Multi-mode wrench with dual pawls and switch
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional one-way wrenches face a challenge in balancing convenience and strength, as increasing the number of teeth for easier operation weakens the wrench, and existing designs struggle to achieve a good balance between these two factors.
Innovation Solution
A multi-mode one-way wrench design featuring a handle with two grooves, a toothed wheel, and two pawls, along with a switch that allows for engagement and disengagement modes, optimizing the angle bias between the grooves to accommodate different tooth counts, enabling convenient operation without compromising strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the number of teeth on the toothed wheel is increased to reduce the minimum rotation angle and improve operational convenience, then the ease of operation is improved, but the strength of each individual tooth is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the single pawl into two separate pawls (first pawl and second pawl) that can independently engage with the toothed wheel. This segmentation allows the system to use fewer teeth (36 or 72) while maintaining operational convenience, because the two pawls work in alternation to provide continuous engagement without requiring each individual tooth to be both strong and fine-detailed
Solution Approach 2:
The invention makes the pawl configuration dynamic through the switch mechanism, which allows the user to change between different pawl engagement modes (first pawl engaged/second pawl disengaged, or vice versa). This dynamic reconfiguration enables the system to adapt to different operational requirements and maintain both strength and convenience
2Ease of operation
If the number of teeth on the toothed wheel is increased to improve operational convenience, then the minimum rotation angle is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention makes the wrench multi-functional by enabling it to operate in multiple modes (36-teeth mode and 72-teeth mode) using the same physical toothed wheel. The switch mechanism allows the user to select between different pawl engagement configurations, making a single device capable of providing both coarse and fine adjustment capabilities without requiring multiple different toothed wheels
Solution Approach 2:
The switch mechanism introduces dynamics to the system, allowing the user to change the engagement mode between first pawl and second pawl. This dynamic reconfiguration enables the same toothed wheel to effectively provide different operational characteristics without physical modification, reducing device complexity while maintaining versatility
Data Source
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AI summary
A multi-mode one-way wrench includes a handle, a toothed wheel, two pawls and a switch. The handle is formed with a head and two grooves. The toothed wheel is rotationally placed in the head and formed with teeth. The first pawl is movably placed in the first groove for engagement with the toothed wheel. The second pawl is movably placed in the second groove for engagement with the toothed wheel when the first pawl is disengaged from the first pawl. The switch is operable for moving the second pawl between a first mode for engagement with the toothed wheel and a second mode kept from engagement with the toothed wheel. The first groove is biased from the second groove by an angle of 360°×(M+1/2)÷N, wherein N is an integer that represents the number of the teeth and M is any proper integer.