Shaft Coupling Structure With Swing Lock to Prevent Tool Falls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional coupling devices for physicochemical experiments face issues with unexpected falls of experimental tools due to loose fixing screws, particularly when adjusting positions, as the screw can get caught in the support groove, leading to unstable conditions and potential tool drops.
Innovation Solution
A coupling structure with a lock mechanism that includes a swingable control body and a biasing member, allowing for axial movement suppression and interference with the shaft-shaped portion, preventing falls by maintaining a pried state even when the screw is loosened.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a fixing screw is used to secure the coupling device to the shaft-shaped portion, then the coupling device can be fixed in position, but when the fixing screw is loosened for adjustment, the screw can get caught by the support groove causing unexpected falls
Solution Approach 1:
A lock mechanism is introduced as an intermediary component between the fixing screw and the coupling device body. This lock mechanism includes a control body that can swing between locked and unlocked positions, and a locking protrusion that engages with a locking groove on the shaft-shaped portion. When locked, it prevents the coupling device from falling even if the fixing screw is loosened, while still allowing easy adjustment when unlocked.
Solution Approach 2:
The lock mechanism provides preliminary anti-action by preemptively preventing the harmful effect (falling) before it can occur. The locking protrusion is designed to engage with the locking groove in advance, creating a safety barrier that counteracts the potential downward force on the coupling device before adjustment operations begin.
2Device complexity
If the coupling device is designed with a simple fixing screw mechanism, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of preventing unexpected falls during adjustment is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing mechanism is segmented into functionally independent components: the fixing screw for basic securing, and the lock mechanism with control body and locking protrusion for safety. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently - the screw provides simple attachment while the lock mechanism provides reliable fall prevention without requiring complex integration.
3Reliability
If the control body swings and interferes with the shaft-shaped portion to create a pried state, then axial movement is suppressed and fall prevention is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the swing axis and interference geometry
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a complex mechanical linkage or spring system to achieve the pried state, the invention inverts the approach by using the natural swinging motion of the control body about a simple axis. The geometry is designed so that the control body's own movement creates the interfering action with the shaft-shaped portion, eliminating the need for additional complicating mechanisms.
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 coupling structure effectively prevents unexpected falls by maintaining stability and security during position adjustments, ensuring the experimental tools remain securely attached to the support device.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing member that exerts a bias force in the direction of swinging the control body inserted into the shaft insertion portion
Data Source
AI summary
A coupling device has a support groove that, in a state in which the coupling device is attached to a first shaft-shaped section, allows a member having a shaft shape to be inserted therein in a direction crossing the first shaft-shaped section. The coupling device can fix, to the support groove, a second shaft-shaped section of a tool such as a clamp, which is a supported object, by using a second direction fixing screw while the second shaft-shaped section passes through the support groove. The coupling device can perform coupling to the second shaft-shaped section by means of a second coupling section which is formed by using the support groove and the second direction fixing screw.