Cutter-Spline Drive Assembly for Deep Drilling in Tight Spaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current portable electrical drills are inefficient for drilling deep holes in confined spaces due to their size and limited clearance, and lack the ability to meet precision hole dimension requirements, necessitating makeshift tooling and multiple steps for hole completion.
Innovation Solution
A portable electrical drilling assembly with a cutter-spline drive mechanism that includes an electric motor, gearbox, feed mechanism, and interchangeable cutters/reamers, allowing for reduced footprint and simplified deep hole drilling with adjustable depth and diameter control through a splined shaft and cutting component system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional portable drills are used, then drilling capability is provided, but the assembly footprint is too large for confined spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The drilling assembly is segmented into a compact base unit and interchangeable cutting components (cutters and reamers) that can be attached and removed. This segmentation allows the main assembly to maintain a small footprint while the cutting components provide the necessary drilling depth capability when attached to the spindle.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting components are designed to nest within or attach to the compact base unit when not in use. The splined shaft and cutting components can be stored within the assembly structure, allowing the full drilling capability to be contained within a small overall footprint when the drill is not actively drilling at maximum depth.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple cutting components are used for different hole sizes, then hole dimension precision is improved, but the number of steps and tooling complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A single compact base unit serves multiple functions by accommodating various interchangeable cutting components. The universal spindle interface with splined shaft allows the same base unit to drill and ream holes of different diameters and depths by simply changing the cutting component, eliminating the need for multiple specialized drill units.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting components are designed with varying parameters (diameter, length, tooth configuration) to accommodate different hole dimension requirements. By changing the physical parameters of the cutting component rather than the entire tool, the system achieves precision for multiple applications while maintaining low complexity.
3Length of moving object
If deep hole drilling is performed in confined spaces, then drilling depth is increased, but the available clearance for tool movement is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of extending the drill body length to achieve greater drilling depth, the invention inverts the approach by using a compact base unit with attachable cutting components that extend the effective working length only when needed. The drilling depth is achieved through the combination of the compact assembly positioned close to the workpiece and the extended cutting components attached to the spindle.
Data Source
AI summary
A portable electrical drilling assembly includes an electric motor rotating a gear contained within a gear box housing, a connector coupling the gear to a splined shaft with the splined shaft extending within and engaging an internal surface of a cutter or reamer with the shaft and cutter/reamer defining a cutter-spline drive, and a pivoting feed mechanism coupled to the gear box housing to move a spindle for receiving the cutter or reamer. The gear rotation rotates the splined shaft and reamer/cutter to drill/ream a hole, with the pivoting of the feed mechanism controlling the depth of the drilled or reamed hole. The separate coupling of the splined shaft and cutter/reamer and interchangeability of cutters/reamers allows the assembly to be used in a confined space while still achieving deep drilling of holes in workpieces. The cutter-spline drive can also be used in other drilling assemblies.