Polishing Tool Shaft Rotation Reversal for Swirl Mark Reduction

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Hand-held and hand-guided motor driven polishing or sanding tools often leave swirl marks on surfaces due to the consistent direction of rotation, which can be user-specific and result in visible patterns.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a switch to reverse the direction of rotation of the tool shaft, allowing the working element to rotate in both directions, thereby creating overlapping patterns that compensate each other and reduce the visibility and depth of swirl marks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the tool shaft rotates in a single consistent direction, then the polishing or sanding process is simple and reliable, but swirl marks are created on the surface due to user-specific holding and guiding patterns

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveswirl marks on surfaceVSAvoidrotation direction control
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies inversion by enabling the tool shaft to rotate in opposite directions (clockwise and counter-clockwise) instead of a single fixed direction. This allows the working element to create inverse swirl mark patterns that compensate for user-specific holding and guiding patterns, significantly reducing the visibility and depth of swirl marks on the treated surface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamics by making the rotation direction of the tool shaft changeable during operation. A switch mechanism allows the user to toggle between clockwise and counter-clockwise rotation, enabling adaptation to different surface areas, polishing stages, and user preferences, thereby transforming a static single-direction system into a dynamic multi-directional system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If the working element rotates in one specific direction, then the motor operation is simple, but the same user creates identical swirl mark patterns on different surfaces

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurface treatment adaptabilityVSAvoidoperation simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables adaptability by allowing the tool to rotate in opposite directions, which creates different swirl mark patterns on the surface. This helps users achieve better results on various surface areas and stages by selecting appropriate rotation directions, thereby increasing versatility without significantly complicating operation through an intuitive switch mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent incorporates periodic action by enabling users to alternate between clockwise and counter-clockwise rotation during the polishing or sanding process. This periodic switching of rotation direction allows the same user to create different swirl mark patterns on different surface areas or during different stages of treatment, enhancing adaptability while maintaining operational simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP4342632A1Hand-held and hand-guided motor driven polishing or sanding tool
Publication Date: 2024.03.27 VALENTINI GUIDO (I) (IT)
  • EP4342632A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4342632A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4342632A1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The invention refers to a hand-held and hand-guided motor driven polishing or sanding tool (2). The tool (2) has a tool housing (4) and a motor (6; 62) located therein. The tool (2) further has a polishing or sanding working element (8) attached to a tool shaft (10) of the tool (2). The motor (6; 62) is adapted to drive the tool shaft (10) in a first direction of rotation (12). It is suggested that the tool (2) is equipped with a switch (44) for changing the sense of rotation of the tool shaft (10) between the first direction of rotation (12) and a second direction of rotation (42) opposite to the first direction of rotation (12).