Caulk Gun Coupling Device With Adjustable Plunger Stop
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional caulk guns are bulky and heavy during storage, restrict the use of caulk tubes of specific lengths, and suffer from undesirable tube sliding due to fixed holders, limiting versatility and ease of use.
Innovation Solution
A coupling device with a receiving member featuring resilient teeth and a releasing collar, allowing for easy attachment and detachment of caulk tubes of varying lengths, and a plunger mechanism with adjustable stopping points to accommodate different tube lengths, enhancing usability and reducing bulkiness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional fixed holder is used to hold the caulk tube, then the caulk tube is securely held during dispensing, but the caulk gun becomes bulky and heavy during storage and transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is divided into a fixed portion attached to the gun body and a movable portion that can be detached or repositioned. This segmentation allows the holder to provide secure support during use while reducing overall bulkiness when not in use, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and weight/bulkiness.
2Ease of operation
If additional spaces are allowed between the holder and caulk tube for easy loading, then the caulk tube can be easily loaded and unloaded, but the caulk tube experiences undesirable back-and-forth sliding within the gun
Solution Approach 1:
The holder incorporates a movable portion that can dynamically adjust its position or engagement level with the caulk tube. During loading, the movable portion allows sufficient clearance for easy insertion, while during dispensing, it engages more firmly to prevent sliding, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and stability.
3Device complexity
If a fixed dimension holder is used, then the holder structure is simple, but only caulk tubes of a pre-determined length can be fitted in the caulk gun
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is designed with a movable portion that can adjust its position along the caulk tube, enabling a single holder structure to accommodate caulk tubes of various lengths. This universal design maintains structural simplicity while achieving versatility, resolving the contradiction between device complexity and adaptability.
4Reliability
If a resilient gripping portion with teeth is used to engage the caulk tube, then the caulk tube is securely gripped, but the gripping portion requires additional releasing mechanism components
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient gripping portion with deformable teeth is designed to be actuated by the user's existing triggering action. When the trigger is pulled, it naturally applies force to deform the resilient teeth and release the gripped object. This self-service design achieves secure gripping without requiring separate complex releasing mechanisms, resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity.
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
Enables efficient dispensing of caulk materials with reduced bulkiness, allows for use of caulk tubes of various lengths, and simplifies tube loading and unloading, improving user convenience and operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient member is arranged between the releasing trigger and the coupling member to provide a biasing force on the releasing trigger
Implementation Method 2
the rod is slidably engageable with a stopping member, the stopping member is pivotally movable between a first position and a second position
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a coupling device (70) for engaging a caulk tube with a caulk gun (10). The coupling device (70) has a coupling member (72) for releasably couple with a body (12) of the caulk gun (10), and a receiving member (74) for releasably receive an end portion of the caulk tube. The receiving member (74) includes a gripping portion (80) having a plurality of teeth for engaging an outer wall of the caulk tube. The invention also relates to a caulk gun (10) for dispensing caulk material from a caulk tube. The caulk gun (10) has a body with a handle (14), an actuating mechanism (16) for actuating the dispensing of the caulk material, and a plunger (40) having an elongated rod (42) slidably connected with the body (12). The plunger (40) is moveable towards a caulk tube, engaged with the gun (10), when the actuating mechanism (16) is actuated. The plunger rod (42) is slidably engageable with a stopping member (44) that is pivotally movable between a first position and a second position. When the stopping member (44) is at the first position, movement of the plunger (40) is prevented after a first distance, and when the stopping member (44) is at the second position, movement of the plunger (40)is prevented after a second distance.