Footrest Pedestal Drive Linkage for Obstruction Retraction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional driving devices for footrest pedestals often result in idle motor operation and potential user injury due to obstruction, as the driving shaft cannot retract when an obstacle is present, leading to malfunction and unsafe conditions.

Innovation Solution

The driving device incorporates a movable connector, an extension rod, and an immovable connector with a limiting bar, allowing the driving shaft to be lifted and retracted even when obstructed, preventing idle motor running and inadvertent clamping by adjusting the distance between the driver body and the driving shaft.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the driving shaft is fixed to the driver body, then the structure is simple, but the motor runs idle when obstruction occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructure simplicityVSAvoidmotor operation reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the driving shaft movable relative to the driver body through a guide groove and movable connection structure. When obstruction occurs, the driving shaft can move along the guide groove to absorb the obstruction force, preventing the motor from running idle. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by maintaining structural simplicity while improving motor operation reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Stability of the object's composition

If the driving shaft cannot move when obstructed, then the structure is stable, but user injury may occur due to inadvertent clamping

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoiduser injury risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses the dynamics principle to allow the driving shaft to move along the guide groove when obstruction occurs. This movement enables the system to adapt to external forces (such as user limbs) without maintaining rigid clamping, thereby reducing the risk of user injury while preserving overall structural stability through the guide groove constraints.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Device complexity

If the distance between driver body and driving shaft is fixed, then the mechanism is simple, but the footrest cannot operate smoothly when obstacle exists

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemechanism simplicityVSAvoidfootrest operation smoothness
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements the dynamics principle by creating a movable connection between the driving shaft and driver body through the guide groove. This allows the distance between them to adjust dynamically when obstacles are present, enabling smooth footrest operation while maintaining mechanism simplicity through the straightforward guide groove design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The guide groove acts as an intermediary element between the driving shaft and driver body, mediating the relative movement when obstacles occur. This intermediary structure enables smooth operation by allowing controlled displacement while maintaining the overall mechanical connection, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and operational smoothness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP1972232A1Driving device for a footrest pedestal
Publication Date: 2008.09.24 LIANG CHING YAO
  • EP1972232A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1972232A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1972232A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A driving device for a footrest pedestal is mounted between a frame (3) and a footrest (2) on the frame (3) and has a driver body (11) with two ends respectively equipped with a retractable driving shaft (111) and the pivotal block (112), a motor (113) mounted beside the driver body (11), and an auxiliary pivotal base mounted on the frame (3) to combine with the pivotal block (112). The auxiliary pivotal base has a movable connector (12) engaged with the pivotal block (112), an immovable connector (14) mounted on the frame (3) and an extension rod (13) pivotally connected between the movable and immovable connectors (12, 14) so that the extension rod (13) is liftable to adjust the distance of a lower end of the driver body (11) and an end of the driving shaft (111) to keep the driving shaft (111) retracting thus to avoid motor idle running.