Drive Wheel Line Guide Conveying for 3D Deflectable Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dispensing devices for flexible line arrangements are complex in construction and maintenance, and are not ideally suited for spatially deflectable line guide apparatuses that require three-dimensional mobility.
Innovation Solution
A dispensing device with a conveying unit that utilizes a drive wheel with circumferentially distributed engagement portions to interact with a flexible line arrangement, which may include a spatially deflectable line guide apparatus or a directly configured supply line, to transmit tensile forces efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional conveying unit acting on the deflection arc of an energy guide chain is used, then thrust force or tensile force can be transmitted, but the device becomes complex in construction and maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential function of force transmission from the complex conventional conveying unit and implements it through a simplified drive wheel that directly interacts with the line arrangement. The drive wheel with its circumferential engagement portions captures the line arrangement and transmits tensile forces without requiring complex mechanisms to act on the deflection arc, thereby maintaining reliability while reducing construction and maintenance complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The drive wheel serves as an intermediary element between the motor and the line arrangement. Instead of directly acting on the deflection arc of an energy guide chain, the drive wheel engages with the line arrangement through circumferential engagement portions, providing a simplified mechanical interface that transmits force efficiently while reducing overall system complexity
2Reliability
If a conveying unit designed for conventional energy guide chains is used, then force transmission is achieved, but it is not ideally suitable for spatially deflectable line guide apparatuses requiring three-dimensional mobility
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies dynamics by making the line guide apparatus itself mobile in three dimensions while the drive wheel remains stationary. The line arrangement with its spatially deflectable line guide apparatus can move freely in three-dimensional space, and the drive wheel simply provides force transmission when the line is dispensed or retracted, accommodating spatial mobility without compromising force transmission reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The drive wheel design provides universal applicability by being compatible with both conventional planar energy guide chains and spatially deflectable line guide apparatuses. The circumferential engagement portions can interact with various line arrangement configurations, making the conveying unit versatile for different applications while maintaining reliable force transmission
3Speed
If thrust forces are applied to the line arrangement, then motion is achieved, but service life and wear resistance are reduced compared to tensile force applications
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the conventional approach by applying tensile forces instead of thrust forces to move the line arrangement. The drive wheel winds up or pays out the line, creating tensile force that pulls the line along rather than pushing it with thrust. This inversion maintains effective line dispensing and retraction speed while significantly improving service life and wear resistance, as tensile forces are more favorable for the line arrangement and supply lines
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 proposed solution provides a structurally simple and low-maintenance dispensing device that can effectively drive three-dimensionally deflectable line guide apparatuses, achieving a longer service life and less wear compared to thrust force applications.
Implementation Method 1
The line arrangement interacts with the engagement portions for force transmission such that, depending on the direction of rotation of the drive wheel, the line arrangement is moved forward or backward
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a pay out apparatus (1) for a spatially deflectable line or line guide device (10) for guiding one or more supply lines (3), comprising a delivery unit (30) for paying out and retracting a longitudinal portion of the line arrangement (2) from a storage region (4). The invention also relates to the delivery unit (30) per se for driving the line guide device (10). According to the invention, the delivery unit (30) comprises a drive wheel (32) which has, on the circumference, a number of engagement portions (33) each having at least one force transmission element (34), and the flexible line arrangement (2) has a plurality of projections (12) and/or recesses on the outside that are distributed along at least one longitudinal portion of the line arrangement (2). The force transmission elements (34) of the drive wheel act force-transmittingly together with a projection (12) and/or recess of the line arrangement (2) to deliver or drive the line guide device (10) during paying out and/or during retraction.