Guide Track Moving Unit for Stable Rail Joint Traversal
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Solution Overview
Problem
In large structures like aircraft and ships, the existing moving units face issues with smooth movement across joints between track rails due to clearance interference, leading to unstable load-bearing and displacement of moving blocks, especially when external forces cause deformation of segments.
Innovation Solution
A moving unit with a pair of guide tracks and moving blocks that include contact elements to traverse joint clearances, ensuring that at least three moving blocks are always loaded and positioned to maintain stability across joints between track rails, preventing simultaneous positioning at joint clearances and maintaining continuous movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If clearances are secured between end portions of track rails at coupling portions, then deformation and interference between adjacent track rails are prevented, but the rolling elements cannot come into contact with rolling surfaces at the clearances, causing loss of load-bearing capability and significant displacement of moving blocks
Solution Approach 1:
A filler piece is introduced as an intermediary component at the clearance between adjacent track rails. This filler piece bridges the gap, allowing rolling elements to maintain contact with rolling surfaces while accommodating the clearance needed for track rail deformation and assembly. The filler piece transfers loads from rolling elements through the clearance gap to the adjacent track rail, preventing loss of load-bearing capability while maintaining structural stability.
2Ease of manufacture
If track rails are fixed while bridging over coupling portions, then assembly is simplified, but clearances cannot be secured, causing interference between end portions of adjacent track rails when segments deform differently
Solution Approach 1:
The track rail system is segmented into multiple track rails that can be independently assembled and coupled. Each track rail can be fixed separately to segments, and the coupling portions allow for relative movement and deformation accommodation. This segmentation enables both simplified assembly (by fixing track rails separately) and prevention of interference (by allowing clearances and relative movement at coupling portions).
Solution Approach 2:
Clearances are pre-established at coupling portions between adjacent track rails during the assembly process. This preliminary action of creating clearances before final operation allows the track rail system to accommodate segment deformation and thermal expansion without causing interference, while still maintaining structural integrity and load-bearing capability through the use of filler pieces.
3Force
If multiple moving blocks are used to support a movable body, then load distribution is improved, but the risk increases that multiple blocks may simultaneously position at joint clearances, causing loss of load-bearing capability
Solution Approach 1:
A control mechanism with sensors detects the positions of moving blocks relative to joint clearances. When a moving block approaches a joint clearance, the control mechanism receives feedback and actuates to prevent other moving blocks from positioning at joint clearances. This feedback control ensures that at least one moving block maintains contact with rolling surfaces, preserving continuous load-bearing capability while distributing loads across multiple blocks during normal operation.
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
Enables stable and smooth movement of movable bodies along guide tracks by ensuring that moving blocks are always loaded, preventing displacement and interference, even across joints with significant clearances, thus enhancing the convenience of assembly and maintenance in large structures.
Implementation Method 1
each having rolling surfaces for rolling elements, which are formed along a longitudinal direction of the track rails, a plurality of moving blocks assembled to the track rails through intermediation of a large number of the rolling elements that roll on the rolling surfaces of the track rails
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a moving unit that enables a movable body to be smoothly moved along guide tracks for guiding the movable body across joints between a plurality of track rails arranged in series so as to serve as the guide tracks. The moving unit includes: the pair of guide tracks laid in parallel to each other; a plurality of moving blocks being two or more moving blocks assembled to each of the guide tracks and being freely movable along the guide tracks; and the movable body fixed to the moving blocks. The track rails arranged in series serve as the guide tracks, and each have a guide surface formed along a longitudinal direction of each of the track rails. The moving blocks each include contact elements configured to travel on the guide surface while passing across joint clearances each being formed between the track rails arranged in series.