Adjustable Joint Wedge Mechanism for Power Tool Fixture Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power tool fixtures with adjustable joints lack a simple and efficient mechanism for repositioning components while maintaining secure locking and unlocking functionality, which complicates the adjustment and mounting of devices like handles and control boxes.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable joint design featuring a housing with a pair of wedges and a threaded fastener that moves the wedges to allow repositioning and clamping, enabling the joint to unlock for movement and lock for secure positioning by rotating the fastener, thereby facilitating easy adjustment and secure attachment of devices to the fixture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional adjustable joint mechanism is used, then the joint can lock and unlock to allow repositioning, but the mechanism becomes complex and difficult to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable joint is divided into distinct functional segments: a housing, a shaft with spherical end, a tube, and a pair of wedges. Each component has a specific function, and they work together through simple interfaces. The wedges act as independent locking elements that can be controlled separately by the threaded fastener, simplifying the overall mechanism while maintaining functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The threaded fastener serves as an intermediary element that converts rotational motion into linear motion to control the wedges. The wedges themselves act as intermediaries between the spherical end of the shaft and the tube, translating the fastener's linear movement into clamping force. This intermediary mechanism simplifies the operation by providing a clear cause-and-effect relationship: rotate fastener → move wedges → lock/unlock joint.
2Reliability
If a secure locking mechanism is implemented, then the joint resists movement reliably, but the adjustment process becomes more difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The traditional complex mechanical locking system (with multiple springs, cam followers, or threaded adjustments) is replaced with a simple wedge-and-fastener system. The threaded fastener provides mechanical advantage to generate significant clamping force, while the wedges convert this force into reliable locking action against the spherical end and tube. This substitution maintains reliability while dramatically reducing adjustment time and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism utilizes changes in the geometric parameters of the wedges as they move between locked and unlocked positions. When the threaded fastener is rotated, it changes the separation distance between the wedges, which in turn changes the clamping force applied to the spherical end and tube. This parameter change (wedge separation distance) directly controls the transition between locked and unlocked states, enabling quick and reliable adjustment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple components are allowed to move relative to each other for repositioning, then the joint is versatile and adaptable, but maintaining secure locking becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable joint is designed with universal functionality to accommodate different positioning requirements. The spherical end of the shaft can be repositioned to multiple locations along the tube, and the joint can be locked at any position. The same basic mechanism (wedges controlled by threaded fastener) handles both the versatility of repositioning and the reliability of locking, making the joint adaptable to various applications without requiring different mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The wedges are designed to automatically maintain secure locking once positioned. As the threaded fastener is tightened, the wedges are forced together, and their geometry ensures that they automatically exert clamping force on both the spherical end and the tube. The system self-regulates: the more the fastener is tightened, the greater the clamping force, ensuring reliable locking without requiring additional components or complex control mechanisms.
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
This design allows for easy repositioning and secure attachment of components, enhancing the modular functionality of power tool fixtures by simplifying the adjustment process and ensuring reliable locking mechanisms, thus improving the usability and versatility of the fixtures.
Implementation Method 1
a threaded fastener engaged with at least one of the pair of wedges and configured to (i) move the pair of wedges away from one another, when the threaded fastener is rotated in a first direction, and (ii) move the pair of wedges toward one another, when the threaded fastener is rotated in a second direction opposite the first direction
Implementation Method 2
a pair of wedges arranged in the housing between the first and second cavities... move the pair of wedges toward one another to cause the pair of wedges to exert a clamping force on the spherical end of the shaft to resist movement
Data Source
AI summary
In at least one illustrative embodiment, an adjustable joint comprises a housing, a pair of wedges arranged in the housing, and a threaded fastener engaged with at least one of the pair of wedges. The housing may include a first cavity that is sized to receive a spherical end of a shaft and a second cavity that is sized to receive a tube. The pair of wedges may be arranged between the first and the second cavities. The threaded fastener may be configured to (i) move the pair of wedges away from one another when rotated in a first direction and (ii) move the pair of wedges toward one another when rotated in a second direction opposite the first direction.