Rotatable Gallows Cable Management for Medical Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical examination devices, such as x-ray devices, face challenges in maintaining the freedom of movement of their components while routing supply lines from above, as existing cable management systems are too rigid, leading to the need for excessive line storage and potential snagging.
Innovation Solution
The supply lines are attached to a rotatable gallows mounted on a rail-guided carriage, utilizing a Bowden cable for movement along both vertical and horizontal axes, and integrated into an energy chain for path equalization, allowing for flexible movement and minimizing line storage requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If supply lines are routed from the ceiling using fixed cable pulls, then the supply lines are kept tight and positioned close to the ceiling, but the device components lose freedom of movement and require excessive line storage
Solution Approach 1:
The cable pull is transformed from a fixed ceiling-mounted structure to a dynamic system that moves with the device components. The cable pull is now attached to the moving components and travels along with them, allowing the supply lines to remain taut while accommodating all degrees of freedom including rotation about the vertical axis. This dynamic attachment eliminates the need for excessive line storage while maintaining full mobility.
2Stability of the object's composition
If cable pulls are mounted on the ceiling to keep supply lines tight, then the supply lines are positioned close to the ceiling, but the system becomes too rigid for multi-axis movements
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static ceiling-mounted cable pull to a dynamic attachment where the cable pull moves with the device components. This allows the supply lines to maintain their tight positioning close to the ceiling while the entire cable pull assembly adapts to movements in all directions including horizontal translation and vertical rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable pull serves as an intermediary element that bridges the stationary ceiling and the moving device components. By attaching the cable pull to the moving components rather than fixing it to the ceiling, the system allows the intermediary to move with the components while still maintaining tension on the supply lines through the ceiling attachment point.
3Reliability
If an overdimensioned line storage unit is provided to accommodate rigid cable pulls, then all movement degrees of freedom are restricted, but the line reserve becomes excessively long
Solution Approach 1:
The cable pull system becomes dynamic, moving with the device components rather than remaining fixed. This eliminates the need for an overdimensioned line storage unit because the cable pull continuously carries the necessary line reserve with it during movement, providing adequate line length for all positions without requiring excessive storage capacity.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical examination device is provided. At least some of the supply lines used to operate the examination device are routed from above to the examination device, with the supply lines being arranged on a gallows which is mounted rotatably on a rail-guided carriage and being attached to a longitudinal section by at least one Bowden cable arranged on the gallows.