Flexible Support Arm Shell for Easier Joint Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional support arm devices face difficulties in aligning cover plates during assembly due to their design, which results in incomplete coverage of the arm members' intersections and affects aesthetic appeal.
Innovation Solution
A support arm device featuring a joint unit with spaced-apart joint seats, an arm unit pivotally connected between them, and a flexible outer shell with rotatable docking portions that simplify installation and maintain a fixed position relative to the arm unit, allowing smooth angle adjustments without interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If cover plates are disposed in arm members and abut against inner surfaces, then the structure is simple, but it is difficult to align cover plates with arm members during assembly and the intersections are not covered
Solution Approach 1:
The docking portions serve as intermediary elements between the outer shell and the joint members. These docking portions provide predefined engagement interfaces that facilitate alignment during assembly, eliminating the difficulty of directly aligning cover plates with arm members while maintaining structural simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The outer shell is divided into side walls with separate docking portions for different joint members. This segmentation allows each docking portion to independently engage with its corresponding joint member, simplifying the assembly process while ensuring complete coverage of all intersections
2Shape
If cover plates are used to shield the extension and retraction mechanism, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but the intersections of arm members, endcap member and connecting member are not covered
Solution Approach 1:
The outer shell extends in multiple dimensions to provide comprehensive coverage. The side walls extend laterally to cover the intersections of arm members with the endcap member and connecting member, while the top wall provides overhead coverage, creating a three-dimensional shielding structure that improves both aesthetics and coverage area
3Shape
If a rigid outer shell is used to cover the arm unit, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but angle adjustments are interfered with
Solution Approach 1:
The outer shell is designed with flexibility to dynamically adapt during operation. The material properties allow the shell to deform elastically when angle adjustments are made, accommodating the movement without interference, and then return to its original shape, thus maintaining aesthetic appearance while enabling smooth angle adjustments
Solution Approach 2:
The shell material parameters are selected to provide appropriate flexibility. By changing the material properties (such as using flexible plastics with specific durometer values), the shell can accommodate angular movements through elastic deformation rather than rigid constraint, allowing smooth adjustments while maintaining visual appeal
Data Source
AI summary
A support arm device includes a joint unit, an arm unit, and an outer shell. The joint unit includes two spaced-apart joint seats. Each joint seat has two curved joining members that are opposite to each other. The arm unit is pivotally connected between the joint seats. The outer shell is flexible, and includes two side walls disposed respectively at opposite lateral sides of the joint seats, and a top wall interconnecting top ends of the side walls. Each side wall has a first docking portion engaging concentrically and rotatably a respective one of the joint members of one of the joint seats, and a second docking portion engaging concentrically and rotatably a respective one of the joint members of the other one of the joint seats.