Asymmetric Barrel Drill Bit for Easy Plug Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing barrel-style drill apparatuses face difficulties in quickly and easily removing the plug of material that remains after drilling large-diameter holes, especially when the material expands and binds inside the apparatus, making the process labor-intensive and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
The novel drilling apparatus features a drill bit with an asymmetrically positioned laterally-extending flat and a cutting wedge that allows for efficient removal of the plug by creating a smaller diameter plug than the hole, facilitated by a recess with fingerholds for easy extraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a barrel-style drill apparatus is used to drill large-diameter holes, then the hole formation capability is improved, but the plug removal becomes labor-intensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The drill bit is designed with an asymmetric configuration where the flat surface is positioned offset from the central axis, creating an asymmetric plug geometry that facilitates easy removal. The plug has a smaller diameter than the hole and an asymmetric shape that allows it to be easily extracted without binding, resolving the contradiction between maintaining hole formation capability and enabling easy plug removal.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the drill bit creates a plug that fits tightly in the recess, then structural stability is improved, but plug removal becomes difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric positioning of the flat surface on the drill bit creates a plug with asymmetric geometry that is stable during drilling but easily removable afterward. The plug diameter is intentionally made smaller than the hole diameter, creating clearance that prevents binding while maintaining stability during the drilling operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The recess in the barrel-style drill apparatus is designed with specific local characteristics including fingerholds positioned at predetermined locations. These local features provide grip points that enable easy manual extraction of the plug without requiring additional tools or excessive force, reducing removal time while maintaining plug stability during drilling.
3Manufacturing precision
If material expands during drilling, then hole formation is maintained, but plug binds inside the apparatus making removal difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric plug geometry created by the offset flat surface on the drill bit prevents uniform binding of expanded material around the plug. The asymmetric shape allows the plug to be easily extracted even when material expands during drilling, as the expansion does not create uniform frictional resistance around the entire plug circumference.
Solution Approach 2:
The drill bit design automatically creates a plug with extraction-facilitating features through its asymmetric geometry. The plug self-structures during drilling to have a smaller diameter and asymmetric shape that inherently resists binding and facilitates easy removal, eliminating the need for additional extraction mechanisms or tools.
4Productivity
If a traditional cork-screw drill bit is used for small holes, then debris removal is efficient, but it cannot drill large-diameter holes
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the debris removal capability of cork-screw drill bits with the large-hole drilling capability of barrel-style drill apparatus. The drill bit incorporates a cork-screw-type recess that actively removes debris during drilling, while the overall apparatus maintains the large-diameter hole formation capability of barrel-style designs, combining benefits of both approaches.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for drilling out a plug of material, the apparatus comprising: a base plate having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a central longitudinal axis; a circumferentially-extending side wall extending distally from the top surface of the base plate, the circumferentially-extending side wall terminating in a circular distal end surface; a drill bit centered on the central longitudinal axis of the base plate and extending distally therefrom, the drill bit comprising a distal portion, a proximal portion and an intermediate portion extending between the distal portion and the proximal portion; wherein the intermediate portion of the drill bit comprises a first laterally-extending flat comprising a cutting edge disposed a first distance away from the central longitudinal axis towards the circumferentially-extending side wall and a second laterally-extending flat extending a second distance away from the central longitudinal axis towards the circumferentially-extending side wall, and further wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.