Powder Actuated Tool Charge Advance Ratchet Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing powder actuated fastening tools fail to accurately advance powder charge strips, leading to potential misalignment and damage or unintended activation, which can be dangerous and destructive.

Innovation Solution

A powder actuated fastening tool with a rotatable ratchet and alignment member mechanism that ensures precise alignment of the powder charge strip with the barrel, using a rotatable ratchet with teeth engaging receptacles and a charge advance member coupled to the trigger to advance the strip, and an alignment member that prevents rotation when the barrel is closed, maintaining alignment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a powder charge strip is advanced through the tool using a conventional mechanism, then the strip moves through the tool to allow successive charges to be used, but the charge may be out of alignment with the barrel, causing damage or unintended activation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvealignment accuracyVSAvoidcharge damage or unintended activation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The alignment member is positioned in advance within the barrel to engage with the ratchet mechanism before the charge is advanced, ensuring that alignment is established prior to charge movement. This preliminary positioning prevents misalignment during the advancing process and eliminates the risk of charge damage or unintended activation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The ratchet mechanism serves as an intermediary between the charge strip and the alignment member. The ratchet teeth engage with corresponding features on the charge strip, allowing controlled advancement while the alignment member engages with the ratchet body to maintain proper alignment. This intermediary mechanism ensures precise control over charge movement and positioning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the ratchet is allowed to rotate freely during barrel closing, then the charge advance mechanism can advance the strip, but the charge may move out of alignment with the barrel

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecharge advancementVSAvoidcharge alignment precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The ratchet mechanism provides dynamic control over charge advancement. During barrel closing, the ratchet allows controlled rotation to advance the charge strip. The alignment member dynamically engages with the ratchet during this process, permitting rotation only to the extent needed for advancement while maintaining alignment precision throughout the motion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The alignment member is positioned beforehand within the barrel to engage with the ratchet mechanism before charge advancement occurs. This pre-positioning creates a constraint that cushions against misalignment during the charging process, ensuring that even as the ratchet rotates to advance the strip, the charge remains properly aligned with the barrel.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Data Source

PatentUS11577373B2Tool with charge advance mechanism

Publication Date: 2023.02.14 ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC

AI summary

A powder actuated fastening tool including a charge advance apparatus for advancing a powder charge strip relative to a barrel of the tool, wherein the charge advance apparatus includes a rotatable ratchet having teeth for engaging receptacles formed in the powder charge strip, and a charge advance member coupled to a trigger of the tool, wherein the charge advance member acts on the rotatable ratchet to rotate the ratchet in response to actuation and/or release of the trigger, such that the rotation of the ratchet causes advance of the powder charge strip relative to the barrel.