Hub Brake Assembly Access for Serviceable Medical Support Arms
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical device suspension systems face challenges in field serviceability due to complex brake assemblies that require disassembly and transportation for maintenance, making them difficult to replace or service in healthcare settings.
Innovation Solution
A medical device support system with a multi-piece brake assembly and a hub access opening that allows for easier assembly and service, featuring arc-shaped clamp pieces that can be flexed to adjust frictional braking force, simplifying both factory assembly and field service.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a C-shape clamp assembly is used for the brake assembly, then the brake assembly can provide necessary frictional force to control the pivotable movement of the arm, but the brake assembly cannot be easily serviced or replaced in the field because it requires disassembly and transportation of the system
Solution Approach 1:
The brake assembly is divided into separate components: a brake clamp with brake pads, and a brake arm that pivots on the support shaft. The brake clamp can be detached from the brake arm, allowing the brake pads to be replaced independently without removing the entire brake assembly from the support shaft. This segmentation enables field serviceability while maintaining braking function.
Solution Approach 2:
The brake pads are extracted as separate replaceable components from the brake clamp assembly. This allows the brake pads to be removed and replaced independently through the hub access opening, enabling maintenance without transporting the entire system to a service facility.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the brake assembly is integrated into the hub without an access opening, then the structural integrity is maintained, but the brake assembly cannot be serviced in place and requires system disassembly and transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The brake assembly components are nested within the hub structure, with the brake clamp positioned inside the hub. A hub access opening provides a pathway for inserting and removing brake pads while maintaining the overall integrated structure. This nesting approach preserves structural integrity while enabling field serviceability.
Solution Approach 2:
The hub access opening acts as an intermediary element that provides access to the brake assembly components without compromising the structural integrity of the hub. This opening allows technicians to service the brake pads in place while the hub maintains its load-bearing function.
3Ease of repair
If the brake assembly requires disassembly and transportation for servicing, then comprehensive maintenance can be performed, but system downtime increases and accessibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The brake pad replacement process is designed to be self-contained within the hub structure. Technicians can service the brake pads directly at the installation location through the hub access opening without needing to transport the system to a separate service facility. This self-service capability eliminates transportation time and reduces overall system downtime.
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 system enables efficient assembly and maintenance by allowing the brake assembly to be easily installed and serviced in place, reducing downtime and increasing accessibility without compromising structural integrity or functionality.
Implementation Method 1
first and second discrete arc shape clamp pieces configured to flex toward and away from each other to respectively increase and decrease a frictional braking force to the central shaft
Data Source
AI summary
A medical device support system including a central shaft, an extension arm, and a brake assembly. The extension arm has a support for a medical device and a hub at its proximal end mounted to the central shaft for pivotable movement about the central shaft. The brake assembly is secured in the hub for rotation therewith and includes first and second discrete arc shape clamp pieces configured to flex toward and away from each other to respectively increase and decrease a frictional braking force to the central shaft. The hub includes a hub access opening configured to allow passage therethrough of at least one of the arc shape clamp pieces.