Manual Cigarette Maker Drive Assembly Linkage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing manual cigarette makers suffer from poor uniformity of pressing, abnormal sound during operation, and difficulty in retracting the discharge pipe when the spring fails, affecting user experience and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A manual cigarette maker design featuring a housing with a mounting frame, a discharge assembly, and a pressing assembly linked through a drive assembly. The drive assembly includes a rotatable drive shaft, swing arm, linkage, and drive plate, with a torsion spring providing elastic force for automatic reverse rotation and pipe retraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a thin hinged parallel four-bar linkage is used to reduce cost and volume, then the device becomes more compact and economical, but the fulcrums become unstable and generate abnormal sound during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The parallel four-bar linkage is divided into separate components: a fixed four-bar linkage and a movable swing arm. The swing arm is independently connected to the discharge pipe, allowing it to move freely without being constrained by the fixed linkage's fulcrum stability issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The swing arm is extracted from the fixed parallel four-bar linkage structure and made as a separate movable component. This extraction allows the discharge pipe to be driven by the swing arm's movement rather than being directly coupled to the unstable fulcrums of the fixed linkage.
2Ease of manufacture
If the parallel four-bar linkage is made thin and hinged to reduce material cost, then manufacturing cost decreases, but the gaps between bars become unstable causing the pressing plate to float and reducing pressing accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing mechanism is segmented into independent components: the fixed four-bar linkage, the movable swing arm, and the pressing plate. The swing arm's independent connection to the discharge pipe allows it to maintain stable gaps with the fixed linkage while enabling precise pressing motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The swing arm acts as an intermediary between the fixed four-bar linkage and the pressing plate. It transmits motion from the linkage while maintaining stable gaps, preventing the pressing plate from floating and ensuring accurate pressing despite the simplicity of the fixed linkage structure.
3Ease of operation
If a lever spring is used to drive the swing arm and discharge pipe, then the mechanism can retreat automatically, but the system becomes complex and may fail to retreat when foreign matter is present in the pressing chamber
Solution Approach 1:
The lever spring is extracted from the automatic retreat mechanism and replaced with a manual retreat system. The discharge pipe is directly connected to the swing arm, allowing the operator to manually retract the discharge pipe by operating the swing arm in reverse, eliminating the complex spring mechanism and its failure modes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides self-service through direct manual control. The operator can directly manipulate the swing arm and discharge pipe connection to achieve retreat without relying on an automatic spring mechanism that may fail under certain conditions.
4Reliability
If the discharge pipe is directly connected to the swing arm without a spring mechanism, then the structure becomes simpler and more reliable, but the operator must manually retract the pipe which may be difficult when foreign matter is present
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge pipe is segmented from the swing arm connection, allowing independent movement. The swing arm can move freely to drive the discharge pipe forward, while the pipe can be manually retracted independently when needed, providing both simplicity and operational flexibility.
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 enhances linkage performance, ensuring convenient and fast operation, improves drive stability and compaction consistency, reduces noise, and prevents jamming, thereby enhancing user safety and extending the device's service life.
Implementation Method 1
a torsion spring provided on the drive wheel; an end of the torsion spring extends out of the drive wheel to a position at a junction between the helical teeth and the smooth surface of the drive wheel
Implementation Method 2
The torsion spring provides the elastic force for the reverse rotation of the drive wheel. When pressing the material, the handle drives the drive wheel to swing upward, and the elastic potential energy for the reverse rotation gradually increases.
Data Source
AI summary
A manual cigarette maker include a housing and a mounting frame fixed inside the housing. A front side of the mounting frame is provided with a discharge assembly, and a middle part of the mounting frame is provided with a pressing assembly. The discharge assembly includes a discharge pipe. The pressing assembly includes a pressing element. A pressing chamber for pressing a material is formed between a front side of the pressing element and the discharge pipe. The pressing assembly is linked with the discharge pipe through a drive assembly. The drive assembly includes a rotatable drive shaft, a swing arm, a linkage, and a drive plate. The swing arm is configured to link the discharge pipe and the drive shaft. A drive wheel is provided on the drive shaft and rotates synchronously with the drive shaft. The linkage includes a gear part and a connecting part.