Modular Bearing Device for Gripper Arms Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing modular bearing devices for gripper arms in gripping and transport devices are large, complex, and difficult to assemble, leading to increased downtime and maintenance costs due to the need for frequent replacements and adaptations for different container types and worn components.
Innovation Solution
A compact modular bearing device with a base plate and integrally formed bearing pins that serve as both bearing and fixing elements, allowing for easy assembly and replacement of gripper arms, utilizing a cam control shaft and springs for operation, and featuring a simplified structure with fewer components for reduced manufacturing and maintenance costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing modular bearing devices are used for gripper arms, then the gripper arms can be replaced and adapted for different container types, but the bearing devices become large, complex, and difficult to assemble
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single integrated bearing device. The bearing pins are designed to be integral parts of the base plate, merging the bearing function and fixing function into one component. This integration reduces the number of separate parts and simplifies the overall structure while maintaining adaptability for different container types through the modular gripper arm design.
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing device is designed with universal characteristics that allow it to support different container types. The base plate with integrated bearing pins provides a universal mounting structure that can accommodate various gripper arm configurations. The cam control shaft and spring mechanism provide universal opening and closing functionality across different container sizes and shapes.
2Ease of repair
If existing modular bearing devices are used for gripper arms, then replacement and adaptation are possible, but assembly becomes difficult and downtime increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing device is segmented into modular components that can be independently replaced. The gripper arms are separate from the base plate, and the bearing pins are integral to the base plate but can be accessed for maintenance. This segmentation allows for quick replacement of worn gripper arms without replacing the entire bearing device, reducing downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing pins are pre-integrated into the base plate during manufacturing, eliminating the need for complex assembly operations during maintenance. The cam control shaft and spring are pre-positioned to enable quick operation. This preliminary preparation of the structure during manufacturing reduces the time required for maintenance and replacement operations.
3Ease of manufacture
If existing modular bearing devices are used, then gripper arms can be replaced, but manufacturing costs increase due to multiple components
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing pins are merged with the base plate as an integral structure, eliminating the need for separate bearing pin components. This merging reduces the total number of parts that need to be manufactured, stored, and assembled. The single integrated structure simplifies manufacturing processes and reduces material costs while maintaining the necessary bearing and fixing functions.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and assembly of a modular bearing device for a pair of gripper arms in a mirror-inverted configuration seated on a support plate for the gripping, holding and guiding of bottle-like containers. The gripper arms are movable from a gripping position into an open position and vice versa by means of a rotatably mounted cam control shaft, each gripper arm having a bearing pin for the pivotal supporting the respective gripping arm and a base plate with a receiving opening running through it for the pivotal supporting of the cam control shaft, wherein the bearing pins are fixed to one side of the base plate, and releasably fastening at least one of the gripper arms on the support plate. With the objective of quick and easy dismantling/assembling, the bearing device is characterized in that the first bearing pin or the second bearing pin is designed as a sleeve for receiving the fastening, the through-hole of which aligns with a receiving opening in the base plate in the axial direction of the sleeve.