Force Balancing Chuck with Pivoting Compensating Plates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional chucks introduce stresses into workpieces due to dimensional deviations, leading to processing errors, especially in sensitive materials like glass, as they apply constraining forces during clamping.
Innovation Solution
A force-balanced chuck design with pivoting compensating plates and balanced actuation mechanisms, including pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders, ensures uniform force distribution across clamping jaws, compensating for manufacturing tolerances and maintaining centering without constraining forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If conventional chucks clamp workpieces with dimensional deviations, then clamping force is applied to hold the workpiece, but stresses of different magnitudes occur in the workpiece leading to processing errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the clamping mechanism from fixed-position jaws to jaws with degrees of freedom that allow positional adjustment. The clamping jaws can move radially and rotate to adapt to workpiece dimensional deviations, transforming the clamping force application from rigid to flexible, thereby maintaining uniform stress distribution across the workpiece surface
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping system transitions from a static fixed-position jaw arrangement to a dynamic system where jaws can automatically adjust their positions and orientations. The jaws possess multiple degrees of freedom enabling them to follow the workpiece contour and distribute clamping forces uniformly, preventing stress concentration and processing errors
2Stability of the object's composition
If opposite clamping of non-concentric and non-coaxial clamping circumferences is performed, then the workpiece can be clamped securely, but constraining forces are introduced into the rotary body
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping system is divided into multiple independent clamping jaws, each with its own degrees of freedom. This segmentation allows each jaw to independently adjust to the workpiece geometry, applying clamping forces locally without creating global constraining forces that would distort the workpiece or prevent rotation
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping jaws are designed with multiple degrees of freedom including radial movement and rotation, enabling them to dynamically adapt to non-concentric and non-coaxial clamping circumferences. This dynamic adjustment allows secure clamping of irregular workpieces while avoiding the introduction of harmful constraining forces
Data Source
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AI summary
The chuck for rotatable clamping of a workpiece (1), with a number of clamping jaws (2) which are functionally connected to an operating component (14), has a compensating element (12) fitted between the clamping jaws and the operating component for force compensation so that the jaws act basically with the same force on the workpiece. The operating component has a rod-form body, and the compensating element has a swashplate attached to the operating component and pivotable in relation to the operating component by a predetermined angle. An independent claim is included for a clamping device for two-sided rotatable clamping of a workpiece by two chucks, one of which is according to the invention.