Replaceable Cylinder Attachment Member Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cylinder designs face costly and time-consuming repairs due to frequent breakage of the mating feature on the rod portion, particularly in the flanged coupler style, which concentrates stresses and requires replacement of the entire piston/rod assembly.
Innovation Solution
A cylinder design featuring a replaceable attachment member with a mating feature that breaks before the rod portion, allowing for the attachment member to be replaced independently, reducing the need for complete disassembly and replacement of the piston/rod assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the mating feature is integrated into the rod portion, then the structure is simpler, but the repair cost and time increase when the mating feature breaks
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment member is segmented from the rod portion, creating a separate replaceable component. The attachment member includes a first interlocking member that attaches to the rod portion and a second interlocking member that provides the mating feature. This segmentation allows the attachment member to be replaced independently when the mating feature breaks, avoiding the need to replace the entire piston/rod assembly while maintaining structural simplicity through the modular design.
2Reliability
If the mating feature is made robust to prevent breakage, then reliability improves, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment member is designed as a sacrificial component that can break before the rod portion. By making the attachment member a separate, replaceable component with the mating feature, the design allows the less critical attachment member to fail first, protecting the more expensive rod portion. This approach improves overall reliability by preventing catastrophic failure of the entire piston/rod assembly while keeping the cylinder design relatively simple through the modular attachment member.
Data Source
AI summary
A cylinder includes a cylinder body defining a cylinder bore. End caps close opposite ends of the cylinder body. A piston/rod assembly of the cylinder includes a piston portion and a rod portion. The piston portion is located in the cylinder bore and the rod portion extends outwardly of the cylinder body through at least one of the end caps and terminates at an end having a first interlocking member. The cylinder also includes an attachment member having opposite first and second ends. The first end of the attachment member has a second interlocking member for cooperating with the first interlocking member for attaching the attachment member to the end of the rod portion. The second end of the attachment member includes a mating feature for connecting the attachment member and thus, the rod portion to another part.