Glide Bearing Assembly for Vibration-Free Direction Changes
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing load-handling devices for storage structures experience harmful vibrations and noise during direction-change maneuvers, compromising their structural integrity and functionality over time.
Innovation Solution
A glide bearing assembly with removable cartridges and a sliding surface contact design is used to minimize vibrations and noise, allowing for easy maintenance and compensation for dimensional variations in the contact surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a traditional bearing assembly with separate bearing housing, bearing, and fastening elements is used, then the structural integrity and load-bearing capacity are maintained, but the device complexity and number of components increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the bearing housing, bearing, and fastening elements into a single integrated glide bearing assembly. The bearing race is formed as one piece with the housing structure, eliminating the need for separate fastening elements and reducing the total component count while maintaining structural integrity through the unified design.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated glide bearing assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides bearing support, structural housing, and fastening capabilities all in one component. This multi-functional design reduces the number of parts needed while maintaining all necessary structural and functional properties.
2Reliability
If multiple separate components (housing, bearing, fastening elements) are used in the bearing assembly, then the ease of manufacture and assembly are improved, but the potential failure points and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the housing, bearing, and fastening elements into a single integrated component, the patent eliminates the interfaces and connections between separate parts, thereby reducing potential failure points at joints and interfaces while maintaining manufacturability through integrated forming processes.
3Volume of moving object
If a compact bearing design is implemented, then the space requirements are reduced, but the manufacturing precision and quality control become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated design allows for monolithic or near-monolithic manufacturing of the bearing assembly, which can be produced as a single piece using advanced forming processes. This approach achieves compact dimensions while maintaining manufacturing precision by eliminating the need for assembly of multiple small components, thereby simplifying quality control.
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 glide bearing assembly provides smooth, repeatable, and vibration-free direction-change maneuvers, ensuring the load-handling device's reliability and longevity by accommodating dimensional changes without disassembling other parts.
Implementation Method 1
a polymer glide bearing (40) positioned between the door panel (11) and the vehicle body (12)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a load-handling device for lifting and moving storage containers stacked in a storage structure. The load-handling device comprises a body mounted on a first set of wheels configured to engage with a first set of parallel tracks on the storage structure and a second set of wheels configured to engage with a second set of parallel tracks on the storage structure. The load-handling further comprises a direction-change assembly configured to raise or lower the first and second sets of wheels with respect to the body to engage one of the first or second set of wheels with the parallel tracks and disengage the other of the first or second set of wheels from the parallel tracks, and a glide bearing assembly comprising a bearing element comprising a sliding surface defining a contact line along which the direction-change assembly moves with respect to the body when raising or lowering the first and second sets of wheels.