Gas Spring Striker Assembly for Portable Battery Impacting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing impacting apparatuses face issues of complexity, high cost, non-portability, poor ergonomics, safety hazards, and inefficiency due to reliance on fuel cells, air hoses, mechanical springs, and flywheels, leading to high reactionary forces and short tool life.
Innovation Solution
An impacting apparatus powered by rechargeable batteries and using a motor to actuate a spring striker assembly, incorporating a gas spring piston for energy storage, with a drive mechanism that alternates between actuating and decoupling from the spring striker assembly to enhance efficiency and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a mechanical spring is used to store energy for impacting, then energy storage capability is improved, but the spring becomes heavy and bulky, and suffers from fatigue leading to short tool life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical spring system with an electrical motor-driven system. The motor actuates a striker assembly that impacts the substrate directly, eliminating the need for heavy mechanical springs while maintaining energy storage capability through electrical power sources integrated into the handheld device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the energy storage mechanism from mechanical potential energy (springs) to electrical energy (batteries). This parameter change allows for more efficient energy storage with reduced weight and volume, as electrical batteries can store significant energy without the bulk and weight penalties of equivalent mechanical spring systems.
2Use of energy by moving object
If a mechanical spring is used to store energy for impacting, then energy storage capability is improved, but the spring suffers from fatigue giving the tool a very short life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates mechanical springs entirely by using an electric motor to drive the impacting mechanism. This substitution removes the fatigue-prone mechanical spring component, thereby significantly extending tool life and improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor-driven system provides self-regulating operation where the motor can control the impacting frequency and force without mechanical fatigue limitations. The system automatically manages energy delivery through electrical control, eliminating the need for manual spring compression and release cycles that cause mechanical wear.
3Speed
If a flywheel mechanism is used for impacting, then impacting speed is improved, but the device becomes large and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the flywheel mechanical system with an electric motor-driven mechanism. The motor can achieve high impacting speeds without requiring the large rotating mass of a flywheel, thereby maintaining fast impacting performance while dramatically reducing device weight and size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes from mechanical energy storage (flywheel rotation) to electrical energy delivery (motor actuation). This allows for high-speed impacting through direct motor drive without the need for heavy flywheels, achieving the same speed improvement while eliminating the weight penalty.
4Speed
If a flywheel mechanism is used for impacting, then impacting speed is improved, but the drive mechanism becomes very complicated giving a high retail cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent simplifies the drive mechanism by replacing complex mechanical flywheel systems with a straightforward electric motor actuation system. The motor directly drives the striker assembly, eliminating the need for complex clutching, engagement, and energy transfer mechanisms required by flywheel systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The electric motor serves multiple functions: it acts as the power source, the drive mechanism, and the control element. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate flywheel, clutch, and engagement mechanisms, thereby simplifying the overall drive system while maintaining high impacting speeds.
5Productivity
If compressed air is used to actuate the guide assembly, then rapid delivery of fasteners is achieved, but the device requires tethering to an air compressor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the pneumatic compressed air system with an electric motor system. This substitution integrates the power source directly into the handheld device, eliminating the need for external air compressors and tethering, thereby achieving full portability while maintaining rapid fastener delivery capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The device becomes self-contained by integrating the electric motor and battery power source within the handheld unit. This self-service capability eliminates dependence on external pneumatic infrastructure, allowing the tool to operate independently without tethering while maintaining high productivity.
6Ease of operation
If fuel cells are used for portable impacting, then portability is achieved, but the design becomes complicated and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent simplifies the portable power system by using a straightforward electric motor with battery power source, replacing the complex fuel cell chemistry and combustion mechanisms. This substitution maintains portability while dramatically reducing design complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses conventional rechargeable batteries instead of expensive fuel cell systems. While batteries have limited energy capacity compared to fuel cells, they provide sufficient power for typical impacting applications and can be recharged, offering a cost-effective and simpler alternative that maintains portability without the complexity of fuel cell systems.
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 apparatus achieves portability, lower production costs, improved ergonomics, enhanced safety, and increased efficiency by minimizing reactionary forces and extending tool life through the use of a gas spring piston and optimized drive mechanism.
Implementation Method 1
uses a motor to actuate a spring striker assembly, incorporating a gas spring piston for energy storage
Implementation Method 2
An impacting apparatus powered by rechargeable batteries and using a motor to actuate a spring striker assembly
Data Source
AI summary
An impacting apparatus comprises a motor to actuate a spring striker assembly that includes a gas spring piston that is coupled to a striker. After a sufficient movement of the piston, the piston commences movement and accelerates the spring striker assembly to impact a substrate or object. The motor is coupled to the spring striker assembly through an interrupted drive mechanism such as a chain and sprockets configuration for providing for continuous impacting/driving. The drive mechanism alternatively actuates the piston of the spring striker assembly and decouples from the spring striker assembly to allow pressure or other force to act on the spring piston. The gas spring is replaceable and becomes slightly energized when installed in the apparatus by a gas spring preload means.