Helical Spline Percussion Mechanism for Drilling Obstructions
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drilling methods face challenges when encountering resistant materials, as they often require frequent drill head adjustments or use of expensive pneumatic or hydraulic percussion systems, which can be inefficient and prone to damage.
Innovation Solution
A percussion device with a drive transmitter pathway and impactor shaft system that applies percussive and rotational forces by sliding along a helical spline, allowing for increased distance between impactor and anvil, enabling intermittent percussive action to clear obstructions without continuous energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional friction drilling methods are used, then the drilling operation can be simple, but the drilling speed is slow when encountering resistant materials
Solution Approach 1:
The drive transmitter pathway is designed with periodic variations in distance from the percussion impactor, creating alternating phases of percussion (when distance is small) and rotation (when distance is large). This periodic action allows the system to deliver high-energy impacts to break resistant materials while maintaining rotational motion for continuous drilling progress, thereby increasing drilling speed through hard formations without requiring a completely separate percussion system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges percussion and rotation functions into a single drive transmitter mechanism. The drive transmitter both rotates the percussion impactor and periodically impacts it against the drive transmitter pathway, combining what were traditionally separate percussion and rotation systems into one integrated device. This reduces overall system complexity while achieving both functions simultaneously.
2Force
If pneumatic or hydraulic percussion systems are used, then percussive force can be applied to overcome material resistance, but the operating cost increases and auxiliary energy sources are required
Solution Approach 1:
The drive transmitter uses its own rotational motion to generate percussion forces. As the drive transmitter rotates, the periodic variation in distance between the percussion impactor and the pathway causes the impactor to be thrown outward and impact the pathway surface, then return and be re-accelerated by rotation. The system serves its own percussion needs using only the rotational energy already required for drilling, eliminating the need for separate pneumatic or hydraulic power sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The periodic impact and release of the percussion impactor against the drive transmitter pathway creates mechanical vibrations that propagate through the drilling system. These vibrations enhance the percussive effect on the drill bit, improving its ability to break resistant materials without requiring additional energy input from external pneumatic or hydraulic systems.
3Productivity
If continuous percussive action is applied, then material resistance can be continuously overcome, but energy consumption increases and the system may not be optimal for varying conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The drive transmitter pathway is designed with periodic distance variations that create alternating phases of percussion and rotation. During percussion phases, the impactor contacts the pathway to deliver breaking forces; during rotation phases, the impactor is repositioned and re-accelerated. This periodic cycle optimizes energy usage by applying percussive force only when needed to break material, rather than maintaining continuous percussion that would consume excessive energy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts between percussion and rotation modes based on the operational needs. The periodic distance variation in the drive transmitter pathway automatically modulates the percussion intensity and frequency, allowing the system to adapt to varying material conditions without manual intervention or additional energy consumption controls.
4Reliability
If the drill head is backed off and pushed into contact to clear obstructions, then the drill can continue drilling, but the drilling time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The periodic percussion action continuously breaks up obstructions and material build-up on the drill bit surface. By repeatedly impacting the drill bit against the pathway, the system prevents material from adhering to or clogging the drill bit, maintaining continuous drilling operation without requiring the drill to be backed off or stopped for clearing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated percussion-rotation system maintains continuous drilling action by combining material-breaking percussion with forward-progress rotation in a single continuous motion. This eliminates interruptions where the drill would need to be stopped, backed off, and re-positioned to clear obstructions, thereby maintaining uninterrupted drilling and reducing total drilling time.
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
Enhances drilling efficiency by providing intermittent percussive forces to overcome material resistance without continuous energy use, reducing wear and damage, and allowing for effective drilling in various formations.
Implementation Method 1
at least one drive transmitter is configured to slide or roll along at least part of a length of said drive transmitter pathway
Implementation Method 2
the impactor shaft incorporates one or more impactor shaft spline which is a longitudinally aligned helical spline; the impactor shaft tunnel incorporates one or more impactor shaft tunnel which is longitudinally aligned helical channel
Implementation Method 3
each impact tooth includes an angled impact surface, such that complementary impact surfaces are configured to pass a percussive and/or rotational impulse from the percussion impactor to the percussion anvil
Data Source
Figure 1A~1E
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~7
AI summary
A percussion device including an input side and an output side, the input side is configured to be rotationally driven and the output side is rotationally driven by the input side via a drive transmitter/drive transmitter pathway combination, where the percussion device includes a percussion impactor, an impactor shaft and a percussion anvil; in use, where the output side has restricted, or no, ability to rotate, the drive transmitter/drive transmitter pathway combination increases the distance between the percussion impactor and the percussion anvil until the drive transmitter/drive transmitter pathway combination releases the percussion impactor, where the percussion impactor includes at least one impactor impact tooth and the percussion anvil includes at least one anvil impact tooth, wherein each impact tooth includes an angled impact surface, such that complementary impact surfaces are configured to pass a percussive and/or rotational impulse from the percussion impactor to the percussion anvil.