Drill-Coupled Trailer Jack Connector With Axial Shaft Engagement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing trailer-mounted mechanisms lack a connector system to effectively couple a drill to an input shaft for operating a trailer jack or hopper door, which is necessary for efficient mechanical operation.
Innovation Solution
A drill attachment member with a notch and securement mechanism that allows the input shaft to be rotatably engaged by the drill, enabling torque transfer and axial movement for gear ratio selection, is designed to connect a drill to the input shaft of a trailer-mounted mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a connector system is designed to couple a drill to an input shaft for operating trailer-mounted mechanisms, then the versatility and ease of operation are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drill attachment member is designed with a universal interface that can operate multiple trailer-mounted mechanisms (jacks, hopper doors, gates) through a single connector design. The member includes a drive portion that can engage with various input shafts and a drill interface portion that accommodates standard drill chucks, making it adaptable to different applications without requiring multiple specialized connectors
Solution Approach 2:
The drill attachment member serves as an intermediary component between the drill and the trailer mechanism input shaft. It includes a body portion with a drive portion that engages the input shaft and a drill interface portion that connects to the drill chuck, effectively mediating the connection and allowing torque transfer while maintaining simplicity in each individual interface
2Reliability
If a securement mechanism with notch and locking features is implemented to ensure reliable torque transfer, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The drill attachment member is segmented into distinct functional portions: a body portion, a drive portion with notch for engaging the input shaft, and a drill interface portion with external threads. This segmentation allows each portion to be manufactured separately using appropriate processes and then assembled, balancing reliability requirements with manufacturing ease
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of manufacturing the complete assembled component and then creating locking features, the design uses an inverted approach where the locking features (such as set screw holes or snap-fit elements) are integrated into the segmented structure during the manufacturing of individual portions, simplifying the overall manufacturing process while maintaining reliability
Data Source
AI summary
A connector system for coupling a drill to an input shaft for a trailer-mounted mechanism includes a drill attachment member is elongated from a drill end to an output end of the drill attachment member. The drill attachment member is configured to be clamped by a chuck of a drill adjacent to the drill end. The drill attachment member has a notch extending into the output end and extending transversely through the drill attachment member. An input shaft is engageable by the drill attachment member such that the input shaft is rotatable by the drill attachment member around a central axis of the input shaft.