Tiltable Wheel Plate With Segmented Rollers For Manufacturing Tool Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional positioning systems for manufacturing equipment, such as omni-directional wheels, are excessively tall, difficult to integrate, and cause high surface loading, leading to damage and increased manufacturing costs due to complex designs and the need for specialized machinery.
Innovation Solution
A wheel assembly with a tiltable wheel plate and rollers that can spin about a central axis, allowing for adjustable contact with the floor and reduced surface loading, combined with a wedge jack system for height adjustment, enabling efficient movement and positioning of manufacturing tools without the need for complex designs or high-cost machinery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional omni-directional wheels are used, then mobile manufacturing tools can move in multiple directions, but the wheels are excessively tall and cause high surface loading
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel assembly is segmented into multiple independent rollers (typically three rollers) arranged in a triangular pattern on a wheel plate, rather than using a single solid wheel. This segmentation allows each roller to contact the floor independently, reducing the effective height while maintaining multi-directional movement capability through differential rotation of the rollers.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a single-point contact wheel to a distributed contact system where multiple rollers contact the floor at different locations. This dimensional distribution reduces the effective height footprint and allows the wheel plate to tilt and rotate more efficiently, achieving omni-directional movement with reduced overall height.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional omni-directional wheels are used, then mobile manufacturing tools can move in multiple directions, but the surface loading is excessively high causing floor damage
Solution Approach 1:
The load is segmented and distributed across multiple independent rollers (typically three) instead of concentrating it on a single wheel contact point. This distribution of contact points significantly reduces the surface loading pressure on the manufacturing floor while maintaining the ability to move in multiple directions through controlled differential rotation of the rollers.
Solution Approach 2:
Each roller can be independently controlled to rotate at different speeds and directions, allowing the system to adapt the local contact quality and pressure distribution dynamically. This enables efficient force distribution across the floor surface, reducing peak pressures that would cause damage while maintaining omnidirectional movement capability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional omni-directional wheels are used, then mobile manufacturing tools can move in multiple directions, but the design and manufacturing become excessively complex
Solution Approach 1:
The complex omni-directional wheel is segmented into simple, identical roller components mounted on a rigid wheel plate. Each roller is a simple cylindrical element that can be manufactured using standard processes, eliminating the need for complex 5-axis milling machines. The segmentation transforms a difficult-to-manufacture single component into multiple simple components that are easier to produce and assemble.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of trying to manufacture a complex solid omni-directional wheel with integrated rollers and mechanisms, the invention inverts the approach by using a rigid wheel plate with independently mounted simple rollers. This inversion simplifies the manufacturing process for each component while achieving the same functional result, reducing the need for specialized machining equipment.
4Length of moving object
If conventional jack systems are used for height adjustment, then manufacturing tool height can be changed, but the jack systems are excessively tall and difficult to integrate
Solution Approach 1:
The jack system is merged with the wheel assembly by integrating the height adjustment mechanism directly into the wheel plate mounting structure. The wheel plate is mounted on a tilt axis that allows it to rotate between a horizontal position (for movement) and a tilted position (for height adjustment). This merging eliminates the need for separate tall jack systems, reducing the overall height footprint while maintaining height adjustment capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel plate mounting structure provides dynamic height adjustment through tilting and rotation, allowing the manufacturing tool to be positioned at different heights and angles. This dynamic adjustment mechanism replaces static tall jack systems with a more compact, integrated solution that achieves the same height adjustment function through rotational motion rather than linear extension.
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 allows for stable, efficient movement and height adjustment of manufacturing tools with reduced surface loading and manufacturing costs, improving tool stability and maneuverability while minimizing damage to the manufacturing floor.
Implementation Method 1
a wedge jack system for height adjustment
Implementation Method 2
rollers that can spin about a central axis
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for positioning a manufacturing tool. A wheel assembly comprises a wheel plate and rollers. The wheel plate has a perimeter and an axis of rotation that is tiltable about a tilt axis. The rollers are arranged near the perimeter of the wheel plate, each of the rollers having an axis of rotation parallel to the tilt axis. An apparatus comprises an upper frame, a lower frame associated with the upper frame, a wedge slideably located between the upper frame and the lower frame, and a force applicator associated with the wedge.