Foldable Hand Tool With Pivoting Rod Members for Compact Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hand tools with longer handles for leverage increase overall length, making them cumbersome for storage and transportation.
Innovation Solution
A foldable hand tool design with pivotable rod members and a pivoting device allowing selective folding and unfolding, featuring a ratio of rod lengths between 1.1 and 6, and a working member such as a gooseneck or angled crowbar head.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the handle length is increased to provide longer force arm for leverage, then the mechanical advantage is improved, but the overall length of the hand tool increases making it cumbersome for storage and transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is divided into multiple rod members (first rod member, second rod member, third rod member) that can be selectively connected or separated. This segmentation allows the handle to be extended to provide long force arm for mechanical advantage during use, and collapsed into compact segments for storage and transportation, directly resolving the contradiction between needing long handle for leverage and short handle for portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle structure is made dynamic through pivot connections that allow the rod members to be selectively extended or retracted. The pivot connections enable the handle to change its configuration from extended (for mechanical advantage) to collapsed (for storage), making the tool adaptable to different usage scenarios and resolving the static contradiction between long and short handle requirements.
2Volume of moving object
If the handle is made foldable to improve storage and transportation, then the compactness is improved, but the structural complexity increases due to additional pivoting devices
Solution Approach 1:
The pivoting mechanism is segmented into multiple independent pivot connections, each connecting adjacent rod members. This segmentation allows each pivot to be a simple, standardized component rather than one complex mechanism, reducing overall structural complexity while achieving the foldable function for compact storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The rod members are arranged in a nested or telescopic configuration where they can be stored within or alongside each other when collapsed. This nesting arrangement maximizes compactness during storage while using simple pivot connections, avoiding the need for complex folding mechanisms and thereby reducing structural complexity.
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 compact storage and transportation while maintaining leverage functionality, enhancing usability and convenience.
Implementation Method 1
Hand tools utilizing the principle of leverage, such as a crowbar or a nail puller, are commonly used to pry fixed objects or support heavy objects for laborsaving
Data Source
AI summary
A foldable tool includes a first rod member, a second rod member, a first pivoting device, a working member, and a second pivoting device. The first pivoting device is arranged between the first rod member and the second rod member, such that the first rod member and the second rod member are configured to be selectively pivotable to each other via the first pivoting device. The second pivoting device is arranged between the second rod member and the working member, such that the second rod member and the working member are configured to be selectively pivotable to each other via the second pivoting device.