Flexible Manipulator Tool Cheek Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing flexible manipulator tools have limited applications due to their design, which restricts their use in various scenarios, including compact and thin, elongated tools, and they lack the ability to accommodate diverse operational requirements such as tensile and compressive forces effectively.
Innovation Solution
The tool features a design with two cheeks, one rigid and one tensile, connected via hinge elements that allow for shearing movement, enabling controlled deformation and accommodating both tensile and compressive forces, and can be configured for various applications by adjusting the stiffness and shape of the cheeks and hinge elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the manipulator tool is designed with a fixed structure, then it maintains structural stability, but it cannot accommodate diverse operational requirements such as tensile and compressive forces
Solution Approach 1:
The manipulator tool is divided into two separate cheeks (first cheek and second cheek) that can move relative to each other. This segmentation allows each cheek to be optimized for specific force types (tensile or compressive) while maintaining overall structural stability through their controlled relative movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The manipulator tool transitions from a fixed structure to a dynamic structure where at least one cheek can move relative to the other along the longitudinal axis. This dynamic capability enables the tool to accommodate both tensile and compressive forces while maintaining structural integrity through controlled movement.
2Ease of operation
If the manipulator tool uses complex drive mechanisms, then it achieves precise control, but it increases the space requirement and reduces compactness
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the drive mechanism from the manipulator tool itself, using an external actuator to apply forces to the cheeks. This eliminates the need for complex internal drive mechanisms, reducing the space requirement while maintaining precise control through external actuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cheek structure serves as an intermediary between the external actuator and the manipulator tool's deformation. The cheek translates external forces into controlled movements and deformations, enabling precise control without requiring complex internal mechanisms within the manipulator tool.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the manipulator tool is designed for general-purpose use, then it can handle various applications, but it cannot optimize performance for specific compact and thin applications
Solution Approach 1:
The manipulator tool achieves universality by enabling both tensile and compressive forces to be applied through the same basic structure. The first and second cheeks can be configured to handle different force types, allowing the tool to adapt to various applications including compact and thin applications without requiring completely different designs.
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 design significantly expands the tool's application range by allowing for controlled deformation and the ability to handle both tensile and compressive forces, making it suitable for compact tools and enabling uses in medical and endoscopic applications.
Implementation Method 1
one cheek being at least rigid and the other cheek being at least tensile and the cheek with at least high tensile strength being connected at its distal end to the at least rigid cheek so as to transmit tensile force
Implementation Method 2
The rigid cheek is flexible but not limp, preferably elastic and can absorb compressive force
Implementation Method 3
The longitudinal movement of the drivable cheek leads to a controlled and controllable deformation of the manipulator tool
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The flexible manipulator tool (1) has a distal end (6) moving opposite to a proximal end in a manipulation level. The distal end has two adjacently spaced cheeks (8,10), which extend from the proximal end to the distal end. The cheeks are connected between the proximal end and the distal end by a hinge element and are held at the proximal end at a distance from each other. The cheek is arranged at the proximal end in a longitudinal direction in a driving manner. An independent claim is also included for a holding- or expanding tool with two flanges.