Linear Motor Slider Locking Mechanism for Power Failure Holding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing locking mechanisms for linear motor travel sliders in processing machines, such as grinding machines, face challenges in reliably holding the slider in a stop position during power failures due to surface contamination and increased wear, which requires higher elastic coefficients for the urging member, making it difficult to miniaturize the actuator.
Innovation Solution
A locking mechanism featuring a serration member with teeth on the bed and a locking member with teeth on the travel slider, actuated by a cylinder and spring, which engages to hold the slider in place during power failures, allowing for reduced elastic coefficient and actuator miniaturization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a friction member is used in the brake mechanism, then braking force is given to the travel slider, but the surface of the friction member is stained with cutting material and iron powder, causing friction force to decrease and making it difficult to surely hold the travel slider in a stop position
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful friction-based braking mechanism and replaces it with a tooth engagement mechanism. The locking member with teeth engages with the serration member, eliminating the friction member that gets contaminated by cutting material and iron powder, thereby solving the reliability issue caused by surface staining.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the friction-based mechanical braking system with a positive engagement tooth-based locking system. The locking member's teeth engage with the serration member's teeth, providing reliable mechanical interlocking that is not affected by surface contamination from cutting material and iron powder.
2Force
If the elastic coefficient of the coil spring is increased to compensate for wear of the friction member, then the braking force is maintained, but the air cylinder mechanism cannot be miniaturized
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the friction member from the system, eliminating wear-related problems. The tooth engagement mechanism between the locking member and serration member provides reliable force transmission without the need for high elastic coefficients to compensate for friction member wear, enabling miniaturization of the air cylinder mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention substitutes the friction-based force transmission system with a tooth-based positive engagement system. This replacement eliminates the need for high elastic coefficients required to maintain braking force in friction-based systems, allowing the air cylinder mechanism to be miniaturized while maintaining sufficient locking force.
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 mechanism effectively holds the travel slider in a stop position during power failures without increasing the urging force, enabling actuator weight reduction and miniaturization while maintaining operational reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a spring which urges the locking member in one direction
Implementation Method 2
a linear motor that reciprocably supports a travel slider on an upper surface of a bed
Data Source
AI summary
A locking mechanism of a linear motor travel slider, includes: a serration member having a teeth portion and disposed on one of the bed and the travel slider extending in a slider-traveling-direction; a bracket supported by the other of the bed and the travel slider; an actuator supported by the other of the bed and the travel slider; a locking member supported by the actuator having a teeth portion engageable with the teeth portion of the serration member; and a controller for controlling the actuator to retain the lock member in an unlocked position when the linear motor is energized and for stopping the actuator when the linear motor is in a stop state due to a power failure. The locking member includes an urging member for making the locking member engage with the serration member while the actuator is in a stop state.