Workholding Apparatus Movable Jaw Segmented Drive
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
High precision machining operations require workholding devices that can quickly and easily adapt to different positions and orientations of workpieces, but existing vises often require significant rotation of threaded rods for jaw positioning, which is inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A workholding device with a base, a fixed jaw member, and a movable jaw member, featuring a connection member or claw that can be rotated or pivoted to engage and disengage with a drive member, allowing for large and small incremental movements, enabling precise positioning of the movable jaw member relative to the workpiece.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a threaded rod is used to move the movable jaw member, then the jaw member can be positioned against the workpiece, but the threaded rod must be rotated a significant amount of times which reduces efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The jaw positioning mechanism is segmented into two independent systems: a rapid positioning system using a sliding connection member that moves the jaw in large increments, and a fine-adjustment system using a threaded rod that moves the jaw in small increments. This segmentation allows the operator to quickly close the jaw using the sliding mechanism, then make precise adjustments using the threaded rod, dramatically reducing the total number of rotations needed compared to using only a threaded rod.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection member is designed to be movable between engaged and disengaged states with the threaded rod. When disengaged, the connection member allows free sliding motion for rapid jaw closure. When engaged, it enables precise threaded adjustment. This dynamic switching between two operational modes optimizes both speed and precision in jaw positioning.
2Speed
If the movable jaw member is moved in large increments only, then positioning speed is improved, but positioning precision is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning process is divided into two phases: rapid coarse positioning using the sliding connection member for speed, followed by precise fine-adjustment using the threaded rod for precision. This two-stage segmentation allows the system to achieve both high speed and high precision that neither mechanism could achieve alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection member is designed to allow the jaw to be moved slightly beyond the final desired position using rapid sliding motion, then the threaded rod is used to back off and precisely adjust to the exact target position. This partial over-travel in the rapid phase enables the fine-adjustment phase to achieve precise positioning efficiently.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for holding a workpiece, the device comprising a base, a first jaw member, a movable jaw member, and features which allow the movable jaw member to be moved in large increments relative to the first jaw member in addition to features which allow the movable jaw member to be moved in smaller increments. The device can include a drive member operably engaged with the base and the movable jaw member such that the operation of the drive member can move the movable jaw member in small increments. The movable jaw member can include a connection member, or claw, which can operatively engage the movable jaw member with the drive member. The connection member can be moved between first and second positions to disengage the movable jaw member from the drive member such that the movable jaw member can be slid relative to the first jaw member in large increments.