Load Cell Removal via Link Guide and Pivot Bolt
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing scales designed for sales counters face difficulties in maintenance and replacement due to limited space, as they require lateral access and additional screw connections for load cell removal.
Innovation Solution
The scale features a link guide with an opening that allows the load cell to be removed without side access, equipped with a locking device that secures the load cell in the weighing position, enabling easy maintenance and cleaning by pivoting the load cell about a pivot axis, and a pivot bolt with a keyhole-shaped recess for tool-free removal at a specific angular position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the load cell is secured with screw connections accessible from the side, then the load cell is firmly fixed in the shell, but maintenance and replacement become difficult in confined spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The link guide is divided into a fixed portion and a movable portion that can be separated from each other. The movable portion can be removed to provide access to the load cell, while the fixed portion remains attached to the shell. This segmentation allows the load cell to be firmly fixed during operation but easily accessible for maintenance by simply removing the movable portion of the link guide.
2Reliability
If additional screw connections are used to secure the load cell, then the load cell is firmly fixed, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The link guide serves multiple functions: it guides the movement of the load cell, secures the load cell in position, and provides a removal mechanism for maintenance. By combining these functions into a single integrated component rather than using separate screw connections, the device complexity is reduced while maintaining reliable fixation of the load cell.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the shell is firmly connected to the base, then the scale is stable during operation, but the load cell becomes difficult to access for cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The link guide transitions from a static structure to a dynamic one where the movable portion can be removed. During operation, the link guide maintains the load cell in a stable position. During cleaning, the movable portion of the link guide can be removed to provide access to the load cell, and then reattached afterward. This dynamic design allows the shell to remain firmly connected to the base while enabling cleaning access.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The scale (1) has a weighing cell for detecting weight of items to be weighed and connected with a removable load plate (4) for placing items to be weighed. The weighing cell is arranged within a shell (3) and moved from a weighing position into a cleaning position via a sliding guide. The weighing cell is removed in the cleaning position by a slotted guide track (33) of a link guide that is provided with an opening. A manually operable locking device comprises a pivot bolt connected to the shell that is arranged at partly within a recess of a planar face i.e. sales counter.