Lever Arm Extension Apparatus with Force Limiting Spring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lever arm extension apparatuses for strap tensioning devices facilitate excessive tightening, leading to strength limits being exceeded and potential breakage of straps and tensioners.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a pivotally connected main body and connecting element, featuring a preloaded helical spring that limits rotation of the lever when a predefined force is reached, allowing safe and effective strap tightening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a lever arm extension apparatus is used to tighten strap tensioning devices, then the actuation effort is reduced and tightening is facilitated, but the tightening force exceeds the strength limits of straps and tensioners causing them to break
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the mechanical parameter of force transmission by introducing a limiting mechanism that caps the maximum force at a safe level. The lever arm extension apparatus incorporates a force limiting mechanism that maintains reduced actuation effort while preventing excessive force transmission to the straps and tensioners.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary force-limiting mechanism between the user's actuation force and the strap tensioning device. This intermediary component absorbs excess force while allowing effective tightening, thereby protecting the straps and tensioners from breaking while maintaining ease of operation.
2Power
If a lever arm extension apparatus is used to tighten strap tensioning devices, then the actuation effort is reduced, but the tightening force exceeds safe limits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the force transmission parameters by incorporating a limiting mechanism that caps the maximum force at a predetermined safe level. This allows the apparatus to maintain high actuation efficiency while preventing the transmission of excessive force that could damage the straps or tensioners.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful excessive force into a beneficial feature by using the extra actuation capability to overcome friction and initial resistance in the strap tensioning device, while the limiting mechanism prevents force beyond the safe threshold from being transmitted to the straps and tensioners.
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 limits the tightening force to a preset value, ensuring safe and effective strap tensioning without exceeding the strength limits of straps or tensioners, enabling secure load transport.
Implementation Method 1
means 15 for contrasting the mutual inclination of the main body 13 with respect to the connecting element 12, which can yield to a predefined force that contrasts the rotation of the lever 11
Implementation Method 2
a preloaded helical spring that limits rotation of the lever when a predefined force is reached
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
An apparatus (10) for extending the arm of a lever, particularly for extending the arm of a lever (11) of strap tensioning devices, comprising - an element (12) for connection to the lever (11), which can be associated therewith jointly and reversibly, - a main body (13), which is associated with the connecting element (12) by way of means (14) for mutual inclination and can be gripped by the user to operate the lever (11), and - means (15) for contrasting the mutual inclination of the main body (13) with respect to the connecting element (12), which can yield to a predefined force that contrasts the rotation of the lever (11), applied thereby to the connecting element (12).