Jack Cylinder Posture Change Using Passive Reaction-Force Moment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional jack devices with drive cylinders require frequent maintenance and are cumbersome due to the inclusion of an actuator, while manual operation without a drive cylinder increases operator burden.
Innovation Solution
A jack device with a jack cylinder that allows easy posture change by incorporating an arm, jack body, and a reaction-force application unit, which applies a reaction force to assist in rotating the jack body between upright and storage postures, reducing the need for active movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a drive cylinder is included to actively move the jack cylinder, then the jack device can automatically change posture, but the device complexity and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the drive cylinder from the system and replaces it with a reaction-force application unit that uses passive mechanical advantage. The jack body itself becomes the actuating element, eliminating the need for separate drive mechanisms while maintaining automatic posture change capability through gravitational and reaction force interactions.
Solution Approach 2:
The jack body utilizes its own weight and the reaction force from the reaction-force application unit to automatically change posture. The system serves itself by using the jack body's mass and the mechanical reaction forces generated during operation, rather than requiring external powered actuators.
2Extent of automation
If a drive cylinder is included to actively move the jack cylinder, then posture change is automated, but maintenance frequency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drive cylinder is extracted from the system and replaced with a passive mechanical arrangement. This eliminates hydraulic seals, pistons, and control valves that require maintenance, while preserving the automated posture change function through the reaction-force application unit and jack body interaction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex, maintenance-prone hydraulic actuators with simpler, more durable mechanical components. The reaction-force application unit uses robust mechanical elements that are inherently more reliable and require less maintenance than hydraulic drive systems.
3Device complexity
If manual operation is used to change jack cylinder posture without a drive cylinder, then device complexity is reduced, but operator burden increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reaction-force application unit acts as an intermediary mechanical advantage system between the operator and the jack body. It amplifies the operator's input force through its mechanical structure, making it easy to move the heavy jack body without requiring complex powered actuators.
Solution Approach 2:
The reaction-force application unit is integrated within the jack body structure, with its components nested within each other. This compact arrangement provides mechanical advantage while maintaining structural simplicity and reducing the overall complexity of the system.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the reaction-force moment is made greater than self-weight moment in storage posture, then storage stability is improved, but upright posture maintenance becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The reaction-force application unit is designed to dynamically adjust its mechanical advantage based on the jack body's posture. As the jack body transitions between upright and storage positions, the geometry of the reaction-force application unit changes, automatically providing the appropriate moment balance for each posture without requiring external control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes changes in geometric parameters of the reaction-force application unit as the jack body moves between postures. The moment arm lengths and force application points change with posture, allowing the system to provide greater stabilizing moment in storage posture while maintaining ease of transition to upright posture.
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
Facilitates easy and efficient posture changes of the jack cylinder without requiring additional actuators, reducing maintenance frequency and operator effort.
Implementation Method 1
The reaction-force application unit applies a reaction force to the jack body in response to a force applied from the jack body. The reaction-force application unit makes a reaction-force moment act on the jack body in all postures from the upright posture to the storage posture. The reaction-force moment is a moment caused by the reaction force about the cylinder rotation axis, having a direction to make the jack body closer to the storage posture.
Implementation Method 2
The reaction-force application unit makes a reaction-force moment act on the jack body in all postures from the upright posture to the storage posture. The reaction-force moment is a moment caused by the reaction force about the cylinder rotation axis.
Implementation Method 3
The self-weight moment is a moment caused by the weight of the jack body about the cylinder rotation axis, having a direction to make the jack body closer to the upright posture.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a jack device rendering an operation of changing the posture of a jack cylinder easy without using a device that actively changes the posture. The jack device includes an arm, a jack body including the jack cylinder, and a reaction-force application unit supported by the arm. The reaction-force application unit makes a reaction-force moment act on the jack body in all postures from the upright posture to the storage posture in response to a force applied from the jack body. The reaction-force application unit makes a reaction-force moment greater than a self-weight moment act on the jack body in the storage posture and makes a reaction-force moment smaller than the self-weight moment act on the jack body in the upright posture.