Split Bushing Air Alignment for Inspection Gap Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Split bushings are frequently rejected during production due to random alignment of their gap with inspection locations on machinery, leading to waste and production delays, as existing equipment lacks the ability to control the orientation of the gap, resulting in false defect identification by inspection machines.
Innovation Solution
An assembly using a stream of air to align the gap of split bushings before installation, comprising an air tube with vents positioned to correspond with inspection locations, ensuring the gap is rotated away from critical areas, thereby preventing false rejections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a gravity feed rail is used to position split bushings, then the bushings can be fed automatically to the press pin, but the gap orientation becomes random and may align with inspection locations causing false rejections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by positioning the bushing in a receiver before the pressing operation, and using air jets to adjust the gap orientation to a predetermined safe position before inspection occurs. This pre-positioning prevents the random orientation problem while maintaining automated feeding.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary element - the bushing receiver with air jets - that mediates between the gravity feed rail and the pressing operation. The receiver temporarily holds the bushing and uses air jets to control gap orientation, acting as a buffer that resolves the conflict between automated feeding and precise orientation control.
2Device complexity
If the gap of the split bushing is not controlled, then the feed rail machine can operate simply, but a percentage of bushings are rejected as defective due to random gap alignment with inspection locations
Solution Approach 1:
The bushing receiver serves as an intermediary device that adds gap orientation control without significantly complicating the overall feed rail system. It introduces air jets and a positioning mechanism that actively orient the gap away from inspection locations, thereby improving reliability while maintaining relative simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical orientation control mechanisms with a simpler pneumatic system using air jets. Instead of using mechanical fingers or rollers to physically rotate the bushing, air jets blow across the bushing to shift its position and orient the gap appropriately, reducing mechanical complexity while improving reliability.
3Measurement precision
If compressed air is used to inspect bushing circularity and diameter, then quality defects can be detected, but bushings with gaps in inspection areas are falsely identified as defective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by using air jets to position the bushing gap away from inspection locations before the compressed air inspection occurs. This pre-positioning ensures that the inspection measures circularity and diameter accurately without being confounded by gap-related air leaks, thereby eliminating false defect identification while maintaining measurement precision.
4Productivity
If split bushings are pressed into connecting rods without gap alignment control, then production can proceed quickly, but parts are rejected due to improper gap alignment causing waste and slowdowns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical orientation control with a simpler pneumatic system using air jets. This substitution maintains production speed by avoiding complex mechanical adjustments while effectively positioning the gap to prevent rejections, thereby reducing bushing waste without sacrificing productivity.
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 solution effectively aligns the gap of split bushings away from inspection locations, reducing waste and production delays by ensuring consistent alignment, thus improving production efficiency and reducing the number of parts rejected due to misalignment.
Implementation Method 1
a stream of air from the air supply enters the air tube at the inlet and exits the outlet at the vent into the hole of the bushing receiver
Data Source
AI summary
A split bushing alignment assembly comprising an air tube and a mount having one or more vents leading to a bushing receiver disposed as a hole sized and shaped to receive a split bushing. A stream of air from an air supply, typically compressed air, enters the tube and exits the vent into the bushing receiver. When a split bushing having a gap falls into the bushing receiver, the stream of air rotates the split bushing if the gap is in a same location as the stream of air from the vent. The gap of the split bushing is thus rotated by the stream of air such that when the split bushing is installed, the gap is not located in a known inspection area of a bushing inspection machine. A method of use is also provided.