Spring Plate Housing Latching for Uniform Pneumatic Shaft Clamping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pneumatic clamping and/or braking devices face issues with achieving symmetrical opening and closing functions due to non-uniform clamping force distribution, leading to potential damage to the shaft.
Innovation Solution
A housing part for a pneumatic clamping and/or braking device featuring latching means that ensure a well-defined and symmetrical positioning of annular spring plates, allowing for reliable axial positioning without relying on axial press-in force during assembly, thereby facilitating consistent clamping and braking operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If annular spring plates are introduced into a housing to form a pressure space for pneumatic clamping, then hydraulic disadvantages (cost, maintenance, reaction time) are overcome, but non-uniform clamping force distribution occurs leading to shaft damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces asymmetric counteracting elements with varying heights arranged circumferentially on the spring plate. These elements create asymmetric counteracting forces that compensate for the asymmetric clamping force distribution, restoring uniformity across the clamping surface without requiring perfect symmetry in the overall device structure
Solution Approach 2:
The counteracting elements are positioned at specific locations around the circumference of the spring plate, with each element having a tailored height to provide localized compensation where needed. This allows precise control over the clamping force distribution pattern to match the specific non-uniformity characteristics
2Manufacturing precision
If axial press-in force is used during assembly to position spring plates, then simple assembly procedure is maintained, but positioning precision and symmetry cannot be reliably achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The counteracting elements are pre-installed on the spring plate during manufacturing, creating a pre-assembled unit with built-in positioning features. This preliminary action ensures that when the spring plate is installed in the housing, the counteracting elements are already in their correct positions, eliminating the need for complex post-assembly adjustments
Solution Approach 2:
The counteracting elements serve a dual function: they provide the mechanical counteracting force for uniform clamping distribution and simultaneously act as self-positioning features that guide the spring plate into its correct axial position during assembly, eliminating the need for separate positioning 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 solution enables symmetrical and reliable opening and closing functions, reducing assembly complexity, improving sealing, and ensuring uniform clamping force distribution, thus preventing damage to the shaft while providing quick reaction times and reduced material costs.
Implementation Method 1
a first end of the spring plate is supported on the first contact surface, the spring plate extends from the first contact surface to the second contact surface, and a second end of the spring plate presses on the second contact surface, to transmit a clamping and/or braking force
Implementation Method 2
a pressure space which can be charged with compressed air or can be ventilated and vented in order to change the bending of the spring plates and thereby to change between a closed state of the clamping devices
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure describes a housing part for a pneumatic clamping and/or braking device, the housing part comprising: an annular recess for clamping an annular spring plate between a first contact surface of the housing part defined by the recess and a second contact surface of the housing part defined by the recess; a clamping element having a clamping surface which is designed, when the spring plate is clamped in the recess between the first contact surface and the second contact surface in such a way that a first end of the spring plate is supported on the first contact surface, the spring plate extends from the first contact surface to the second contact surface, and a second end of the spring plate presses on the second contact surface, to transmit a clamping and/or braking force to an object to be clamped and/or braked; wherein the housing part comprises a first latching means and a second latching means, wherein, when the spring plate is clamped in the recess between the first contact surface and the second contact surface, the first latching means is designed to latch the first end of the spring plate on the first contact surface and the second latching means is designed to latch the second end of the spring plate on the second contact surface. The disclosure further describes a clamping and/or braking device for clamping and/or braking an object to be clamped and/or braked, comprising two of the housing parts.