Vibrating Rail Fastener Feeder for Low Aspect Ratio Screws
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current screw feeders face challenges with assembling hard disk drives due to the difficulty in handling screws with low aspect ratios, leading to issues such as screws falling away, jamming, and flipping during the feeding process, which increases manufacturing costs, space requirements, and downtime.
Innovation Solution
A fastener feeding apparatus that includes a vibrating rail feeder connected to a housing, an actuator with a separating member to stabilize screws, and a suction member to collect debris, along with a position sensor to detect screws and control the feeding process, ensuring accurate delivery to a feed tube for assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional screw feeders are used to deliver fasteners, then the assembly process can proceed, but screws frequently fall away, jam, and flip during feeding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a vibrating rail feeder that uses mechanical vibration to reliably transport screws through the feeding mechanism. The vibration prevents screws from falling away, jamming, or flipping during delivery, ensuring consistent and reliable fastener supply to the assembly point.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary actuator mechanism between the vibrating rail and the feed tube. This actuator positively engages with the screw and actively guides it into the feed tube, serving as a mediator that ensures reliable transfer while preventing delivery failures.
2Volume of moving object
If low aspect ratio screws are used to reduce component size, then disk drive compactness improves, but handling difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vibrating rail provides gentle yet effective motion to low aspect ratio screws, preventing them from tumbling or flipping during transport. The vibration ensures these compact but difficult-to-handle fasteners are delivered reliably without requiring manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual or simple gravity-based screw delivery with a controlled vibrating mechanical system. This substitution enables reliable handling of low aspect ratio screws that would be difficult to manage with conventional mechanical feeding methods.
3Reliability
If complex fastener feeding mechanisms are implemented to improve delivery reliability, then screw delivery reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener feeding apparatus is segmented into distinct functional modules: a vibrating rail feeder for transport, an actuator for positive engagement and guidance, and a feed tube for delivery. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining overall system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuator serves multiple functions: it positively engages the screw, guides it into the feed tube, and prevents flipping or jamming. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, managing device complexity while maintaining reliability.
4Device complexity
If manual screw feeding is used to simplify the mechanism, then device complexity decreases, but assembly precision and cleanliness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual screw feeding with an automated vibrating mechanical system. This substitution ensures consistent delivery precision and maintains cleanliness by eliminating manual handling, while the modular design keeps device complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The vibrating rail feeder is designed to self-regulate screw delivery through vibration control, ensuring precise and clean feeding without requiring manual intervention. The system serves itself by automatically preventing jams and misalignments through its vibration mechanism.
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 apparatus significantly reduces incidents of screw dropping, jamming, and flipping, enhancing assembly reliability, performance, and compactness, while minimizing downtime and costs in the manufacturing process.
Implementation Method 1
a vibrating rail feeder (106) connected to a housing (102)
Data Source
AI summary
A fastener feeder apparatus comprising a feed rail configured to move a first and a second fastener, an actuator including a separating member adjacent the feed rail, the separating member comprising a stopper portion configured to receive the first and second fastener, a first separating portion connected to the stopper portion, the first separating portion having an angled surface configured to contact the first fastener and a top surface configured to contact the second fastener, and an aperture defined in the separating member between the stopper portion and the first separating portion, the aperture structured for receiving the first fastener.