Coupling Device for Pole Dancing Poles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coupling devices for pole dancing poles, such as screw and insert joints, face issues like misalignment leading to jamming, high manufacturing costs, and difficulty in assembly and disassembly due to thermal expansion, while radial expansion devices can be hard to operate and result in user safety hazards.
Innovation Solution
A coupling device that maintains axial alignment of screw and threaded elements to prevent jamming, using a mechanism with a floating threaded element and opposing threads to ensure proper alignment and expansion, and a body with slots for uniform force application, allowing easy assembly and disassembly even when heated.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If screw joints are used to couple tubes, then the joint can be tightened to prevent movement, but the screw threads become locked together when the pole becomes warm due to thermal expansion, making it difficult to unscrew the joint
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling device uses a dynamic expansion mechanism where the coupling body radially expands when the screw member is rotated, creating a friction fit between the coupling body and tube interior surface. This dynamic adjustment allows the joint to be securely tightened during use but easily released when needed, avoiding the thermal locking issue of screw threads.
2Ease of manufacture
If insert joints are used to couple tubes, then the assembly process is simpler, but the insert is prone to movement within the tubes causing flexing and relative rotation during use
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling device transitions from a static insert to a dynamically expandable coupling body. The screw member rotates to radially expand the coupling body, creating a friction fit with the tube interior surface that prevents movement, flexing, and rotation during use, while maintaining simple assembly through the insertion mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling device uses a simple coupling body without expensive threaded inserts welded into tubes. The coupling body is designed to be inserted and expanded in place, eliminating the need for complex manufacturing operations while providing stable coupling.
3Stability of the object's composition
If radial expansion coupling devices are used, then the body can expand to secure tubes, but moving parts can become misaligned preventing correct expansion and creating safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling device uses asymmetric thread geometry with the screw member having external threads and the threaded element having internal threads with a specific pitch and profile. This asymmetric threading ensures that rotation of the screw member reliably drives radial expansion of the coupling body in the correct direction, preventing misalignment and ensuring safe operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The threaded element is coupled to the interior surface of the body and provides mechanical feedback during expansion. As the screw member rotates and expands the coupling body, the threaded element engages with the body's interior surface, providing tactile and mechanical feedback that confirms proper alignment and expansion progression, preventing unsafe misaligned states.
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 solution provides a sturdy and safe pole dancing pole assembly by preventing under-tightening and misalignment, ensuring easy and quick assembly and disassembly, and reducing the risk of the joint becoming stuck due to thermal expansion.
Implementation Method 1
a screw member (7), mating with the first threaded element (5), which is operable to radially expand and contract the coupling device (1) by turning the screw member with respect to the first threaded element
Implementation Method 2
When a pole becomes warm during use the insert can expand causing the tubes to become locked together
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
The present invention relates to a coupling device for releasably coupling tubes of a pole dancing pole. The coupling device comprises a body, and a mechanism comprising a first threaded element and a screw member mating with each other, the mechanism being arranged to apply a force to an interior surface of at least one of the tubes by turning the screw member with respect to the first threaded element. The mechanism is further arranged such that, during operation of the mechanism to increase the force applied to the interior surface of at least one of the tubes, a screw axis of the first threaded element and a screw axis of the screw member remain substantially aligned with each other. The present invention further relates to a pole dancing pole and a pole dancing pole kit comprising the coupling device in accordance with the present invention.