Locking Jaw Pliers With Adjustable Bite Positions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pliers designs lack the ability to lock the grip size, which is desirable in certain applications, and are limited in their adjustability.
Innovation Solution
A pliers design featuring a handle assembly, jaw assembly, locking assembly, and adjustment assembly that allows for adjustable and lockable grip sizes through a pivot mechanism with a bite adjustment member and pivot links, enabling the jaws to be locked at a selected distance and adjusted by pivoting within an adjustment channel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If pliers are designed with adjustable grip sizes through multiple positions, then the adaptability is improved, but the ability to lock the grip size remains insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The pliers incorporate a dynamic locking mechanism that allows the jaws to be locked at multiple selected positions along an adjustment channel. The locking assembly includes a locking member that can engage with different positions on the adjustment channel, enabling the grip size to be both adjustable and lockable. This dynamic system transitions between locked and unlocked states based on the position of the locking member, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and reliability.
2Reliability
If a locking mechanism is added to fixed-grip pliers, then the locking capability is improved, but the adjustability over wide range of grip sizes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The locking assembly is designed to work in conjunction with the adjustment channel, allowing the same mechanism to provide both locking functionality and adjustability. The locking member can engage at multiple positions along the adjustment channel, making the system universal in that it combines the functions of locking and adjusting into a single integrated mechanism, rather than requiring separate systems.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple adjustment positions are provided through tongue-and-groove mechanisms, then the adaptability is improved, but the ease of operation for locking and adjusting is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is designed to be self-actuating through the application of squeezing force. When the user squeezes the handles, the locking member automatically engages with the adjustment channel at the desired position without requiring separate locking actions. The system uses the user's own squeezing force to both adjust and lock the grip size, eliminating the need for additional locking steps and improving ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A hand tool includes a handle assembly, a jaw assembly, a locking assembly, and an adjustment assembly. The handle assembly may include a first handle and a second handle, each of the first and second handles having a proximal end and a distal end. The jaw assembly may include a first jaw and a second jaw. The first jaw may be attached to the proximal end the second handle via a transition region comprising an adjustment channel. The locking assembly may be configured to enable the first and second jaws to be locked at a selected distance from each other in a locked state. The adjustment assembly may include the adjustment channel and a bite adjustment member configured to enable the selected distance to be modified in an unlocked state based on a position of the bite adjustment member in the adjustment channel.