Flexible Wrench Tool Head Positioning via Segmented Controller
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional flexible wrenches lack precise tool head positioning due to instability and inconvenient operation, with existing structures experiencing unwanted force displacement and difficulty in confirming full compression, leading to improper angle fixation.
Innovation Solution
A tool head positioning structure featuring a handle with a controller and retaining member having distinct pushing and retracting portions, allowing for precise engagement and release of the tool head angle, enhanced by a resilient device and intuitive operation via a bar, enabling smooth and stable angle adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a toothed-structure and engaging structure with detent ball are added to fix the tool head angle, then the tool head positioning capability is improved, but the structure becomes unstable due to unwanted transverse force components causing control rod displacement
Solution Approach 1:
The control bar is segmented into distinct functional zones: a pushing portion with smaller depth for stable engagement, a retracting portion with larger depth for release, and a fillet portion connecting them. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function optimally without interfering with other zones, resolving the stability issue while maintaining positioning precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The fillet portion acts as an intermediary element between the pushing portion and retracting portion. It provides a smooth transition surface that guides the retaining member during the transition from engagement to release, preventing sudden force changes and control rod displacement, thus maintaining system stability.
2Measurement precision
If the control bar is exposed on the lateral side for angle fixation, then the positioning function is achieved, but the operation becomes inconvenient as users cannot easily confirm full compression and must use non-traditional operation methods
Solution Approach 1:
The control bar is repositioned from a lateral exposure to a longitudinal exposure along the axis of the wrench. This dimensional change allows the control bar to be operated in the same direction as the traditional wrench handle movement, making the operation more intuitive and consistent with user expectations while maintaining precise angle fixation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The control bar structure provides visual feedback through its own deformation. When the control bar is fully compressed, its deflection state is visible to the user, allowing self-confirmation of the operation completion without requiring additional indicators or complex mechanisms.
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 provides a stable, intuitive, and precise method for fixing and adjusting the tool head angle, addressing the instability and convenience issues of traditional flexible wrenches by allowing easy operation and precise positioning.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient device adjacent to the controller, and the controller further has a positioning structure corresponding to the resilient device; the controller can be elastically positioned due to the engagement of the resilient device and the positioning structure
Data Source
AI summary
According to the present invention, the main purpose is to provide a tool head positioning structure for a flexible wrench, which includes a handle and a tool head pivotally connected to the handle. The handle includes a controller associated with a retaining member disposed between the controller and the tool head, and the retaining member can be controlled to approach or away from the tool head by rotating the controller. The controller has two continued surfaces, which are pushing portion and retracting portion respectively, and each surface has a depth different from each other. The handle further includes a resilient device engaged to the controller so as to keep in a required position. A user can rotate the controller to make the pushing portion or the retracting portion be aligned with the retaining member so as to fix or adjust an angle of the tool head.