Microtome Clamping Device Wedge Mechanism Reduces Operation Effort
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing microtome clamping mechanisms require significant user effort for operation and suffer from wear issues, leading to reduced service life and loss of clamping function over time.
Innovation Solution
A clamping device with a wedge and clamping member featuring inclined surfaces and a threaded structure, along with a lever and elastic elements, which allows for effortless operation, self-locking performance, and extended service life by converting pushing force into clamping force and reducing wear through spherical surfaces and guided movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If an eccentric bolt and wedge-shaped jaw are used for clamping, then the clamping function can be achieved, but the user needs to provide great force and the operation becomes hard
Solution Approach 1:
The operating member includes a spherical surface at its end that contacts the wedge. This spherical contact point converts the user's rotational force into linear pushing force more efficiently, reducing the effort required while maintaining effective clamping force.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a dynamic conversion mechanism where rotational motion of the operating member is transformed into linear motion of the wedge through the spherical contact surface, optimizing the force application throughout the clamping process.
2Productivity
If the eccentric bolt rotates hundreds of times a day for clamping operations, then the clamping function is maintained, but wear is produced between the eccentric bolt and clamping contact portion
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical surface on the operating member and the corresponding wedge contact surface are designed as wear-prone components that can be easily replaced. When wear occurs after extensive use, these components can be quickly replaced without affecting the overall system functionality, maintaining high productivity while managing reliability through replaceable parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The spherical contact surface distributes wear more evenly compared to point contacts, extending the service life of the operating members while maintaining the ability to perform hundreds of clamping operations.
3Reliability
If a threaded structure is used for the operating member, then self-locking performance is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The operating member combines multiple functions into a single integrated component: the threaded structure provides self-locking, the spherical surface provides force conversion, and the lever arm provides mechanical advantage. This merging reduces the number of separate components needed while achieving multiple performance goals.
Solution Approach 2:
The operating member serves multiple purposes: it acts as a lever for mechanical advantage, provides a spherical contact surface for force conversion, and includes threaded sections for self-locking. This multi-functionality achieves reliable clamping with minimal components, balancing complexity with performance.
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 clamping device provides effortless operation, robust self-locking, and extended service life by effectively transmitting force through inclined surfaces and utilizing threaded and elastic elements to minimize wear, ensuring reliable clamping performance.
Implementation Method 1
a wedge having a first end, a second end and a first inclined surface located between the first end and the second end, the wedge being in the form of an expanded shape from the second end to the first end
Implementation Method 2
since a wedge structure has self-locking function, the clamping device according to embodiments of the present disclosure in a clamping state has self-locking performance
Implementation Method 3
the operating member includes a screw part with thread, the first guiding part is configured as a threaded hole extending in the first direction, and the screw part may be threaded into the threaded hole
Implementation Method 4
the clamping device further includes a first elastic element disposed between the second end of the wedge and a portion of the housing away from the first guiding part
Data Source
AI summary
A clamping device includes: an operating member; a wedge having a first inclined surface; a clamping member having a second inclined surface movable relative to the first inclined surface, the first and second inclined surfaces being provided in a face-to-face arrangement; and a housing having a first guiding part, a second guiding part and a chamber. The operating member is mounted in the first guiding part, the clamping member is mounted in the second guiding part, and the wedge is disposed in the chamber; the operating member is operated to move towards the wedge, such that the operating member contacts and pushes the wedge to move, and further the first inclined surface contacts and moves along the second inclined surface; whereby a pushing force of the operating member in a first direction is converted into a clamping force of the clamping member in a second direction.