Flexible Tongue Oscillating Blade for Single-Pass Grout Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oscillating power tool blades are inefficient in removing grout or filler materials from channels between tiles or bricks, as they require multiple passes and adjustments to clear the material effectively.
Innovation Solution
A blade with resiliently flexible tongue portions, made of carbon steel and featuring a cutting edge with abrasive materials like Tungsten Carbide or diamond, which can deflect laterally to engage channel edges, allowing for efficient removal of materials with a depth stop for uniform depth control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a traditional rigid blade is used for grout removal, then the blade structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but it requires multiple passes and adjustments to clear material effectively, reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is divided into multiple resilient tongue portions (typically three) that can independently deflect and engage with channel walls. This segmentation allows each tongue to flexibly adapt to the channel geometry, enabling effective material removal in a single pass while maintaining a relatively simple overall blade structure consisting of divided sections of the elongate body
Solution Approach 2:
The blade transitions from a rigid structure to a dynamic one where the tongue portions can deflect laterally during operation. This dynamic capability allows the tongues to engage opposing walls of the channel and extend across it, improving material removal efficiency without requiring complex adjustable mechanisms
2Productivity
If a blade with lateral deflection capability is used, then material removal efficiency improves, but the blade requires resiliently flexible tongue portions, increasing manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The elongate body is divided into tongue portions by slits, creating segmented resilient elements that can be manufactured using standard metal forming and slitting processes. This segmentation achieves lateral deflection capability through simple structural division rather than complex assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The blade utilizes changes in physical parameters of the elongate body (thickness between 0.5 to 3 mm, material selection such as carbon steel) to achieve the required flexibility and resilience. By adjusting these parameters, the blade gains lateral deflection capability while remaining manufacturable using conventional processes
3Ease of operation
If the tongue portions are made flexible for lateral movement, then the blade can engage channel edges effectively, but the cutting portion may experience wear or damage
Solution Approach 1:
The blade applies local quality by providing abrasive material (such as diamond or Tungsten Carbide particles) specifically on the cutting portions of the tongues, while the elongate body and tongue structures remain as resilient carbon steel. This localized hard coating protects the cutting edges during lateral engagement while maintaining the flexibility of the tongue portions
Solution Approach 2:
The blade employs composite construction combining resilient carbon steel for the elongate body and tongue structures with hard abrasive materials (diamond, Tungsten Carbide) on the cutting portions. This composite approach ensures both flexibility for engagement and hardness for durability during cutting operations
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient removal of grout or filler materials in a single pass by deflecting tongue portions laterally across the channel, reducing the need for multiple passes and minimizing substrate damage, while ensuring uniform depth for easier replacement.
Implementation Method 1
the elongate body is divided into two or more resiliently flexible tongue portions... each tongue portion comprising a cutting portion distal from the attachment section... capable of independent flexible movement to lie in different planes, restoring to a co-planar rest position when not in use
Implementation Method 2
the cutting portion comprises a circular arc and may comprise abrasive material such as particles of Tungsten Carbide or diamond
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a blade for an oscillating power tool having an elongate body fixed to an attachment section. The elongate body is divided into two or more resiliently flexible tongue portions, and each tongue portion includes a cutting portion distal from the attachment section. A depth stop may be attached to the elongate body. There is also provided a method of using an oscillating power tool. In the method, a power tool is activated to oscillate a blade. The oscillating blade is inserted into a channel filled with material, and the power tool is twisted to cause the tongue portions to engage at least opposing walls of the channel.