Spring Washer Stacked Arrangement for Microtome Feeding Rigidity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing microtome feeding mechanisms suffer from low rigidity due to face-to-face arrangement of spring washers, leading to vibration during cutting hard materials or at high speeds, resulting in poor section quality.
Innovation Solution
A retraction device with a spindle and stacked spring washers oriented in the same direction, providing enhanced rigidity and allowing the spindle to switch between positions, driven by a pull rod, to improve the feeding mechanism's stability and reduce vibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If spring washers are arranged face-to-face in the related art, then the structure is simple, but the rigidity is low causing vibration during cutting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the arrangement dimension of spring washers from face-to-face (horizontal arrangement) to stacked arrangement (vertical arrangement along the spindle axis). This dimensional change transforms the low-rigidity face-to-face structure into a high-rigidity stacked structure that resists cutting forces better, eliminating vibration while maintaining operational simplicity.
2Productivity
If the micro feeding mechanism is used for high-speed cutting or hard materials, then productivity is improved, but vibration occurs due to low rigidity resulting in poor section quality
Solution Approach 1:
By reorienting the spring washer arrangement from face-to-face to stacked configuration along the spindle axis, the patent achieves high rigidity that enables high-speed cutting and hard material processing without vibration, thereby simultaneously improving both productivity and section quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite spring washer assembly by stacking multiple spring washers together with predetermined pre-load, forming a rigid structure that combines the elastic properties of individual washers into a high-rigidity composite system capable of withstanding high-speed cutting forces.
3Ease of operation
If the specimen is moved back to the upper position without retraction, then the operation is simple, but the specimen surface hits the cutter causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The retraction device performs preliminary action by automatically retracting the specimen holder away from the cutter before the upward movement begins. This preliminary retraction prevents the specimen surface from hitting the cutter during the return stroke, eliminating specimen damage while maintaining operational simplicity through automatic control.
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 enhances the rigidity of the feeding mechanism, reducing vibration and improving section quality when cutting hard materials or at high speeds, ensuring better precision and accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of spring washers fitted over the first end and stacked together in an identical direction. The plurality of spring washers are compressed between the spindle and the support plate with a predetermined pre-load
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
A retraction device (100) includes: a spindle (10), a support plate (20) and a plurality of spring washers (30). The spindle is movable along an axis direction thereof and has a first end; a support plate has a fixed position, the first end of the spindle penetrates the support plate; and the plurality of spring washers are fitted over the first end of the spindle and stacked together in an identical direction. The plurality of spring washers are compressed between the spindle and the support plate with a predetermined pre-load. The spindle is configured to be switchable between a first position and a second position, and capable of moving a predetermined distance relative to the support plate in the axis direction of the spindle during switching. When in the first position, the spindle is farthest from the support plate, when in the second position, the spindle is closest to the support plate. A feeding mechanism (1000) is also disclosed. The retraction device enhances the rigidity of the feeding mechanism and improves the quality of the section.