Selectively One-Way Wrench Single-Handed Switch
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing selectively one-way wrenches with a ring switch require two fingers to operate, making them cumbersome for single-handed use due to the need to pinch and rotate the switch.
Innovation Solution
A selectively one-way wrench design featuring a handle, socket, pawl, and switch with a sliding unit and finger-contacting element, allowing for single-handed operation by engaging pawls with the socket's teeth using a thumb, enabling rotation in a selected direction without reversing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a ring switch is used to control the drive member, then the switch can be integrated into the wrench structure, but it requires two fingers to pinch and rotate, making it troublesome for single-handed operation
Solution Approach 1:
The switch is divided into two functional parts: a sliding unit that moves along a guide rail and a finger-contacting element that protrudes from the handle. This segmentation allows the switch to be operated by a single finger (thumb) through a simple sliding motion, eliminating the need for two-finger pinching and rotation while maintaining structural integration
Solution Approach 2:
A guide rail is introduced as an intermediary component to constrain the sliding unit's movement path. This mediator enables the sliding unit to move smoothly between two positions along a predetermined trajectory, providing a mechanical guide that simplifies the switching operation to a single-degree-of-freedom sliding motion
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
Enables efficient, single-handed operation of the wrench for rotating screws or nuts in a selected direction without reversing, improving user convenience and ease of use.
Implementation Method 1
a spring for interconnecting the pawls
Implementation Method 2
Each of the pawls includes teeth for engagement with the teeth of the socket
Data Source
AI summary
A selectively one-way wrench includes a handle, a socket, a pawl and a switch. The handle includes a grip, a head in a plane other than that of the grip, a transient portion extending to the head from the grip, and a recess in the head near the transient portion. The socket includes a series of teeth placed in the head. The pawl includes two pawls placed in the head and a spring for interconnecting the pawls. Each of the pawls includes teeth for engagement with the teeth of the socket. The switch includes a sliding unit movable between two positions for engagement with the pawls and a finger-contacting element extending from the sliding unit. The finger-contacting element is placed in the recess except an upper end placed above the grip.