Operating Table Column Guide System to Prevent Stick-Slip and Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing operating tables face challenges with unreliable emergency mode operation due to unstable control equipment, high manufacturing costs of lifting devices, and issues with column guide systems experiencing stick-slip phenomena and wear, leading to difficulties in regulating table height and maintaining sealing integrity.
Innovation Solution
The operating table incorporates a sealing device using bellows and adhesive seals, a stable hardware-based control module for emergency mode operation, a screw-and-nut lifting mechanism with a U-shaped lifting fork for reduced costs and improved performance, and a column guide system with adjustable guide sliders and compensation elements to enhance rigidity and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a sliding column guide system is used to adjust table height, then the structure is simple, but stick-slip phenomenon occurs and wear leads to gaps and lock-in-place issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional sliding mechanical guidance system with a rolling guidance system using rolling elements (balls or rollers). This substitution eliminates the stick-slip phenomenon and wear associated with sliding contacts, thereby improving the reliability of height regulation while maintaining structural simplicity.
2Ease of operation
If a lifting pipe with groove is used to move the top column, then the lifting function is achieved, but the manufacturing cost is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the expensive lifting pipe with groove with a cost-effective screw-and-nut lifting mechanism. This mechanism uses standard threaded components that are cheaper to manufacture while achieving the same lifting function through rotational-to-linear motion conversion.
3Volume of moving object
If the top column is nested into the bottom column for height adjustment, then space is saved, but the column guide system requires sufficient rigidity to bear bending moment which causes wear and gaps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces rolling elements (balls or rollers) between the nested columns to replace direct sliding contact. This substitution reduces friction and wear, maintaining guidance precision over time while preserving the compact nested structure and its space-saving advantages.
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 solutions ensure reliable operation in emergency mode, reduce manufacturing costs, prevent wear and stick-slip issues, and maintain effective sealing and height regulation, enhancing the overall performance and longevity of the operating table.
Implementation Method 1
a top surface of the bellows and a bottom surface of the column head are sealingly bonded, whereby the bellows form a sealing device for the column head
Implementation Method 2
the sealing device is an adhesive in the hole and/or the window for sealing the hole and/or the window
Implementation Method 3
at least one edge of the gasket sealingly abuts against the edge of the cover defining border of the receiving window
Implementation Method 4
the sealing device is a shield, the shield being sealingly attached to the column head beneath the gear, so as to seal an opening where the interior space of the column head is located relative to the gear
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to an operating table, the operating table comprising a table top, a table top support and a column with a column head, wherein the sealing device is bellows assembled below the column head, or an adhesive in a hole and/or window on the holder of the cable, or a sealing gasket between the receiver and the column head, or a shield sealingly attached to the column head below the gear. The present disclosure further relates to control equipment, a lifting device, an intelligent charger, a column guide system for an operating table, as well as an operating table including the same.