Coated Hole Cutter with Selective UV Ink and Oxide Finish

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Solution Overview

Problem

Prior art hole cutters face issues with excessive coating material usage, coating softening due to heat, and inefficient chip evacuation, leading to increased manufacturing costs and reduced cutting efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A hole cutter design with a non-metallic coating applied only to the external surface, leaving the cutting edge and interior surfaces without coating, and utilizing a metallic finish to prevent heat-induced softening, along with a UV curable ink that maintains its integrity during use.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If coating is applied to all surfaces including cutting edge and interior surfaces, then rust protection and decorative appearance are improved, but coating material consumption increases and manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverust protectionVSAvoidcoating material consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies coating selectively to specific surfaces (exterior cylindrical surface, cap, and end face) while deliberately excluding the cutting edge and interior surfaces. This local differentiation allows rust protection and decorative appearance to be maintained on non-contact surfaces while avoiding the problems of coating on cutting surfaces, thereby reducing overall coating material consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If coating is applied to cutting edge and interior surfaces, then rust protection is improved, but cutting efficiency decreases due to coating softening from frictional heat

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverust protectionVSAvoidcutting efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a differentiated coating distribution where the cutting edge and interior surfaces remain uncoated (or have metallic finish only) while other surfaces receive protective coating. This resolves the contradiction by providing rust protection where needed while maintaining cutting efficiency at the cutting edge by preventing coating softening from frictional heat.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the coating from the cutting edge and interior surfaces, removing the harmful element (coating) from locations where it causes problems (heat softening, slug adhesion) while retaining it in locations where it provides benefit (rust protection, appearance).

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If coating is applied to interior surface of hole cutter, then rust protection is improved, but slug removal becomes difficult due to coating sticking to slug

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverust protectionVSAvoidslug removal
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies coating to the exterior surfaces and cap for rust protection while deliberately leaving the interior surface uncoated or with metallic finish only. This local differentiation maintains rust protection on external surfaces while ensuring easy slug removal by preventing coating adhesion to the slug on the interior surface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Shape

If coating is applied to cutting edge, then decorative appearance is improved, but chip evacuation becomes inefficient due to chip accumulation at cutting edge

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedecorative appearanceVSAvoidchip evacuation
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent provides decorative coating on the exterior cylindrical surface and cap while excluding the cutting edge and interior surfaces from coating. This allows decorative appearance to be achieved on visible external surfaces while maintaining efficient chip evacuation at the cutting edge by preventing coating-related chip accumulation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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

Reduces coating material requirements, prevents coating interference with cutting efficiency, and allows for effective chip evacuation, maintaining performance and aesthetics while minimizing costs.

Implementation Method 1

a non-metallic coating defining a colored band extending axially and annularly throughout a substantial portion of the exterior cylindrical surface of the blade body

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectUV curable: Photopolymerisation

Data Source

PatentEP2523769B1Coated hole cutter
Publication Date: 2020.12.30 BLACK & DECKER CORP
  • EP2523769B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2523769B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2523769B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A coated hole cutter including an ink-based colored coating applied only to the external surface of the cylindrical blade body of the hole cutter, but not to the surfaces of a circumferentially-extending cutting edge or to the interior surface of the blade body. The ink- based color coating is an ultraviolet activated ink that cures when the coating is exposed to a specific ultraviolet light intensity and wavelength. At least the surfaces of the cutting edge and the internal surface of the blade body, which do not include the coating, have a steam tempered oxide finish that imparts a color that contrasts with the color imparted by the coating.