Piston Unit Support Device for Compact Metal Stretching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for stretching metal plates, such as aluminum, require large and expensive hollow cylinders due to the inner cylinder's need to support the outer piston, limiting their mobility and efficiency, especially with longer plates.
Innovation Solution
A coupling device that allows the inner cylinder to be completely outside the outer hollow piston while maintaining support, using a cup-shaped support device and a coupling mechanism that automatically couples and decouples the inner cylinder from the support device, ensuring continuous support and compact design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the inner cylinder supports the outer hollow piston, then the support function is ensured, but the device size and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support function is extracted from the inner cylinder and transferred to a dedicated support device. This allows the inner cylinder to be completely removed from the outer hollow piston when not needed, reducing the device size while maintaining the support function through the separate support device.
2Volume of stationary object
If the inner cylinder is moved completely outside the outer hollow piston, then the device size and cost are reduced, but the support function may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
A dedicated support device acts as an intermediary between the piston rod and the outer hollow piston. This support device remains inside the outer hollow piston to provide continuous support, while allowing the inner cylinder to be completely outside when needed, thus resolving the contradiction between size reduction and support function maintenance.
3Ease of operation
If a coupling device is added for automatic coupling and decoupling, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling device is designed to automatically couple and decouple the inner cylinder from the support device through relative axial movement alone. The system serves itself by using the movement of the inner cylinder to trigger the coupling/decoupling action through the pin element and beveled surface mechanism, eliminating the need for additional control systems while maintaining ease of operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates a device (100) in the form of a piston unit and a method for operating the same. The device (100) has a piston rod (110), an inner cylinder (120) surrounding the piston rod (110), and an outer hollow piston (130) likewise surrounding the piston rod (110). The inner cylinder (120) is mounted on the piston rod (110) to be axially moveable inside of and outside of the outer hollow piston (130) relative to the same. In order to enable an operation of the inner cylinder (120) completely outside of the outer hollow piston (130), without the outer hollow piston (130) falling on the piston rod (110), a support device (140) comprising a head (142) extending radially to the piston rod (110) is provided according to the invention, wherein the support device (140) is likewise mounted axially moveable on the piston rod (110), however, only within the outer hollow piston (130).