Cutting Tool Alignment Guide for Tie Wrap Removal

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional cutting tools often damage wire insulation and pose safety risks when removing tie wraps from wire bundles, leading to costly repairs and injuries.

Innovation Solution

A cutting tool with a support, handle, and alignment guide that allows the blade to move between positions, ensuring the blade is aligned and controlled to cut the tie wrap without contacting the wire, featuring a slot and channel configuration to prevent damage and injury.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional cutting tools are used to remove tie wraps, then the tie wrap can be cut, but the wire insulation may be damaged and user safety is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewire insulation integrityVSAvoidcutting damage to wire and user injury risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a guide member as an intermediary component between the blade and the wire. The guide member includes a channel that receives and guides the blade, ensuring the blade cuts only the tie wrap and not the wire or its insulation. This intermediary structure mediates the cutting action to achieve the desired effect while preventing harmful side effects.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The cutting tool is designed with integrated alignment guides and channels that automatically align the blade with the tie wrap during the cutting motion. The tool structure itself provides the alignment and guidance functions, eliminating the need for separate alignment devices or complex manual positioning procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If exposed blades are used for cutting, then cutting capability is achieved, but user safety is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecutting capabilityVSAvoiduser injury risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting tool separates the blade function from the handle, with the blade contained within a protective structure. The guide member with its channel segments the cutting path, allowing the blade to be exposed only in the specific area needed for cutting the tie wrap while remaining protected elsewhere, thus maintaining cutting capability while reducing injury risk.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Manufacturing precision

If precise alignment is required to avoid wire damage, then cutting precision improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecutting precisionVSAvoidalignment mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The guide member serves multiple functions simultaneously: it guides the blade, aligns the cutting path, protects the wire, and structures the channel for blade reception. By consolidating these multiple functions into a single component, the device achieves precise cutting alignment without proportionally increasing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS9902519B2Cutting tool and method of operating same

Publication Date: 2018.02.27 THE BOEING CO

AI summary

A cutting tool and method of operating cutting tool. The tool includes a support having a first side and a second side. The tool further includes a handle coupled to at least one of the first side and the second side. The handle includes a blade, wherein the handle is configured to move the blade between a first position and a second position. An alignment guide is coupled to the support. The alignment guide includes a channel configured to receive the blade positioned in the second position.