop position of the spacing plates in the accommodating device, the spacing plates have a radial distance from the piston rod.