Adjustable Wrench With Three-Jaw Grip and Quick-Release Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional adjustable wrenches face limitations in gripping a wide range of fastener sizes and types, particularly hexagonal fasteners, due to their design which often requires significant thumb-operated worm screw rotation for adjustments and cannot effectively engage three or four jaws simultaneously, leading to reduced operational efficiency and increased complexity.
Innovation Solution
The adjustable wrench features a design with at least three gripping faces, a movable jaw with a toothed ramp, and a worm gear system with a cut-out for quick adjustments, allowing for a true three-jaw grip and a simple ratcheting mechanism without moving parts, enabling efficient engagement of hexagonal fasteners and tubular workpieces across a larger size range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional adjustable wrench uses a worm gear system for jaw adjustment, then the wrench can be adjusted to different sizes, but the adjustment process requires significant rotation of the thumb-operated worm screw, reducing operational efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the thumb-operated worm screw adjustment mechanism from the traditional wrench design and replaces it with a quick-adjustment mechanism that allows the jaw to be rapidly repositioned without extensive rotation, thereby maintaining adaptability while significantly improving operational efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional worm gear mechanical system with an alternative adjustment mechanism that eliminates the need for multiple rotations, substituting the complex mechanical threading system with a more efficient adjustment approach that reduces operational steps
2Device complexity
If a conventional wrench uses only two opposing jaws, then the structure remains simple, but the wrench cannot effectively engage three or four faces of hexagonal fasteners, limiting gripping capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the jaw structure into multiple gripping surfaces (at least three gripping faces) that can simultaneously engage with hexagonal fasteners, allowing the wrench to grip three or four faces at once while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a traditional two-dimensional two-jaw configuration to a three-dimensional multi-face gripping system, where the jaws are configured to engage multiple faces of hexagonal fasteners simultaneously, adding dimensional complexity to the gripping action while keeping the basic wrench structure simple
3Adaptability or versatility
If a wrench uses V-shaped gripping surfaces to engage hexagonal fasteners, then grip on more sides is provided, but the V shape recess must be extremely deep to provide suitable engagement surface, limiting the size range of operated fasteners
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the gripping surface into multiple distinct faces (at least three gripping faces) rather than using a single deep V-shaped recess, allowing engagement with multiple sides of hexagonal fasteners while keeping each individual gripping face shallow and accessible
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a deep single-dimension V-shaped recess to a multi-dimensional configuration with at least three gripping faces arranged to engage different sides of hexagonal fasteners, providing multi-sided engagement without requiring extreme recess depth
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 enhances gripping capability, reduces adjustment complexity, and allows for robust operation of various fastener sizes and types, including hexagonal and tubular workpieces, with improved torque transmission and ease of use through a low-cost, efficient mechanism.
Implementation Method 1
a worm gear system with a cut-out for quick adjustments
Implementation Method 2
a movable jaw with a toothed ramp, and a worm gear system
Data Source
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AI summary
An adjustable wrench has a wrench head provided with a fixed jaw, a movable jaw carried by the wrench head, a first movable jaw actuator mounted on the wrench head and a second movable jaw actuator mounted on said wrench head. The movable jaw is provided with teeth engagable by the first and second movable jaw actuators and the first movable jaw actuator is movable to an inoperative position to enable actuation of the movable jaw by the second movable jaw actuator.