Linear Thrust Chain Brackets With Toothing Against Side Slip

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional linear chains used for transporting and lifting goods tend to fail under high loads due to sideways slipping of support surfaces, leading to increased production costs when higher-quality materials or thicker materials are used to enhance load limits.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating means for transmitting transverse forces, such as toothing, on the brackets to prevent sideways slipping, which strengthens the contact surfaces and allows for the direct transmission of lateral forces, thereby stabilizing the chain under high loads.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If higher-quality materials or increased material thickness are used to enhance load limits, then the load-bearing capacity is improved, but the production cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveload-bearing capacityVSAvoidproduction cost
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by adding toothing only at specific locations (on the support surfaces of the brackets) where transverse force transmission is needed, rather than improving the entire bracket structure. This localized modification prevents sideways slipping without requiring higher-quality materials or increased thickness throughout the entire component, thus resolving the contradiction between strength enhancement and manufacturing cost.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If the material thickness of brackets is increased to prevent sideways slipping, then the reliability under high loads is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestability under high loadsVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The toothing is implemented as a localized feature on the support surfaces rather than a global structural change. This allows the majority of the bracket structure to remain simple while providing enhanced reliability only where needed for transverse force transmission, thus improving stability under high loads without significantly increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The solution segments the function of the bracket into two distinct parts: the main bracket structure for load bearing and the toothing features for transverse force prevention. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently, maintaining simple overall structure while adding complexity only where necessary for reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3260735B1Thrust chain
Publication Date: 2021.08.11 WIPPERMANN JR
  • EP3260735B1 patent drawingFigure 1~6
  • EP3260735B1 patent drawingFigure 7~11
  • EP3260735B1 patent drawingFigure 12~14

AI summary

The invention relates to a linear chain consisting of brackets (1) and chain links (2), the brackets (1) being U-shaped, whereby legs (11) are formed which are connected to one another by a base (12), and the Legs (11) form side edges (13) on their ends facing away from the base (12) and the brackets (1) have support surfaces (14, 15) on their front sides, which in the stretched position of the chain connect to the support surfaces (14, 15) of the adjacent bracket (1) are in contact, and at the transition from the end faces (14) to the side edges (13) rounded portions (16) are formed, the bracket (1) and the chain links (2) being movably connected to one another by bolts (3). are. At least one supporting surface (14, 15) of the bracket (1) has means (4) for transmitting transverse forces. The roundings (16) have a curved shape that deviates from a part-circular shape.