Height-Adjustable Table Leg with Strain-Gauge Collision Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing height-adjustable table technologies lack a precise and adaptive sensory system for collision detection, which can lead to damage during height adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A height-adjustable table leg equipped with a sensor arm featuring a strain measurement device, which is attached to the recording device and rests on the bearing flange, allowing for precise detection of load changes and collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a piezo element with a through hole is used in the bearing flange to detect forces, then collision detection capability is improved, but the structural complexity and risk of damage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system is extracted from the bearing flange itself and placed on the support device, measuring deformations of the support device instead of forcing sensors into the bearing flange. This eliminates the need for through holes and complex integrations in the bearing flange while maintaining collision detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary measurement approach by using the support device's deformations as an indirect indicator of collisions. Instead of directly measuring forces in the bearing flange, the system measures deformations in the support device caused by load changes, providing a safer and simpler detection mechanism.
2Reliability
If a strain gauge on a load-bearing part is used to control the motor, then collision detection is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system is extracted from the load-bearing structural components and placed on a separate support device. The strain gauge is mounted on the support device rather than on load-bearing parts, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the measurement function from the structural function. The support device serves as a dedicated measurement platform separate from the load-bearing table leg components, allowing independent optimization of both structural integrity and sensor integration.
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 solution enables precise collision detection and prevention by accurately measuring deformations caused by load changes, effectively reducing the risk of damage during height adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor arm (28) with a strain measurement device (64), which is attached to the support device (22) and rests on the bearing flange (30), in particular outside the force flow
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a vertically adjustable table leg (20) having a threaded spindle (32) and a bearing flange (30) via which the threaded spindle (32) is rotatably supported on a base (34) of a receiving element (22), characterized in that a sensor arm (28) having a strain gauge device (64) is fastened to the receiving element (22) and rests in contact against the bearing flange (30). The invention further relates to a table frame including two table legs of the above type. The invention also relates to a table with a tabletop and a table frame of this type.