Shaft Supporting Unit Simplified Design for Pivot Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shaft supporting units in industrial equipment, such as press forming apparatuses, require numerous parts and labor for assembly and management, with a risk of misalignment and loose components leading to inefficiencies and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A simplified shaft supporting unit design featuring a lower block with a semicircular column recess and a lower bush for direct shaft support, eliminating the need for an upper bush and precise positioning, allowing for interchangeable blocks and reduced manufacturing complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an upper bush and lower bush are used to support the shaft, then the shaft support reliability is improved, but the device complexity and assembly labor increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the upper bush from the shaft supporting unit, extracting only the essential lower bush that provides sufficient shaft support. The lower bush alone is configured to support the shaft during pivot movement, eliminating the redundant upper bush and associated fixing components, thereby reducing part count while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using both upper and lower bushes to support the shaft from both directions, the invention inverts the approach by using only a lower bush that supports the shaft from below during pivot movement. The upper block is designed with a recess that accommodates the shaft without requiring a bush, flipping the conventional wisdom that both sides need bushing support
2Manufacturing precision
If precise positioning holes and knock pins are used to align upper and lower blocks, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the device complexity and assembly time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the knock pins and positioning holes from the shaft supporting unit design. The upper and lower blocks are joined using only fixing members (such as bolts) without requiring precise alignment features, extracting the unnecessary alignment components while maintaining sufficient assembly accuracy through the fixing members alone
Solution Approach 2:
The invention separates the alignment function from the joining function. Instead of using knock pins and positioning holes that combine both alignment and joining, the design uses fixing members that perform the joining function while the blocks are positioned during assembly without requiring precision alignment features, dividing the functions into simpler, independent steps
3Stability of the object's composition
If the upper recess is designed to contact the shaft, then the shaft support stability is improved, but the processing accuracy requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the upper bush that would require precise processing to contact the shaft. Instead, the upper recess is designed to accommodate the shaft without requiring high processing accuracy, as the lower bush provides the primary support during pivot movement, extracting the need for precision upper recess machining
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
This design reduces labor and costs associated with assembly and management, eliminates the risk of loose components, and allows for lower processing accuracy of the upper recess, enhancing manufacturing efficiency and reducing the need for precise alignment.
Implementation Method 1
a lower bush having a semi-cylindrical shape, located in the lower recess, and configured to slide the shaft thereon
Data Source
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AI summary
A shaft supporting unit 15A supports a shaft of a pivoting body with capacity of pivot movement. A lower block 58A has a lower recess with a semicircular column shape, and is configured to support the shaft from beneath. A lower bush 59 has a semi-cylindrical shape, is located in the lower recess, and is configured to slide the shaft on it. The shaft supporting unit 15A does not abut an upper side of the shaft when the pivoting body pivots. An upper block 56A is configured to cover above the shaft, and has an upper recess 61A with a predetermined gap between it and the shaft.