Elastic Multi-Axis Joint Structure Without Breakaway Moment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ball joints in existing technologies exhibit a breakaway moment due to high static friction, which hinders high-resolution and accurate adjustment motions and leads to increased wear, affecting positioning accuracy and causing contamination issues, especially in cleanroom environments.
Innovation Solution
A joint design featuring rigid carrier elements with elastically deformable joint elements, comprising rod-shaped web portions connected via contact portions that intersect to form non-parallel planes, eliminating the breakaway moment by distributing forces evenly across multiple degrees of rotational freedom.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a ball joint with friction pairing is used to enable rotational motions about all three spatial axes, then the joint achieves three degrees of rotational freedom, but a breakaway moment occurs due to high static friction that must be overcome for pivoting or twisting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional friction-based ball joint mechanism with a magnetic coupling system. The magnetic coupling transmits rotational motion without physical contact between the driving and driven elements, eliminating static friction and the associated breakaway moment while maintaining three degrees of rotational freedom.
2Strength
If a ball joint with friction pairing is used to achieve rotational motions, then the joint provides mechanical coupling, but increased wear occurs due to the breakaway moment and sliding friction
Solution Approach 1:
The magnetic coupling system substitutes mechanical friction-based transmission with magnetic field-based transmission. This eliminates direct contact and sliding friction between components, significantly reducing wear and improving reliability while maintaining the necessary mechanical coupling for rotational motion transmission.
3Force
If a ball joint with friction pairing is used for positioning applications, then the joint provides mechanical support, but positioning accuracy is reduced due to wear and contamination from wear particles
Solution Approach 1:
The magnetic coupling system replaces contact-based mechanical support with non-contact magnetic support. This eliminates wear particle generation and contamination, maintaining positioning accuracy over time while providing the necessary mechanical support and force transmission for the application.
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 joint achieves complete or significant elimination of breakaway moments, enabling high-resolution and accurate adjustment motions while reducing wear and contamination, thus enhancing positioning accuracy and maintaining cleanliness in sensitive applications.
Implementation Method 1
at least two elastically deformable joint elements (3) formed on the carrier element (2) in an overlapping arrangement, at least in sections
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a joint, which has at least three degrees of rotational freedom, having a rigid carrier element and at least two elastically deformable joint elements formed on the carrier element in an overlapping arrangement, at least in sections. Each joint element can include two rod-shaped web portions arranged on the carrier element and extending therefrom which are arranged either converging or diverging relative to each other, and at their end facing away from the carrier element are connected to each other by way of a contact portion. Two web portions connected to each other extend in a first common plane and two other web portions connected to each other extend in a second common plane, and the first common plane and the second common plane intersect.