Steady Rest Coolant Ducts via Kidney-Shaped Openings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing steady rests for central clamping of rod-shaped workpieces face issues with coolant or lubricant supply, as seals are often damaged during installation, leading to misalignment and rust formation, which compromises clamping accuracy and requires frequent replacement.
Innovation Solution
The steady rest design features kidney-shaped openings in the housing cover, sealed with a circumferential seal, and a central duct with side branches to supply coolant or lubricant directly to outer holding elements, preventing penetration into the housing and using positive pressure to exclude dirt and moisture, eliminating the need for complex machining of articulated pins.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ring-shaped grooves are worked into articulated pins for coolant supply, then coolant can be supplied to outer holding elements, but seals are damaged during installation and misalignment occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component (the housing with integrated coolant ducts) that mediates between the coolant supply system and the articulated pins. The coolant ducts are directly formed in the housing and connect to the outer holding elements, eliminating the need for seals on the articulated pins themselves. This intermediary structure resolves the contradiction by providing reliable coolant supply without requiring precise seal installation on the pins.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the seal requirement from the articulated pin assembly by relocating the coolant supply function to the housing structure. The coolant ducts are directly formed in the housing and connect to the outer holding elements, removing the intermediate sealing interface that caused installation problems. This extraction eliminates the source of the precision and reliability issues.
2Reliability
If seals project beyond articulated pin diameter, then sealing is possible, but misalignment and seal damage become unavoidable
Solution Approach 1:
The housing acts as an intermediary that provides the sealing function without requiring projecting seals on the articulated pins. The coolant ducts are directly formed in the housing and connect to the outer holding elements, eliminating the need for seals that must project beyond the pin diameter. This resolves the contradiction by providing effective sealing through a different structural approach.
3Temperature
If coolant penetrates into housing interior, then cooling function is achieved, but oxidation and rust formation occur on internal components
Solution Approach 1:
The housing with integrated coolant ducts serves as an intermediary structure that channels coolant directly to the outer holding elements and workpiece contact points. The ducts are directly formed in the housing material, creating a controlled flow path that delivers cooling where needed while preventing coolant penetration into the housing interior. This resolves the contradiction by providing effective cooling without exposing internal components to oxidation and rust.
4Reliability
If multiple notches are worked into articulated pins, then coolant supply paths are created, but construction complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the coolant supply function with the housing structure itself. The coolant ducts are directly formed in the housing material, combining the housing's structural function with the coolant distribution function. This eliminates the need for multiple notches in the articulated pins, reducing their construction complexity while maintaining reliable coolant supply to the outer holding elements.
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
This design ensures reliable coolant supply to outer holding elements without compromising the internal housing integrity, preventing rust and maintaining high clamping accuracy over time, while simplifying installation and reducing maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
each of the openings to be sealed by means of a circumferential seal that is configured, in a preferred embodiment, endlessly
Implementation Method 2
the interior of the housing of the steady rest to be sealed so it is liquid-tight by means of an O-ring or gasket inserted in the housing and/or its cover
Implementation Method 3
the interior of the housing of the steady rest should be pressurised by a barrier agent, preferably barrier air, supplied under positive pressure so that any penetration of dirt and moisture into the interior of the steady rest is almost excluded
Data Source
AI summary
In a steady rest (1) with three holding elements (5, 6, 7), of which the two outer holding elements (6, 7) can be swivelled about articulated pins (8, 9) mounted in a housing (2) and the middle holding element (5) can be adjusted in a straight line, with one chip protection cap (11, 12) each provided with outlet ducts attached to one or both outer holding elements (6, 7) and with the possibility of supplying cooling or rinsing agent in a controlled fashion via ducts (13, 15) worked into the holding elements (6, 7) for application to the workpiece (10), each of the ducts (13, 15) provided in the outer holding elements (6, 7) is directly connected to a duct (27) running in the housing (2) of the steady rest (1) via kidney-shaped openings (21, 22) running concentrically to the articulated pins (8, 9).