Insertion Device Shaft Elastic Recovery and Torque Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inserting devices face challenges in efficiently transmitting driving forces to motion sections within flexible and shape-variable tubes without causing deformation, especially when these tubes bend beyond certain radius boundaries, leading to reduced effectiveness in applications like endoscope devices.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves a shaft that rotates within a shape-variable tube, which exerts a pressing force to maintain the shaft's bending radius within elastic deformation limits, allowing the shaft to transmit driving forces without deformation, even when the tube bends within its elastically returnable range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the tube bends beyond the tube radius boundary value, then the tube can accommodate complex routing paths, but the shaft undergoes plastic deformation and cannot transmit driving forces effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft is pre-configured with elastic properties and geometric design (spirally extended structure) that enable it to anticipate and withstand bending forces before plastic deformation occurs. The shaft's elastic return capability is established in advance through material selection and structural design, allowing it to recover from bending stresses without permanent deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the shaft by extending it spirally and positioning it within the shape-variable tube, creating a configuration where the shaft's elastic modulus, diameter, and spiral pitch are optimized to maintain elastic deformation within the operating range. This parameter optimization ensures the shaft can withstand bending forces while maintaining driving force transmission capability.
2Reliability
If the shaft is made rigid to maintain shape and transmit torque, then driving force transmission is improved, but the shaft cannot accommodate tube bending without deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic elastic structure that can adapt its shape in response to bending forces. The elastic properties allow the shaft to dynamically adjust its configuration during tube bending while maintaining sufficient stiffness to transmit driving forces. This dynamic adaptability resolves the contradiction between rigidity and flexibility requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft is designed with a spirally extended configuration rather than a straight linear form. This curved/spiral geometry inherently provides greater flexibility and elastic recovery capability compared to a straight shaft, allowing the shaft to accommodate tube bending while maintaining structural integrity and driving force transmission.
3Productivity
If the shaft rotates within the bending tube, then driving force is transmitted to the motion section, but the shaft may undergo plastic deformation beyond elastic limits
Solution Approach 1:
The shape-variable tube acts as an intermediary element between the rotating shaft and the external bending forces. The tube's elastic return capability protects the shaft by absorbing and recovering from bending stresses, preventing these forces from causing plastic deformation of the shaft while allowing the shaft to rotate and transmit driving forces to the motion section.
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
This configuration ensures effective transmission of driving forces to motion sections within the tube, maintaining the shaft's integrity and functionality even when the tube is bent, thereby enhancing the performance and reliability of inserting devices like endoscopes.
Implementation Method 1
a shaft which has a shaft axis extended inside the shape-variable tube from the first extending direction toward the second extending direction, the shaft being configured to rotate around the shaft axis by an action of a rotational torque so that the shaft transmits the driving force to drive the motion section from the first extending direction toward the second extending direction
Implementation Method 2
the shaft being configured to elastically return in a case where the shaft bends at a shaft bending radius of a shaft radius boundary value or more
Implementation Method 3
the shape-variable tube includes a tube inner peripheral surface which is configured to exert a pressing force on the shaft toward the tube axis so that the tube inner peripheral surface maintains the shaft bending radius of the shaft at a size of the shaft radius boundary value or more
Data Source
AI summary
An insertion device includes a shape-variable tube elastically returning while the shape-variable tube bends at a tube bending radius of a tube radius boundary value or more, and a shaft rotating around a shaft axis inside the shape-variable tube so that the shaft transmits a driving force to drive a motion section from a first extending direction toward a second extending direction. The shaft elastically returns while the shaft bends at a shaft bending radius of a shaft radius boundary value or more, and rotates without being deformed while the elastic return is impossible when the shape-variable tube bends in an elastically returnable range.