Multi-angle joint backing pad for arched surface sanding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional hand-held sanding or polishing power tools face difficulties when working on arched surfaces, as the fixed orientation of the backing pads requires the tool to be swiveled, leading to uneven contact and reduced efficiency, especially with dual-pad tools where maintaining contact becomes more challenging due to the larger working surface.

Innovation Solution

A hand-held sanding or polishing power tool with a multi-angle joint between the backing pad and the eccentric element allows the backing pad to swivel into inclined orientations, maintaining a random orbital movement and ensuring steady contact with arched surfaces without needing to swivel the entire tool, utilizing a ball-and-socket joint for flexibility and stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the backing pad is fixed in a plane perpendicular to the tool shaft, then the tool structure is simple and stable, but the tool cannot maintain even contact with arched surfaces without swivelling the entire tool

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of operation on arched surfacesVSAvoidtool structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The backing pad is made dynamically adjustable through a multi-angle joint mechanism that allows it to change its orientation relative to the tool shaft. The joint enables the backing pad to swivel between a first orientation (perpendicular to the tool shaft) and a second orientation (at an angle to the tool shaft), allowing the operator to adapt the tool's contact surface to match arched surfaces while maintaining a relatively simple overall tool structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If dual backing pads are used to polish larger surfaces faster, then productivity increases, but maintaining even contact with arched surfaces becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepolishing speedVSAvoidcontact maintenance difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Each dual backing pad assembly is equipped with its own multi-angle joint, allowing independent angular adjustment of each pad. This enables both pads to simultaneously adapt to arched surfaces while maintaining their parallel configuration, preserving the productivity benefits of dual-pad operation while eliminating the contact maintenance difficulties on curved surfaces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If the backing pad is fixed in orientation, then the random orbital movement is stable and controlled, but the working surface cannot adapt to arched surface geometries

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurface geometry adaptabilityVSAvoidrandom orbital movement stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The multi-angle joint is designed to maintain the parallel relationship between the rotational axis of the tool shaft and the rotational axis of the backing pad even when swivelled to different angles. This dynamic adjustment mechanism ensures that the random orbital movement characteristics remain stable and controlled while allowing the backing pad to adapt to different surface geometries by changing its angular orientation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Adaptability or versatility

If the entire tool is swivelled to work on arched surfaces, then the working surface can contact the arched surface, but user effort increases and operation becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurface contact capabilityVSAvoiduser effort

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The tool is segmented into a fixed tool body and an independently adjustable backing pad assembly connected through a multi-angle joint. This segmentation allows only the backing pad portion to be swivelled to adapt to arched surfaces while the main tool body remains stable and easy to hold, significantly reducing the user effort required compared to swivelling the entire tool.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3597364B1Hand held or hand guided sanding or polishing power tool and backing pad for use in such a power tool

Publication Date: 2023.05.24 VALENTINI GUIDO (I) (IT)

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AI summary

The invention refers to a hand held or hand guided sanding or polishing power tool (1). The tool (1) comprises a motor operated electrically or pneumatically, a tool shaft (21) directly or indirectly driven by the motor, an eccentric element (19) attached to the tool shaft (21) in a torque proof manner, a backing pad (9; 9a) with a bottom surface (15) adapted for releasable attachment of a sanding or polishing element (12; 12a) and with a rotary shaft (17) attached to the center on a top side (24) of the backing pad (9; 9a), wherein the rotary shaft (17) is mounted to the eccentric element (19) in a freely rotatable manner, with a rotational axis (18) of the rotary shaft (17) spaced apart from a rotational axis (10; 10a) of the tool shaft (21). It is proposed that a multi-angle joint (25) is located between the backing pad (9; 9a) and the eccentric element (19), in order to allow swivelling of the backing pad (9; 9a) into orientations inclined to an original plane extending perpendicular in respect to the rotational axis (10; 10a) of the tool shaft (21).