Positive Pivot Positioning for Drift-Free Dental Unit Arms
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Solution Overview
Problem
In dental operatory settings, equipment mounted on arms designed to move or pivot in a horizontal plane can experience undesired drift if the arm and its pivot connection are not level, leading to positioning issues and potential damage, and existing solutions to prevent drift often make the equipment harder to position and reposition.
Innovation Solution
A positive positioning device comprising stacked plates with a central opening for a pivot shaft, a spring-biased piston to resist rotation, and a pneumatic piston release mechanism that allows controlled pivoting, enabling selective resistance and easy repositioning of dental unit arms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If resistance is added to the pivot connection to prevent drift, then positioning stability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot connection dynamically switches between two states: a locked state with high resistance to prevent drift, and an unlocked state with low resistance for easy positioning. The locking mechanism engages automatically when the arm is positioned, providing stability, and can be easily disengaged when repositioning is needed, thus resolving the contradiction between stability and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The resistance parameter of the pivot connection is changed from high to low based on operational needs. When positioning is required, the mechanism transitions to a low-resistance state for easy movement. When positioning is complete, it transitions to a high-resistance state to prevent drift. This dynamic parameter change allows the system to optimize both ease of operation and positioning stability at different times.
2Reliability
If resistance to pivot connection is increased to prevent drift, then positioning stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drift prevention function is extracted from the continuous pivot connection and implemented as a separate, discrete locking mechanism. This allows the pivot connection to remain simple for positioning, while the added locking component provides stability only when needed, avoiding the need to make the entire pivot connection complex.
Solution Approach 2:
A locking mechanism acts as an intermediary between the pivot connection and the arm. This intermediary component selectively engages to provide resistance against drift, while leaving the pivot connection itself relatively simple for easy positioning. The locking mechanism mediates between the need for stability and the need for simplicity.
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 device effectively maintains equipment in a desired position while allowing intentional repositioning, reducing the risk of damage and improving operational ease by providing a controlled force to prevent drift and facilitate movement.
Implementation Method 1
a spring-biased piston shaped to slide within the bore to apply a force to the stacked plates to resist rotation of a pivot shaft inserted through the central opening in the stacked plates
Implementation Method 2
The piston release device can comprise a connection to a pneumatic circuit configured to apply pneumatic pressure to counteract the spring-biased piston
Implementation Method 3
The stacked plates can comprise a first plurality of keyed clutch plates and a second plurality of keyed friction plates, wherein the clutch plates and the friction plates are interleaved with each other
Data Source
AI summary
A positive positioning device comprises a plurality of stacked plates, a body, a spring-biased piston and a piston release device. The plurality of stacked plates have a central opening defined to receive a pivot shaft. The body houses the plurality of stacked plates and has an internal bore within which a cylinder is defined. The spring-biased piston is shaped to slide within the bore to apply a force to the stacked plates to resist rotation of a pivot shaft inserted through the central opening in the stacked plates. The piston release device is actuatable by a user to release the piston to decrease force applied to the stacked plates and allow free rotation of the pivot shaft.