Motorized Peg Expansion Tool for Precise Dowel Stroke Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing expansion control pliers for Hollow Wall Anchors (HWA) require numerous presses and offer imprecise, discontinuous adjustments, leading to musculoskeletal disorders and insufficient dowel expansion, especially for long dowels, due to limited slide travel and uncontrolled screwing procedures.
Innovation Solution
A portable tool with a rotary adjustment wheel and electric motor-driven screw-nut system that allows precise, continuous adjustment of the dowel expansion stroke, reducing operator effort and ensuring optimal expansion without musculoskeletal strain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual expansion control pliers are used with multiple presses on the handle, then the dowel can be expanded, but the operator experiences musculoskeletal strain and the process becomes time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical operation of pressing handles with an electric motor-driven system. The motor automatically actuates the slide mechanism to separate the screw head from the dowel shoulder, eliminating the need for repeated manual presses and reducing operator physical strain while maintaining reliable dowel expansion.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool is designed to perform the expansion action automatically once activated. The motor self-propels the slide mechanism through the required stroke, and the system self-regulates the expansion process without requiring continuous manual intervention, making the operator's role minimal and eliminating repetitive straining motions.
2Reliability
If manual pliers with fixed-step slide movement are used, then the expansion process can be controlled, but the adjustment is discontinuous and imprecise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a variable stroke control system where the motor's movement duration and speed can be adjusted dynamically. This allows the slide to achieve precise positional control at any point within its travel range, transforming the fixed-step discrete adjustment into a continuous, programmable stroke length that can be precisely tailored to specific dowel requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the slide mechanism by controlling motor activation time and power delivery. This enables precise adjustment of the stroke length as a variable parameter rather than a fixed mechanical step, allowing for exact control over the separation distance between the screw head and dowel shoulder to achieve optimal expansion precision.
3Length of moving object
If manual pliers with limited slide travel are used, then the tool structure remains compact, but long dowels cannot be properly expanded
Solution Approach 1:
The electric motor provides sufficient power and stroke control capability to achieve the required separation distance for long dowels without requiring an overly long mechanical lever arm. The motorized system can generate the necessary force and displacement independently of mechanical leverage limitations, enabling reliable expansion of long dowels while keeping the tool's physical dimensions compact.
4Productivity
If uncontrolled screwing procedures are used between clamp uses, then the installation process can continue, but repeatability and precision are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The motorized system maintains continuous control over the entire expansion process. The slide mechanism remains under motor control throughout the stroke, and the system can pause, reverse, or adjust as needed without requiring disengagement and re-engagement. This continuous controlled action ensures that each expansion operation is repeatable and precise while maintaining productivity through automated sequencing.
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 tool enables efficient, repeatable, and precise expansion of dowels with reduced operator effort, minimizing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders and ensuring optimal installation of dowels, including the longest types, without damaging the support material.
Implementation Method 1
a portable tool (1) with a user interface (31), a control module (30) and an electric motor (M) configured, when the operator presses on a control member (28), to drive a slide (24) from a first position (P1), for which the second support (25) is juxtaposed with the first support (21), to a second position (P2x, P2y)
Implementation Method 2
The transmission between the rotor of the electric motor comprises a screw/nut system, configured to transform the rotational movement of the rotor of the motor into a translational movement of the slider
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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AI summary
A portable tool configured to expand a dowel of a screw and dowel assembly, and in which the tool comprises an effector including: - a tip having at its distal end a first support (21) provided with a first notch (22), having a face intended to come into contact with a shoulder of the dowel, and a slide extending on the side opposite said face, - a slide, mounted movably in translation along the slide, carrying a second support (25) provided with a second notch (26) configured to come into contact with the screw head, - a drive mechanism configured to move the slide from a first initial position (P1), for which the second support (25) is juxtaposed to the first support (21), and to a second position for which the second support (25) is moved away from the first support (21), characterized in that the drive mechanism includes an electric motor comprising a rotor (27),a transmission, and a control module comprising a control element (28), said control module being configured, when the operator presses said control element (28), to actuate the motor in order to drive the slide from the first position (P1) to the second position.