Machine Tool Door Assist Switching for Manual or Pneumatic Operation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door devices for machine tools lack flexibility in assist force application, making them inefficient for workers who require varying levels of assistance for opening and closing doors, and do not accommodate different postures or work types effectively.
Innovation Solution
A door device with an air cylinder system that includes a switch valve and manipulation switch, allowing the door to be moved with or without assist force, enabling easy switching between assist states to accommodate different user needs and postures, and featuring a movable pulley mechanism to reduce the size and complexity of the air cylinder.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If assist force is always applied to the door, then opening and closing becomes easier, but the device cannot accommodate workers who do not need assistance or prefer manual operation
Solution Approach 1:
The door device dynamically switches between assist mode and manual mode based on worker selection. The E-stop switch enables or disables the air cylinder assist force, allowing the system to adapt its behavior to different operational needs rather than maintaining a fixed assist state
Solution Approach 2:
The door device serves multiple functions by combining both assisted operation and manual operation capabilities in a single system. The E-stop switch provides dual functionality as both an emergency stop and a mode selection mechanism, making the device universally applicable to workers with different strength levels and operational preferences
2Device complexity
If assist force is not applied to the door, then the device structure becomes simpler, but opening and closing becomes more difficult for workers needing assistance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the assist force application from a continuous state to a controllable, on-demand state. By using the E-stop switch to enable or disable the air cylinder, the system provides assist force only when needed, rather than maintaining a permanently complex assisted operation system
Solution Approach 2:
The door device allows workers to self-select their preferred operation mode. The E-stop switch empowers workers to independently enable or disable assist force based on their current needs, making the system self-adapting without requiring complex sensors or control systems
3Ease of operation
If the air cylinder is always in assist position, then door opening is always assisted, but the door cannot be manually moved freely in both directions
Solution Approach 1:
The E-stop switch prevents the air cylinder from applying assist force when not needed, avoiding interference with manual door operation. By disabling the assist function in advance through the E-stop switch, the system eliminates potential harmful effects of unwanted assist force before they can occur
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 door device provides flexible assist force application, enhancing user convenience and efficiency by allowing workers to choose the level of assistance needed, and optimizing the design to fit within compact machine tool spaces.
Implementation Method 1
an air cylinder (4) including a first air chamber (41A) that receives air so as to apply a first assist force (F1) to the door (2) in a first direction (DR1)
Data Source
AI summary
A door device includes a door slidable between a first position and a second position; an air cylinder having a first air chamber to which air is supplied to apply a first assist force to the door in a first direction from the first position toward the second position; a fluid passage connecting the first air chamber and an air supply source; a switch valve provided at the fluid passage; and a manipulation switch to switch the switch valve between a first state and a second state. The door, in the first state, is movable in the first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction without the first assist force. The first assist force is applied to the door in the second state. The door at the first position closes an opening a machine tool. The door at the second position fully opens the opening.