Adjustable Fulcrum Member for Pry Bar Leverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lifting tools with adjustable fulcrums lack versatility in mounting and adjusting leverage, as they often have fixed or limited slot configurations, restricting the ability to easily mount and adjust the fulcrum on a pry bar for varying leverage needs.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable fulcrum member with multiple open-ended slots along its cylindrical body, allowing it to be slidably and removably mounted on a pry bar, enabling adjustment of leverage by positioning along the bar and selecting appropriate slots for increased angle and leverage, and featuring a curved sidewall for easy rotation on the ground.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the fulcrum member has multiple open-ended slots, then the ease of mounting and adjustability of leverage is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fulcrum member body is segmented with multiple open-ended slots at different positions, allowing the pry bar to be mounted at various locations along the body. This segmentation enables adjustable leverage ratios without requiring multiple separate fulcrum components, thus improving ease of operation while controlling complexity through integration into a single body.
Solution Approach 2:
The fulcrum member is designed with multi-functionality by incorporating multiple slots that serve different mounting purposes. The same fulcrum member body can be used with pry bars of different lengths and for different leverage requirements, making a single component serve multiple functions and reducing the need for multiple specialized components.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the fulcrum member is slidably mounted on the pry bar, then the adjustability of leverage is improved, but the reliability of mounting may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The fulcrum member is designed to be dynamically adjustable along the pry bar through the open-ended slots, allowing the user to slide it to different positions for optimal leverage. The dynamic positioning capability is balanced with the structural design of the slots and body to ensure that once positioned, the fulcrum remains securely in place during use.
3Ease of operation
If the sidewall of the fulcrum member is curved, then the ease of rotation on the ground surface is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sidewall of the fulcrum member body is formed with a curved surface, specifically a cylindrical shape, which allows the fulcrum to rotate smoothly on the ground surface during the prying operation. This curvature reduces friction and enables easier rotation compared to a flat surface, while the cylindrical geometry provides well-defined manufacturing tolerances that balance ease of rotation with manufacturability.
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 adjustable fulcrum member provides customizable leverage for lifting and moving objects by allowing precise positioning and angle adjustment, enhancing the tool's capability to lift objects efficiently and easily transfer force, while minimizing friction through a low-friction slide pad.
Implementation Method 1
The curved sidewall allows the fulcrum member to easily rotate or pivot on the ground surface
Implementation Method 2
minimizing friction through a low-friction slide pad
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable fulcrum for use with a pry bar to provide the pry bar with leverage to lift or move an object. A tool for lifting or moving an object including a pry bar with a fulcrum member. The fulcrum member has a body with slots in the sidewall of the body. The slots extend part of the length of the body of the fulcrum member between the ends of the body parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fulcrum member. One (1) end of the slots is open to allow for easily mounting the fulcrum member on the pry bar. The fulcrum member is mounted on the pry bar so that the pry bar extends through two (2) of the slots of the fulcrum member.