Flex Shaft Locator With Adjustable Arms for Repeatable Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flex shaft locating devices fail to accurately and efficiently locate and measure workpiece features due to material properties that prevent consistent return to a repeatable position, and lack adjustability and compatibility with various measuring devices.
Innovation Solution
A flex shaft locating device with adjustable mounting arms and interchangeable tips, allowing direct or indirect attachment to flex shafts, and compatibility with different measuring devices, ensuring accurate measurement and adjustability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a flex shaft is used for locating workpiece features, then the device can access hard-to-reach areas, but the material properties prevent consistent return to a repeatable position
Solution Approach 1:
The flex shaft is designed to be dynamically adjustable through a mechanism that allows the operator to manually position and lock the shaft at desired locations. The shaft can flex during operation to reach different workpiece features, then be locked into place to maintain a repeatable position for measurement, resolving the contradiction between flexibility for access and stability for measurement precision.
2Measurement precision
If the locating device is designed for specific measuring devices, then measurement precision is improved, but adaptability to various measuring devices is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The locating device incorporates universal mounting arms and interchangeable tip configurations that can interface with multiple types of measuring devices including dial indicators, micrometers, and other measurement instruments. The standardized mounting interface and adjustable arm positions allow the same locating device to work with various measuring devices, maintaining measurement precision while enhancing adaptability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the locating device is made adjustable and interchangeable, then versatility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locating device is segmented into modular components including interchangeable tips, adjustable mounting arms, and a standardized interface mechanism. Each component can be independently selected and combined to create different configurations, allowing versatility through modularity rather than through a single complex design. The segmentation reduces overall complexity by allowing simple, standardized parts to be recombined in various ways.
Data Source
AI summary
A flex shaft locating device is presented with a unique arrangement of parts. The device utilizes a flex shaft affixed with a mounting arm for affixing a measuring device and then is used to detect the shaft flex when contacting a workpiece. This approach for use in machine tool operation and machining approaches related to finding location of workpieces in a precise manner. Flex shaft locating device may use a variety of attachments or flex shaft forms allowing the same working principle of the device, but allowing more capability of workpiece locating, such as edges, round centers, holes, marks, countersinks, protruding locating pins, and so on. The flex shaft locating device is a standalone device constructed as a complete arrangement of parts and purpose built for the use of locating workpieces.