Dental Light Pivotable Head Elastomer Ring Braking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dental lamps experience a stick-slip effect due to traditional braking systems, leading to jerky movements, vibrations, noise, and difficulty in precise alignment, which affects the stability and precision of illumination during dental treatments.
Innovation Solution
A pivotable dental lamp design featuring an elastomer ring braking system, where the elastomer ring is clamped radially between the shaft and bearing housing, reducing the stick-slip effect by providing a consistent frictional force, allowing easy and precise adjustment and maintaining the lamp head's orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a conventional braking system with a deformable bearing made of softer material is used to prevent pivoting of the light head, then the light head remains stable in the selected orientation, but the stick-slip effect occurs causing jerky movements, vibrations, and noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the braking element from softer material (conventional bearing) to elastomer material. This material parameter change eliminates the stick-slip effect while maintaining sufficient friction for stable positioning, resolving the contradiction between stability and smooth operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an elastomer composite material for the braking element that combines the properties of flexibility and consistent friction. This composite material provides both the stability needed to hold the light head in position and the smooth operation needed to eliminate jerky movements and vibrations.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a braking system with high static friction is used to prevent further pivoting of the light head, then the light head remains stable in the selected orientation, but a relatively large force must initially be applied to initiate pivoting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the friction characteristic parameter by using elastomer material instead of conventional softer materials. This creates a braking system where the force required to initiate pivoting is reduced while still maintaining sufficient friction to hold the light head stable in the selected orientation.
3Ease of operation
If a deformable bearing is used to allow pivoting of the light head, then adjustment can be carried out, but the jerky sliding movement makes it difficult to align the lamp head exactly as desired
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the braking element to elastomer, which eliminates the stick-slip effect and jerky sliding movements. This enables precise alignment of the lamp head while maintaining smooth and continuous adjustability throughout the range of motion.
4Stability of the object's composition
If a conventional braking system is used to ensure stable positioning of the light head, then the light head remains in the selected orientation, but increased material fatigue occurs due to the stick-slip effect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter to elastomer for the braking element, which eliminates the stick-slip effect and associated vibrations. This reduction in mechanical stress and vibrations decreases material fatigue and extends the service life of the dental light while maintaining stable light head positioning.
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 design significantly reduces the stick-slip effect, enabling precise and stable alignment of the lamp head, minimizing vibrations and material fatigue, while ensuring the lamp head remains in the desired orientation, thus improving the precision and durability of the illumination field.
Implementation Method 1
a braking element which is in the form of an elastomer ring arranged on the shaft. The outer diameter of the elastomer ring in the unloaded state is larger than the inner diameter of the recess in the bearing housing, so that the elastomer ring is radially clamped between the shaft and the bearing housing.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
In a dental light (100) with a light head (50) which is pivotably attached to a support (60) about an axis (I), the support (60) or the light head (50) has a shaft (10) which extends along the axis (I) and engages in a cylindrical recess (31) of a bearing housing (30) of the light head (50) or the support (60). On the shaft (10) at least one bearing bushing (12) is arranged, which is effective between the shaft (10) and the bearing housing (30) to enable the lamp head (50) to pivot, wherein furthermore at least one braking element in the form of an elastomer ring (15) is arranged on the shaft (10), the outer diameter of which in the unloaded state is larger than the inner diameter of the recess (31) of the bearing housing (30), so that the elastomer ring (15) is radially clamped between the shaft (10) and the bearing housing (30).