Split Shaker Motor Placement for Incubator Space and Heat Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional incubators with integrated shakers face challenges in maintaining a clean environment and efficient space utilization due to complex structures, high failure rates, and heat generation from motors, which complicates maintenance and temperature control.

Innovation Solution

A split shaker design where a disk drive motor with a stator assembly outside and a rotor assembly inside the incubation chamber minimizes heat exposure and complexity, using a rotor turntable to drive the shaking table, allowing for precise control and easy cleaning, with components separated to optimize space and reduce vibrations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If the motor is arranged on a side surface of the shaker, then the shaker can be integrated inside the incubator, but a large space in particular a large height is occupied, which reduces an overall utilization rate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespace occupationVSAvoidutilization rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The motor is repositioned from a side-surface arrangement to a bottom-surface arrangement, changing the spatial dimension of motor placement. This dimensional change allows the motor to occupy horizontal space rather than vertical space, significantly reducing the height requirement and improving incubator utilization rate while maintaining integration capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Stability of the object's composition

If the shaker including the motor is integrally placed inside the incubator, then the structure is compact, but the maintenance of a clean environment in the incubator is greatly influenced due to heating of the motor and contamination of the complex motor structure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclean environmentVSAvoidmotor structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The shaker system is segmented into two independent parts: the motor structure and the shaking mechanism. The motor is separated from the incubation chamber and placed outside, while only the essential shaking components (shaking table, drive shaft, eccentric rotary joint) remain inside. This segmentation isolates the污染源 (pollution source) from the clean environment, maintaining sterility while simplifying the internal structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The motor, which is the source of heat and potential contamination, is extracted from the incubation chamber and relocated to the external environment. This extraction eliminates the harmful effects of motor heating and complex motor structure on the clean environment, while the shaking function is preserved through the drive mechanism that connects to the motor externally

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If belts and other transmission devices are used to realize the control of a motor to the central output shaft, then the motor can be positioned remotely, but this structure introduces consumables for transmission such as belts, which are susceptible to the quality of consumables, resulting in high failure rates and maintenance difficulty

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransmission reliabilityVSAvoidmaintenance difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The belt transmission system is replaced with a direct mechanical connection through the drive shaft and eccentric rotary joint. This substitution eliminates the intermediate consumable belts and transmission devices, creating a more reliable direct-drive mechanism that reduces maintenance requirements and improves transmission reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention eliminates the use of disposable consumable components like belts in the transmission system. By adopting a direct mechanical drive with durable metallic components (drive shaft, eccentric rotary joint), the system removes the need for regular replacement of short-lived consumables, thereby improving reliability and reducing maintenance difficulty

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

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 split shaker design enhances cleaning efficiency, reduces space occupation, and maintains temperature stability within the incubation chamber, improving the overall utilization of the incubator while ensuring a sterile environment.

Implementation Method 1

a disk drive motor for driving the shaking table, the disk drive motor including a stator assembly disposed outside the incubation chamber and a rotor assembly disposed inside the incubation chamber

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic conversion: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentUS20220145229A1Split shaker and incubator comprising the same

Publication Date: 2022.05.12 SHINETEK INSTR RES INST

AI summary

A split shaker for an incubator, the incubator defining an incubation chamber, wherein the split shaker includes a disk drive motor for driving a shaking table, a disk drive motor including a stator assembly disposed outside the incubation chamber, and a rotor assembly disposed inside the incubation chamber having a central shaft and a rotor turntable mounted on the central shaft; wherein the rotation of the rotor turntable drives a shaking movement of the shaking table.