Flex-head tool pivot mechanism for ratchet engagement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flex-head tools face difficulties in simultaneous disengagement and re-engagement of ratchet wheels, leading to ease of damage during force transmission due to insufficient strength.
Innovation Solution
The flex-head tool incorporates a pivot mechanism with a toothed shaft and engaging portions that move between locked and unlocked positions, allowing surface-to-surface contact for enhanced stability and force transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple ratchet wheels are used to control pivot movement, then the tool can maintain fixed or pivoted positions, but it becomes difficult to simultaneously disengage and re-engage all ratchet wheels, increasing operational complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple ratchet wheels (first and second ratchet wheels) and their corresponding positioning portions into a single integrated pivot mechanism. The shaft simultaneously engages with both ratchet wheels through a unified structure, allowing one rotational motion to control both locking actions together, thus resolving the difficulty of simultaneous engagement while maintaining position locking reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft acts as an intermediary component that mediates between the user's rotational input and the multiple ratchet wheels. By rotating the shaft, the user indirectly controls the engagement and disengagement of both ratchet wheels with the positioning portions, simplifying the operation while ensuring reliable position locking
2Device complexity
If ratchet wheels are made smaller to reduce complexity, then the device becomes simpler, but they become weaker and more prone to damage during force transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of multiple ratchet wheels into a unified pivot mechanism where the shaft works together with multiple positioning portions. This combined structure distributes the force transmission load across multiple engagement points, allowing the components to be more robust and damage-resistant while maintaining manageable complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The pivot mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components (shaft, multiple ratchet wheels, multiple positioning portions) that work together. Each component can be optimized for strength independently, with the segmentation allowing force to be distributed across multiple smaller engagement points rather than concentrated on a single large ratchet wheel
Data Source
AI summary
A flex-head tool includes a first portion pivotally coupled to a second portion. A pivot mechanism is engaged with the first and the second portions. The pivot mechanism is movable between a first position in which the first portion is fixedly positioned with respect to the second portion, and a second position in which the first portion is pivotal with relative to the second portion. The pivot mechanism includes a toothed first engaging portion engageable with teeth of pivot holes of the first and the second portions simultaneously and not simultaneously selectively and a second engaging portion connected with a pivot hole and in surface-to-surface contact.