Parking Platform Chain Deflection Without Rotatable Bearings

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing car parking devices with chain deflection systems require complex and costly rotatable bearings, leading to increased effort and potential wear, especially when used for raising and lowering platforms under high loads at low speeds.

Innovation Solution

A chain deflection system featuring a roller chain piece with a deflection piece having a convex curved surface, allowing the chain to roll without the need for rotatable bearings, reducing costs and enhancing reliability by using roller chains with rotatably mounted chain parts for reduced wear.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a roller arrangement with rotatable bearings is used as the deflection piece, then the chain can be deflected effectively, but the manufacturing cost and complexity increase due to the need for rotatable bearings

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechain deflection reliabilityVSAvoidbearing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the rotatable bearing component from the deflection piece, eliminating the need for complex rotating mechanisms. Instead, the chain deflection is achieved through the geometric shape (curved surface) of the deflection piece itself, which guides the chain along its path without requiring the deflection piece to rotate.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Rather than making the deflection piece rotatable to achieve chain deflection, the invention inverts the approach by making the chain rollers rotatable while keeping the deflection piece stationary. The curved surface of the stationary deflection piece guides the chain, and the chain rollers rotate to accommodate the directional change.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Ease of operation

If rotatable bearings are used in the deflection piece, then the chain deflection system functions properly, but wear and maintenance requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechain deflection operationVSAvoidwear resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention removes the rotatable bearing from the deflection piece, eliminating the wear-prone rotating joint. The stationary deflection piece with curved surface guides the chain without experiencing rotational wear, significantly improving reliability and reducing maintenance needs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of manufacture

If a stationary deflection piece with curved surface is used, then manufacturing costs are reduced, but the chain may have difficulty following the curved path at high speeds

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedeflection piece manufacturingVSAvoidchain speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The invention employs a curved surface on the stationary deflection piece that is specifically designed to guide the chain along its path. The curvature is optimized to accommodate chain movement, and the chain rollers rotate to follow the curved geometry, enabling effective chain deflection at various speeds without complex rotating mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

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 solution significantly reduces production costs and increases reliability by eliminating the need for rotatable bearings, while maintaining effective chain deflection for low-speed, high-load operations, such as raising and lowering platforms, and can be applied in various applications beyond car parking devices.

Implementation Method 1

the chain rollers of this roller chain piece touching the convex curved surface of the deflection piece and when the chain piece moves on the convex curved surface unroll surface

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRolling: Roller

Data Source

PatentEP3752694B1Car parking device
Publication Date: 2023.08.30 KLAUS MULTIPARKING GMBH
  • EP3752694B1 patent drawingFigure 1a
  • EP3752694B1 patent drawingFigure 1b
  • EP3752694B1 patent drawingFigure 2a

AI summary

The invention relates to an automated parking device (4) comprising a frame (5), on which at least one movable, in particular raisable or lowerable platform (6) is provided, and the automated parking device is equipped with a chain, part of which forms at least part of a chain deflection system. The chain deflection system consists of at least one chain piece (2, 2a, 2c), preferably a roller chain piece, and a deflection piece (3, 3a, 3b).