Curved Guide Track Display Arm for One-Motion Monitor Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing display positioning systems for machines, such as surgical consoles, lack efficient mechanisms for smoothly transitioning between stowed and deployed positions, often requiring multiple user inputs and lacking tactile feedback for precise positioning.
Innovation Solution
A display mounting system featuring a display arm mounted to a guide track with a track follower that moves along an arc-shaped guide track, allowing single-user motion from a stowed to a deployed position through yaw movement, with integrated tactile feedback and optional motorized assistance for automated deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional display positioning system is used, then the display monitor can be positioned, but multiple user inputs are required for transitioning between stowed and deployed positions
Solution Approach 1:
The guide track is designed with a curved arc geometry that couples yaw and pitch movements. As the track follower moves along the curved path, the display arm naturally transitions from stowed to deployed position through a single continuous motion, eliminating the need for multiple separate user inputs while maintaining mechanical simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The track follower acts as an intermediary component that translates single-degree-of-freedom user input into coupled two-degree-of-freedom motion of the display arm. The follower engages with the guide track to simultaneously control yaw rotation and pitch articulation, reducing operational steps without requiring complex direct actuation mechanisms
2Measurement precision
If precise positioning is required, then tactile feedback is needed, but existing systems lack tactile feedback for precise positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The guide track incorporates tactile feedback features such as raised markings or textured surfaces at specific positions along the arc. As the track follower moves along the guide track, these tactile features provide sensory feedback to the user, enabling precise positioning through touch without requiring electronic sensors or complex feedback systems
Solution Approach 2:
The guide track is segmented with distinct tactile markers at key positions (e.g., stowed position, deployed position, intermediate positions). These segmented features allow users to identify and achieve precise positions through tactile sensation, enhancing positioning accuracy while maintaining mechanical simplicity
3Reliability
If the display monitor needs protection when not in use, then it should be in stowed position, but transitioning to stowed position requires multiple inputs
Solution Approach 1:
The curved guide track enables the display arm to be easily returned to the stowed position through a single continuous motion in the opposite direction. The geometry of the track naturally guides the follower back to the starting point, ensuring reliable display protection while simplifying the return operation to match the simplicity of deployment
Data Source
AI summary
In some embodiments, a display mounting system may include a display monitor coupled to a display arm that is mounted relative to a guide track. The display arm may be configured to contact the guide track though a track follower. The guide track may have an arc with a height that varies relative to a yaw position along the arc. In some embodiments, the track follower may be configured to move in contact with the arc of the guide track in a yaw direction and movement of the track follower in the yaw direction along the guide track may result in a change in pitch of the display arm. In some embodiments, the arc of the guide track may include a point for a stowed position of the display arm and a second point for a deployed position of the display arm.