Assembly Press Tool Holder With Quick-Release Retaining Claws
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tool holders for presses require tedious and labor-intensive tool changing operations, leading to potential musculoskeletal disorders due to the need for prolonged handling and manipulation of tools during mounting and dismounting, especially when frequent changes are necessary.
Innovation Solution
A tool holder design featuring movable retaining elements that can be actuated by a simple manual movement of an actuating member, allowing for rapid and secure attachment and detachment of tools without requiring extensive operator manipulation, utilizing a combination of rotational and translational movements to activate and deactivate the retaining claws.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a tool is fixed to a tool holder by means of a screw that is screwed onto the tool holder in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tool, then the tool can be maintained within a housing formed on the tool holder, but the tool assembly operation requires the tool to be held within the tool holder during the screwing stage, requiring the operator to both screw in the screw and hold the tool in the tool holder
Solution Approach 1:
The tool holder is divided into a housing and a separate retaining element that can move independently. The retaining element is disengageable from the tool, allowing the operator to first insert the tool without holding it, then activate the retaining element separately to secure the tool. This segmentation eliminates the need to simultaneously hold and secure the tool.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool is pre-positioned in the housing before the retaining action occurs. The operator inserts the tool into the housing first, then activates the retaining element to secure it. This preliminary positioning separates the insertion action from the retention action, making the operation easier and reducing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders.
2Reliability
If a tool is screwed directly onto a tool holder, then the tool can be securely attached, but the operator must handle, particularly in rotation and translation, a tool that can be heavy, and in a limited space
Solution Approach 1:
The retention function is separated from the tool itself and placed in a separate movable retaining element within the tool holder. This allows the tool to be a simple insertion component without threading features, reducing its complexity and weight, while the retaining element provides the secure attachment function.
Solution Approach 2:
The retaining element acts as an intermediary between the tool and the housing. Instead of the tool directly engaging with the housing through threading, the retaining element mediates the connection, providing secure attachment while allowing easier tool insertion and removal.
3Adaptability or versatility
If frequent tool changing operations are required, then different ranges of assemblies can be carried out on the same stem or press, but the prolonged holding and handling of the tool in order to mount it adequately on a tool holder can ultimately create risks of musculoskeletal disorders in an operator
Solution Approach 1:
The tool is pre-inserted into the housing before the retaining action. The operator simply places the tool into the housing without needing to hold it during a separate securing operation. The retaining element is then activated to secure the tool, completing the quick change operation and reducing exposure time to harmful manual handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool changing operation is streamlined by eliminating intermediate steps. The tool is inserted directly into the housing and immediately secured by the retaining element, allowing the operator to quickly complete the change and move to the next task, reducing cumulative exposure to musculoskeletal strain from frequent tool changes.
Data Source
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AI summary
Descriptive summary: Tool holder (10) for press (100), in particular for assembly press (100), comprising: - a shaft (A11), - an actuating member (14), and - retaining elements (17a, 17b, 17c, 17d) arranged to retain a tool (20), the tool holder being configured and/or arranged so that the retaining elements (17a, 17b, 17c, 17d) are movable from an activated position to a deactivated position under the effect of a displacement, in a first direction, of the actuating member (14), in particular under the effect of an elementary displacement, in the first direction, of the actuating member (14).