Gripping Device Spring Braking Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gripping or clamping devices fail to maintain a consistent gripping force when the drive is switched off or fails, leading to potential release of the object.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an elastically deformable spring element under prestress between the actuator and the jaw, which stores kinetic energy and provides a restoring force to maintain the gripping force, along with a control unit that activates a braking mechanism to prevent object release, even in the event of power failure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a drive system is used to actuate the jaw, then the gripping device can be controlled and operated, but the gripping force cannot be maintained when the drive is switched off or fails
Solution Approach 1:
The spring element is pre-loaded (prestressed) between the actuator and the jaw before the gripping operation begins. This preliminary action stores elastic potential energy that is immediately available to maintain gripping force when the drive fails, eliminating the need for continuous power supply to maintain the grip.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring element acts as a cushioning element that compensates for drive failures beforehand. By being pre-loaded, it creates a safety margin that ensures the gripping force is maintained even when the drive system fails, providing fail-safe operation.
2Reliability
If the spring element deformation is increased to compensate for play, then gripping reliability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring element automatically compensates for play and maintains gripping force through its own elastic deformation, without requiring external control systems. The system uses the spring's inherent mechanical properties to self-regulate and maintain reliability, avoiding additional complexity from active control mechanisms.
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
Ensures reliable gripping and increased gripping force by compensating for play and maintaining the object's hold when the drive is off or fails, using the spring element's elastic deformation and kinetic energy.
Implementation Method 1
an elastically deformable spring element (38) is provided
Implementation Method 2
Due to the restoring force of the elastically deformed spring element (38), a prestressing force can be provided with which the object is gripped
Implementation Method 3
a braking unit (40) is provided, which can fix the actuator (26) or the component coupled in motion to the actuator
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a gripping or clamping device (10) for gripping or clamping objects (56), comprising an actuator (26), a drive (12) that drives the actuator (26), and at least one jaw (28, 30) that is coupled to the actuator (26) in regard to movement, a spring element (38) that permits elastic resilience being provided between the actuator (26) and the jaw (28, 30), characterised in that a braking unit (40) is provided, by means of which the actuator (26), or a component (42) that is coupled to the actuator (26) in regard to movement and provided between the actuator (26) and the drive (40), can be fixed when the object (56) is gripped and the spring element (38) is elastically deformed.