Flexible Abrasive Link Elements That Reduce Bending Gaps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cutting tools for hard materials like concrete and stone face issues with short tool life, overcutting, and operator safety due to gap formation between elements when bent, leading to mechanical stress and kick-back.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating protruding members on cutting tools that overlap adjacent elements when bent, reducing the gap width and maintaining contact with the material to be cut, thereby reducing mechanical stress and improving tool life and operator safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If a flexible drive carrier with spaced elements is used for abrasive cutting, then portability and plunging depth are improved, but gaps form when bent causing mechanical stress and reduced tool life
Solution Approach 1:
The protruding members extend in the drive direction (longitudinal dimension) to overlap adjacent elements, compensating for gaps that form in the transverse dimension when the carrier is bent. This dimensional approach transforms the gap coverage problem from a transverse spacing issue to a longitudinal overlap solution.
Solution Approach 2:
The protruding members are pre-configured on the elements before the carrier is bent into use. This preliminary structural arrangement ensures that when bending occurs during operation, the overlap is already in place to prevent gap formation and the associated mechanical stress and kick-back.
2Ease of operation
If elements are spaced apart on the flexible carrier, then flexibility and portability are improved, but gap width increases causing elements to impact material and reduce cutting efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The solution maintains the transverse spacing needed for flexibility by adding protruding members in the longitudinal dimension. This allows the carrier to remain flexible while the longitudinal overlap prevents harmful transverse gap formation during bending, eliminating element impact and improving cutting efficiency.
3Length of moving object
If larger diameter blades are used to achieve greater cutting depth, then plunging depth is improved, but overcutting problems and portability issues worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting tool is segmented into multiple elements spaced along a flexible carrier, replacing the single large rigid blade. This segmentation allows greater effective cutting depth while the protruding member overlap prevents overcutting by maintaining continuous contact, and the flexible carrier enables portability.
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 prolongs tool life, enhances operator comfort, and increases cutting efficiency by minimizing snagging and kick-back risks, while maintaining a continuous abrasive surface contact.
Implementation Method 1
The at least one protruding member is configured to overlap with the adjacent element at least when the flexible drive carrier has a straight configuration, and to be in contact with a material to be cut by the abrasive cutting tool, thereby reducing a width of a gap G formed between the element and the adjacent element when the flexible drive carrier is configured bent in an arcuate form
Implementation Method 2
The element can according to some aspects be a cutting element configured to include or hold an abrasive compound or material, and to perform an abrasive operation
Data Source
AI summary
An element for serial configuration with an adjacent element in an abrasive tool, wherein the element is arranged to be mounted on a flexible drive carrier having a drive direction D. The element comprising at least one protruding member extending in a direction parallel to the drive direction D. The at least one protruding member being configured to overlap with the adjacent element at least when the flexible drive carrier has a straight configuration, and to reduce a width of a gap G formed between the element and the adjacent element when the flexible drive carrier is configured bent in an arcuate form.