Portable Battery-Powered Screw Jack With Traveling-Nut Overdrive Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing jacks are either too large and heavy for portability or lack sufficient lifting capacity, and battery-powered options are not available, making them unsuitable for off-road emergencies.
Innovation Solution
A portable, battery-powered screw jack with a traveling nut that disengages from the lead screw to prevent overdrive, featuring a planetary gear set directly coupled to the motor drive shaft, and includes a cooperative dimple and groove structure to prevent tube rotation, along with adjustable inner and outer tubes for enhanced lifting capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If existing jacks are made powerful with high lifting capacity, then lifting capacity is improved, but weight and size increase making them non-portable
Solution Approach 1:
The jack employs a nested tube structure where an inner tube is received within an outer tube, both concentrically aligned. This nesting arrangement allows the jack to achieve sufficient structural strength for high lifting capacity while maintaining a compact, portable form factor by eliminating the need for separate housing structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The jack incorporates a telescoping mechanism where the inner tube can extend and retract relative to the outer tube. This dynamic structure allows the jack to be compact for portability when not in use, yet provide sufficient length and structural integrity when deployed for heavy lifting operations.
2Weight of moving object
If existing jacks are made lightweight for portability, then weight is reduced, but lifting capacity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The concentric nesting of the inner tube within the outer tube creates a structurally efficient configuration that maximizes strength-to-weight ratio. This nested arrangement provides mutual support between tubes, enabling the jack to maintain lightweight construction while achieving the structural integrity needed for heavy lifting.
Solution Approach 2:
The jack utilizes a composite structural system combining multiple tube materials and the lead screw mechanism. This composite approach allows optimization of each component's material properties to achieve high lifting capacity while keeping overall weight minimal for portability.
3Weight of moving object
If manual jacks are used, then weight can be reduced, but ease of operation deteriorates requiring significant physical effort
Solution Approach 1:
The jack replaces manual mechanical operation with an electric motor that directly drives the lead screw through a planetary gear set. This substitution eliminates the need for manual cranking while maintaining mechanical efficiency, providing powered operation in a lightweight portable design.
Solution Approach 2:
The planetary gear set serves as an intermediary between the electric motor and the lead screw, providing torque multiplication and speed reduction. This gear mediation allows the use of a compact, lightweight motor while still generating sufficient force for heavy lifting operations.
4Ease of operation
If battery powered jacks are created, then ease of operation is improved with powered lifting, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The jack merges the electric motor, planetary gear set, and lead screw mechanism into a single integrated drive assembly. This consolidation of power transmission components reduces overall device complexity compared to separate systems, while providing efficient powered operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive assembly serves multiple functions: the motor provides powered operation, the planetary gear set provides torque multiplication and reversal capability, and the lead screw provides both lifting and positioning functions. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components, simplifying the overall system.
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 jack provides a powerful lifting capacity of 3500 pounds, is compact for easy transport, and includes features for versatile use in off-road conditions, such as a hanging accessory and adjustable foot for varied applications.
Implementation Method 1
a first spring positioned over the first unthreaded portion between the collar and a threaded portion of the lead screw
Implementation Method 2
a planetary gear assembly in a housing concentrically mounted over a top of the outer tube... with a last or lower planetary gear set in the series driving the lead screw
Implementation Method 3
a lead screw received in the middle tube; and, a traveling nut affixed to a top of the middle tube threadedly engaged with the lead screw
Data Source
AI summary
A screw jack with a lead screw that disengages from a traveling nut to prevent overdrive directly coupled to an electric motor though a series of planetary gears. A battery adapter mounted on an outer tube of the jack for attachment of a user's selected battery to the motor. A lift accessory with two lifting points, one a hook and the other a channel, bolted to a support bracket attached to an outer tube of the jack. A hanging accessory with toggle clamps at opposite ends of a beam for suspending the jack such as from a roll cage of an ATV.