Off-Angle Screw Engagement via Radial Grooves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing screw and screw driver configurations have limited off-axis engagement capabilities due to a lack of design elements that enhance the range of off-axis torque transmission and rotational motion.
Innovation Solution
A screw engagement system featuring a screw head with radially outward grooves and a driver head with splines or hexagonal corners, allowing for torque and rotational motion transmission across a range of angles, including non-coaxial alignments, using a spherical frustum or hexagonal prism-shaped driver heads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional screw and screw driver configurations are used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the off-axis engagement capability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The screw head recess is segmented into multiple radial grooves (six grooves at 60-degree intervals) that can independently engage with corresponding splines on the driver head. This segmentation allows the driver to engage the screw at various angular orientations while maintaining torque transmission capability, thereby enhancing off-axis engagement capability without requiring a completely new structural design.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from traditional coaxial engagement (one-dimensional alignment) to multi-angular engagement by introducing radial grooves that extend outward from the screw head center. This creates additional angular dimensions for driver head insertion, enabling effective torque transmission at angles ranging from 0 to 30 degrees off-axis while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If off-axis engagement capability is enhanced through specialized designs, then the engagement range is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The radial groove configuration in the screw head recess serves multiple functions: it enables off-axis engagement, provides torque transmission pathways, and accommodates various driver head types (spline-based or corner-based). This multi-functionality allows a single groove design to achieve enhanced engagement range without requiring multiple specialized components, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention achieves enhanced off-axis engagement by changing geometric parameters of the screw head recess and driver head, specifically the angle and depth of radial grooves. By optimizing these parameters (grooves at 60-degree intervals, specific radial depths), the design enables torque transmission at 0-30 degrees off-axis while using standard manufacturing processes, thus balancing manufacturing ease with improved engagement capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A screw engagement system comprising a screw and a driver. The screw may comprise a recess in the screw head and a plurality of grooves arranged circumferentially around and formed radially outwardly into the screw head from an inner circumferential surface of the screw head recess. The driver may comprise a driver head having the general shape of a spherical frustum and including a plurality of splines that engage the screw head recess grooves and transmit torque and impart rotational motion to the screw therethrough.