Linear Actuator Force Sensing for Collision and Patient Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing linear actuators are prone to damage from collisions and lack a dynamic detection mechanism to determine if a patient is in a lying or absent status, posing risks to equipment and human safety.
Innovation Solution
A linear actuator with a force detecting mechanism incorporating a housing body, transmission mechanism, elastic body, and Hall sensing set that generates an output signal based on relative displacement between components, providing collision detection and patient presence sensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a force detecting mechanism is added to detect collisions and patient presence, then safety and monitoring capability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The force detecting mechanism is merged with the existing transmission mechanism by utilizing the elastic body that is already disposed between the fasten component and the forced component. The Hall sensing set is integrated into the housing body, allowing the detection function to be combined with the mechanical transmission structure rather than adding a separate detection system.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic body serves as an intermediary element that transmits both mechanical force and deformation information. When a collision or load change occurs, the elastic body deforms and this deformation is detected by the Hall sensing set, allowing indirect detection of force changes through the intermediary's physical response.
2Ease of manufacture
If the elastic body and Hall sensing set are integrated into the existing structure, then manufacturing cost and assembly complexity are reduced, but measurement precision may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The Hall sensing set is positioned at a specific location within the housing body where it can optimally detect the magnetic field changes caused by the elastic body's deformation. The elastic body is designed with specific local properties in the region where it interacts with the sensing set, ensuring that the deformation at this critical location provides sufficient signal for accurate detection.
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
Prevents equipment damage and ensures safe operation by terminating power supply upon collision, while enabling real-time patient presence detection.
Implementation Method 1
The Hall sensing set is disposed between the fasten component and the forced component. Moreover, when a force applied to the transmission mechanism is changed, a relative displacement is generated between the forced component and the fasten component, and an output signal is generated by the Hall sensing set due to the displacement.
Implementation Method 2
the elastic body disposed inside generates a slight deformation when a provided load is changed, a gap defined between a first sensing member and a second sensing member is changed to make the output signal be generated
Data Source
AI summary
A linear actuator with a force detecting mechanism includes: a housing body (10) having a fasten component (11); a transmission mechanism (20) connected to the housing body (10) and having a forced component (21); an elastic body (30) disposed between the fasten component (11) and the forced component (21); and a Hall sensing set (40) disposed between the fasten component (11) and the forced component (21); when a force applied to the transmission mechanism (20) is changed, a relative displacement is generated between the forced component (21) and the fasten component (11), and thus an output signal is generated by the Hall sensing set (40) due to the displacement. Accordingly, advantages of preventing the equipment from being damaged due to impacts and realizing whether a patient is in a lying in bed or an absenting status at any desired time are provided.