Coded Guide Unit Coupling for Precise Power Cutting Tool Alignment

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing machine tool parting devices lack effective mechanisms to securely couple and align with portable machine tools, leading to potential misalignment and oversized drive power issues, which can result in inefficient operation and damage.

Innovation Solution

A power tool parting device with a coding unit featuring a coding element that encodes the coupling interface, ensuring secure alignment and preventing incorrect coupling by interacting with a corresponding decoding unit in the portable machine tool, thereby providing a form-fitting connection and torque support.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If no coding unit is provided, then the device structure remains simple, but misalignment and incorrect coupling occur leading to damaged cutting strands

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoupling accuracyVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The coding element is pre-configured on the guide unit to encode coupling interface information before the actual coupling operation occurs. This preliminary encoding allows the decoding unit to verify compatibility and alignment requirements in advance, preventing misalignment and damage before they happen.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The coding element acts as an intermediary between the guide unit and the decoding unit, transmitting coupling interface information without requiring direct complex interaction between the main components. This mediator approach enables reliable coupling verification while maintaining relatively simple overall structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If the cutting strand width is reduced to less than 4 mm, then precision cutting is improved, but the device becomes more sensitive to misalignment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting precisionVSAvoidalignment stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The coding element pre-encodes alignment and coupling interface information, allowing the system to verify proper alignment before the precision cutting operation begins. This prevents misalignment damage to the narrow cutting strand while maintaining the ability to achieve high cutting precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If the coding element extends beyond the guide unit, then coupling interface encoding is achieved, but the overall device width increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoupling securityVSAvoiddevice width
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The coding element is segmented from the main guide unit body, allowing it to extend only as far as necessary to provide coupling interface encoding. This segmentation enables the coding function to be added without proportionally increasing the overall device width, maintaining compactness while ensuring reliable coupling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2866985B1Power cutting tool
Publication Date: 2021.07.21 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
  • EP2866985B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2866985B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2866985B1 patent drawingFigure 5~7

AI summary

The invention relates to a power cutting tool comprising at least one cutting strand (12a; 12b, 12c; 12d; 12e; 12f) and at least one guide unit (14a; 14b, 14c; 14d; 14e; 14f) for guiding the cutting strand (12a; 12b, 12c; 12d; 12e; 12f). According to the invention, the power cutting tool comprises at least one coding unit (16a; 16b, 16c; 16d; 16e; 16f) which has at least one coding element (18a; 18b, 18c; 18d; 18e; 18f) that is designed to encode at least one coupling interface of the guide unit (14a; 14b, 14c; 14d; 14e; 14f).