Linear Actuator Slide Table Stability via Central Stopper
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional linear actuators with non-circulating guide mechanisms experience shifting and tilting of the slide table due to unbalanced loads, leading to instability and inclination when the slide table moves.
Innovation Solution
A linear actuator design featuring a cylinder mechanism with pistons, a guide mechanism with circulating rolling bodies, and a stopper mechanism centrally located on the slide table, which abuts against a guide block to prevent lateral moments and ensure stable stopping of the slide table.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a non-circulating guide mechanism with steel balls is used, then the guide mechanism is simple in structure, but the slide table experiences shifting and tilting under unbalanced loads
Solution Approach 1:
The guide mechanism uses circulating steel balls that are continuously recovered and reused through circulation passages, replacing the conventional non-circulating design. This allows the balls to be discarded from one position and recovered at another, maintaining stable support under unbalanced loads while keeping the overall structure relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The circulating steel balls act as intermediaries between the guide rails and the slide table, providing stable support and reducing shifting and tilting. The balls circulate through designated passages, mediating the interaction between moving and stationary components to maintain stability under varying load conditions.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the stopper mechanism is disposed centrally on the slide table, then inclination of the slide table is suppressed, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper mechanism is asymmetrically disposed on only one end of the slide table rather than being symmetrically distributed. This asymmetric placement, combined with the circulating guide mechanism, effectively suppresses inclination while avoiding the complexity of multiple stopper mechanisms at both ends.
Solution Approach 2:
The centrally disposed stopper mechanism on one end serves multiple functions: it prevents inclination, regulates reciprocal movement, and works in conjunction with the circulating guide mechanism to maintain stability. This multi-functional design reduces overall device complexity compared to having separate mechanisms for each function.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a circulating guide mechanism with rolling bodies is used, then the slide table moves stably without tilting, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The circulating guide mechanism merges the guide rails, rolling bodies, and circulation passages into a single integrated system. This combination allows the rolling bodies to continuously circulate and maintain stable support without requiring separate mechanisms, thereby achieving stability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rolling bodies continuously circulate through the guide mechanism, providing uninterrupted stable support for the slide table. This continuous circulation ensures consistent stability during movement while the self-contained circulation system avoids the need for additional complex mechanisms to maintain the rolling bodies in position.
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 design effectively suppresses inclination and ensures reliable, stable movement of the slide table by centrally locating the stopper mechanism, reducing the risk of tilting and allowing for a more compact and simplified linear actuator structure.
Implementation Method 1
a flat guide block with circulation passages formed therein through which a plurality of rolling bodies roll and circulate
Implementation Method 2
by introduction of a pressure fluid from fluid inlet/outlet ports, a slide table is made to move reciprocally
Implementation Method 3
the slide table moves reciprocally under a displacement action of the pistons
Implementation Method 4
the stopper mechanism, which is displaced together with the slide table, abuts against one end of the guide block
Data Source
AI summary
A linear actuator includes a cylinder main body. With respect to the cylinder main body, a slide table is disposed for reciprocal displacement through a guide mechanism, which is disposed on the cylinder main body. A stopper mechanism having a stopper bolt is disposed on one end of the slide table centrally in a widthwise direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the slide table. In addition, when the slide table is displaced along the cylinder main body, an end of the stopper bolt comes into abutment with an end of a cover of the guide mechanism, whereupon the slide table becomes engaged therewith and movement of the slide table is stopped.