Flexible Dust Collector Support for Handheld Power Tools

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing dust collection devices for hand-held power tools, such as saws and grinders, face challenges in providing effective support and flexibility, especially when encountering workpieces, due to complex support structures that are difficult to use and require significant material expenditure.

Innovation Solution

A dust collection device with a support system that provides longitudinal support at the end region, featuring a transverse section and longitudinal members with spring areas, allowing for flexibility transverse to the longitudinal axis while maintaining rigidity along the axis, enabling deformation when hitting a workpiece without compromising dust collection capacity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a complex support structure with multiple support arms and a plate is used to stiffen the dust collection chamber, then the structural rigidity is improved, but the device complexity and material expenditure increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural rigidityVSAvoidsupport structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The support structure is segmented into a longitudinal section with discrete longitudinal support elements rather than a continuous plate. This segmentation reduces material usage and structural complexity while maintaining adequate support functionality at key locations along the dust collection chamber.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts only the essential support function from a complete plate structure, using selective longitudinal support elements placed at critical positions. This removes unnecessary material and complexity while preserving the core structural support capability needed for dust collection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Stability of the object's composition

If a complex support structure with multiple support arms is used to clamp the dust container, then the structural stability is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates when hitting workpieces

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidflexibility when hitting workpieces
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The support structure incorporates flexible longitudinal elements that can dynamically deflect when the dust collection chamber encounters workpieces. This dynamic behavior allows the structure to absorb impacts while maintaining overall stability, improving ease of operation during actual use.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The longitudinal support elements are designed with flexible characteristics, allowing them to bend and deflect under load. This flexibility enables the dust collection chamber to yield when hitting workpieces without compromising the overall structural stability of the support device.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Reliability

If a support device with longitudinal members extending over the entire inner circumference is used, then the dust container is well supported, but the material expenditure and device complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesupport effectivenessVSAvoidmaterial expenditure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of providing uniform support around the entire circumference, the invention places longitudinal support elements only at specific critical locations. This local quality approach provides adequate support reliability where needed most while significantly reducing material expenditure compared to a complete circumferential support structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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

The solution enhances the dust collection device's resilience and mobility when encountering workpieces, ensuring effective particle collection while maintaining structural integrity and reducing material usage.

Implementation Method 1

The support device has at least one longitudinal section, which extends between the base body and the transverse section of the support device and has a spring area

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3546133B1Dust collecting apparatus having a supporting device
Publication Date: 2021.04.21 FESTOOL GMBH
  • EP3546133B1 patent drawingFigure 1~4
  • EP3546133B1 patent drawingFigure 5~7
  • EP3546133B1 patent drawingFigure 8~10

AI summary

The invention relates to a dust collection device (30) for a hand-held power tool (10), in particular for a saw or a grinding machine, which has a connection device (31) with a base body (32) and a dust inlet (82) arranged at or on the base body (32) for connection to a machine dust outlet (18) of the hand-held power tool (10), so that the machine dust outlet (18) communicates with the dust inlet (82) of the dust collection device and particles (P) flowing out of the machine dust outlet (18) can flow into a dust collection chamber (75) of a flexible dust container (40) of the dust collection device (30).wherein the dust container (40) is supported by a longitudinal section (61) of a support device (60) from the base body (32) to its longitudinal end region (76) along a longitudinal axis (L) of the dust collection device and in the longitudinal end region (76) by a transverse section (62) of the support device (60) transverse to the longitudinal axis (L) over its inner cross-section (43), so that the dust container (40) is spanned by the support device (60) transversely to the longitudinal axis (L) and the dust collection chamber (75) extends from the dust inlet (82) to the longitudinal end region (76) of the dust container (40). The longitudinal section (61) of the support device (60) extends only over a partial circumference of the circumference (44) of the dust container (40) transversely to the longitudinal axis (L) and has a spring arrangement (70) which is resiliently flexible for elastic compliance of the dust collection device transversely to the longitudinal axis (L) and/or along the longitudinal axis (L) and/or in the sense of torsion about the longitudinal axis (L).