Load Cylinder Compensation Member Absorbs Lateral Forces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing load cylinders in material-forming installations often experience premature failure due to non-vertical movement of the die, causing unwanted lateral forces on the internal walls of the cylinder, leading to frequent replacement.
Innovation Solution
A load cylinder design featuring a hollow ring-shaped body with a piston and a rod, where a compensation member is attached to the rod to absorb deviations in movement, ensuring vertical force application and minimizing lateral forces on the cylinder walls through a housing with a low friction coefficient contact surface and optional additional compensation member for misalignment correction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the die assembly is used to form material, then the material forming function is achieved, but non-vertical movement of the die causes lateral forces on the cylinder walls leading to premature failure
Solution Approach 1:
A compensation member is introduced as an intermediary element between the die assembly and the piston rod. This compensation member absorbs lateral deviations and swinging motions through its ability to move independently within the rod housing, preventing these harmful lateral forces from being transmitted to the cylinder walls while still allowing the primary vertical forming force to be transmitted effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The compensation member is designed with dynamic movement capability within the rod housing, allowing it to adapt to non-vertical die movements. The member can shift position and absorb swinging motions dynamically, transforming the rigid force transmission path into a flexible one that accommodates misalignment without generating harmful lateral loads on the cylinder.
2Device complexity
If the piston moves vertically without compensation, then the cylinder structure remains simple, but misalignment between die and piston causes unwanted lateral forces
Solution Approach 1:
The rod assembly is segmented into distinct functional components: the rod itself, the rod housing, and the compensation member that moves independently within the housing. This segmentation allows the compensation member to specifically address lateral deviations without requiring redesign of the entire cylinder structure, adding complexity only where needed to improve reliability.
3Reliability
If a compensation member is added to absorb deviations, then lateral forces are reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The compensation member is nested within the rod housing, which itself is part of the existing rod assembly. This nested configuration allows the compensation functionality to be integrated into the existing structure without requiring separate external components, thereby minimizing the increase in overall device complexity while still achieving the reliability improvement.
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 compensation member effectively absorbs swinging motions, preventing premature breakage of the cylinder by maintaining vertical movement of the piston, thus extending the cylinder's lifespan and reducing maintenance needs.
Implementation Method 1
The housing comprises a greater width than the width of said compensation member, so that said compensation member can be moved inside the housing in a compensation direction
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
Load cylinder for compensating unbalanced forces, which comprises a hollow ring- shaped body (1), a base (2) fixed to a first end (31) of the ring-shaped body (1), and a rod (3) housed partially in the hollow space of said ring-shaped body (1), a chamber (4) being delimited between side walls (13) of said ring-shaped body (1), the rod (3) and the base (2). The rod (3) is housed partially in said chamber (4) and may move in its interior. Said rod (3) comprises a housing (30) on one end (32), and the cylinder (100) comprises a compensation member (5) housed in said housing (30), said compensation member (5) being acted on to cause the movement of said rod (3). The housing (30) comprises a greater width than the width of said compensation member (5), with the result that said compensation member (5) may move inside the housing (30).