Dovetail Guide Rail With Resin Rollers For Cable Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cable protection and guide devices experience lateral run out and excessive wear when articulated, leading to instability and increased maintenance needs due to sliding friction and accumulated pitch differences between link frames.
Innovation Solution
The use of aluminum extrusion molded rails with dovetail grooves and resin rollers supported by pins and shaft-supporting members, combined with an elastomer covering, reduces lateral run out and sliding friction, converting it to rolling friction, and allowing for adjustable roller placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a long cable protection and guide device is turned (articulated) in the longitudinal direction, then the cable can be routed between fixed end and movable end, but lateral run out occurs and the device becomes unstable
Solution Approach 1:
Resin rollers are introduced as intermediary elements between the cable protection and guide device and the guide rails. These rollers contact the flexional inner circumferential surfaces and convert lateral movements into rolling motion, mediating the interaction between the articulated device and the fixed guide rails to prevent lateral run out while maintaining routing flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
The friction characteristics are changed by introducing resin rollers that convert sliding friction into rolling friction. This parameter change in the friction type reduces the coefficient of friction and eliminates lateral run out, allowing the device to articulate smoothly without instability
2Ease of operation
If flexional inner circumferential surfaces slide against shelf plates of guide rails, then the device can be guided along the rails, but excessive wear occurs on both surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
Resin rollers serve as intermediary elements between the flexional inner circumferential surfaces and the guide rails. Instead of direct sliding contact between the cable protection device and the rails, the rollers mediate this interaction, converting sliding friction to rolling friction and dramatically reducing wear on both contact surfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The sliding friction mechanism is replaced with a rolling friction mechanism by introducing resin rollers. This substitution changes the fundamental mechanical interaction from direct surface sliding to roller-mediated rolling contact, significantly reducing wear and improving durability
3Length of moving object
If link frames are connected together to form a long cable protection device, then the device can span long distances, but accumulated pitch differences cause lateral bending
Solution Approach 1:
Resin rollers act as intermediary elements that contact the flexional inner circumferential surfaces of the link frames. These rollers constrain lateral movements caused by accumulated pitch differences and guide the articulated device along the correct path, maintaining lateral alignment over long distances
Solution Approach 2:
The friction characteristics are changed from sliding to rolling by introducing resin rollers. This parameter change reduces the coefficient of friction and eliminates lateral run out, allowing the long device to articulate smoothly without lateral bending even when composed of multiple link frames with slight pitch variations
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 configuration significantly reduces wear, enhances traveling stability, and minimizes the need for manual setup, allowing for efficient operation with smaller motors and reduced noise and friction.
Implementation Method 1
The resin rollers are shaft-supported. The shaft-supporting members are movable and positionable in the longitudinal direction and engage with dovetail grooves formed on opposite surfaces of a pair of aluminum extrusion molded rails in the longitudinal direction. The flexional inner circumferential surface of the cable protection and guide device and the resin roller come into contact with each other so that sliding therebetween is suppressed decreasing wear.
Data Source
AI summary
A guide rail for a cable protection and guide device in which lateral run out of the cable protection and guide device is suppressed is disclosed and claimed. Excellent traveling stability is realized and sliding of the cable protection and guide device is suppressed so that wear is decreased. Dovetail grooves (110a) are formed in the longitudinal direction of opposite surfaces of a pair of aluminum extrusion molded rails (110). A plurality of resin rollers (140), each shaft-supported by a shaft-supporting member (120), are engaged with the dovetail grooves of the rail (110a) and are movable in the longitudinal direction of the rail.