Pliers with Aligned Jaw Surfaces for Safe Clip Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clip removal tools are inadequate for safely and efficiently removing multiple types of clips, especially those in hard-to-reach areas and those that are damaged, due to their lightweight material and low profile design, which makes them difficult to grip and prone to damage during removal.
Innovation Solution
The development of pliers with pivotably connected handles and jaws featuring teeth, cone portions, and blade portions that align to apply force without cutting the clip, along with a spring mechanism to facilitate one-handed operation and a lock for secure closure, allowing for selective engagement with clip heads or stems to avoid damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If clips are made from lightweight materials to reduce weight and cost, then the clips are easier to insert and less expensive, but they become more prone to damage during removal and harder to grip
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a specialized removal tool with multiple functional surfaces (blade portions, cone portions, teeth) that act as intermediaries between the operator and the lightweight clip. These surfaces are specifically designed to engage with different parts of the clip (head, stem, recesses) to apply controlled forces that prevent damage to the fragile lightweight clip material during removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The removal tool features different local structures (blade portions for stem engagement, cone portions for head engagement, teeth for recess engagement) tailored to specific locations on the clip. Each surface is optimized for its specific function, allowing safe removal of lightweight clips without causing damage through localized force application.
2Shape
If clip heads are designed with low profile to simplify design and reduce interference, then the clips are more compact and less interfering, but they become difficult to grip for removal
Solution Approach 1:
The tool's cone portions and teeth serve as intermediaries that extend the operator's reach and grip capability to low-profile clip heads. The cone portions can engage with the clip head from above while the teeth can engage with recesses in the clip head, providing secure grip points even when the clip head profile is minimal.
Solution Approach 2:
The removal tool accesses the low-profile clip head from multiple dimensions - the cone portions approach from above, the teeth engage from the side with the handle, and the blade portions work from below. This multi-dimensional approach allows manipulation of low-profile heads that would be difficult to grip with a single-handed tool.
3Ease of operation
If clips are designed for easy insertion with direct force to simplify installation, then the installation process is faster and more convenient, but the clips become more vulnerable to damage during removal
Solution Approach 1:
The specialized removal tool with its multiple protected engagement surfaces (blade portions, cone portions, teeth) acts as an intermediary that distributes removal forces safely across different parts of the clip. This prevents concentrated forces from damaging the clip while still enabling effective removal, contrasting with the simple direct-force insertion method.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool design incorporates built-in protection through its multi-surface structure that prevents accidental damage during the removal process. The blade portions, cone portions, and teeth are positioned and shaped to engage with the clip in a controlled manner that cushions and distributes forces, preventing the kind of damage that makes lightweight clips vulnerable.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a variety of clip types and sizes are used to accommodate different applications, then the tool can handle more applications, but it increases the difficulty of maintaining stock and managing diversity
Solution Approach 1:
The removal tool is designed with multiple functional surfaces (blade portions, cone portions, teeth) that can engage with different types of clips (one-way clips, single-component clips, various sizes and shapes). This multi-functionality allows a single tool design to handle diverse clip applications, reducing the need to maintain extensive inventories of specialized removal tools for each clip type.
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 tool effectively removes various types of clips, including damaged ones, by strategically using teeth, cone, and blade portions to apply force without cutting, ensuring efficient and safe removal without causing further damage to the clips.
Implementation Method 1
a spring is located between the handles and configured to bias the handles away from the closed position
Implementation Method 2
the handles are pivotably connected by a pivot
Data Source
AI summary
A pliers includes a first handle and a second handle. A first jaw is fixed with respect to the first handle and includes a distal tooth, a cone portion, and a blade portion. A second jaw which is fixed with respect to the second handle includes a distal tooth, a cone portion, and a blade portion. A pivot pivotably connects the two handles such that when the pliers are shut, the two teeth are aligned, the cone portions are aligned, and the blade portions are aligned.