Jaw Guide With Sliding and Roller Guidance for Smooth Clamping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gripping and clamping devices with sliding guides experience the stick-slip effect, which leads to jerky motion and increased starting force, while roller guides are sensitive to impacts and shocks, making them unsuitable for applications involving these conditions.
Innovation Solution
A gripping or clamping device is designed with a combination of a sliding guide and a roller guide, where pretensioning means press rolling elements against jaw-side raceways, allowing for smooth operation and protection from overloads and impacts by switching to a sliding guide when necessary, reducing manufacturing costs and ensuring precise guidance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a sliding guide is used between the jaw and housing body, then the device is simple and robust, but the stick-slip effect causes jerky motion and increased starting force
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a sliding guide and a roller guide into a single guidance system. The jaw has both sliding surfaces that contact guide surfaces on the housing body and rolling elements (balls) that contact raceways. This merging allows the system to benefit from both the simplicity/robustness of sliding guides and the smooth operation of roller guides, eliminating the stick-slip effect while maintaining structural simplicity.
2Ease of operation
If a roller guide is used between the jaw and lateral walls, then smooth guidance is achieved without stick-slip effect, but the rolling elements are sensitive to impacts and shocks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent provides beforehand cushioning for the rolling elements by introducing sliding surfaces and guide surfaces that can absorb impacts and shocks before they reach the rolling elements. The sliding guide components act as a protective buffer, preventing direct transmission of shock loads to the balls, thereby cushioning them in advance against damage from overloads and impacts.
3Manufacturing precision
If grinding is applied to sliding surfaces and guide surfaces for smooth guidance, then precision is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes the need for precision grinding by using rolling elements (balls) that naturally provide smooth guidance through their spherical geometry. Instead of relying on precisely ground sliding surfaces, the system uses the mechanical advantage of ball rolling, which tolerates greater surface irregularities while still achieving smooth, precise jaw guidance, thereby simplifying manufacturing.
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 minimizes the stick-slip effect, allows for smooth operation, and protects the roller guide from damage by diverting forces through a sliding guide during overloads or shocks, while maintaining low friction and efficient movement.
Implementation Method 1
at least one raceway part and rolling elements are provided in the jaw guide, the jaw and the raceway part each having a raceway for abutment against the rolling elements to form a roller guide
Implementation Method 2
Pretensioning means are also provided for generating a pretensioning force, the pretensioning force acting on the raceway part so that the rolling elements are pressed against the jaw-side raceways
Implementation Method 3
guide surfaces being provided on the lateral walls and the jaw having sliding surfaces which interact with the guide surfaces to form a sliding guide
Data Source
AI summary
A gripping or clamping device including a housing body and at least one jaw guide which is provided in the housing body and has two lateral walls, including at least one jaw which can be moved in the jaw guide along a movement direction, guide surfaces being provided on the lateral walls and the jaw having sliding surfaces which interact with the guide surfaces to form a sliding guide, wherein at least one raceway part and rolling elements are provided in the jaw guide, the jaw and the raceway part each having a raceway for abutting against the rolling elements to form a roller guide.