Powered Ratchet Tool Wire Guide Insert for Structural Support
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing powered ratchet tools often lack efficient wire management and structural integrity, particularly in designs that combine different materials for enhanced strength and rigidity.
Innovation Solution
A powered ratchet tool with a secondary housing featuring a yoke housing made of metal and a handle housing made of plastic, incorporating a plastic insert to guide wires and enhance structural support, along with a brushless DC motor for torque application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a metal housing is used throughout the powered ratchet tool, then structural strength and rigidity are improved, but weight increases and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining metal and plastic in different housing components. The secondary housing (containing motor and ratchet mechanism) is made of metal for strength, while the primary housing (handle) is made of plastic for weight reduction. This selective material composition resolves the contradiction by providing metal strength where needed while reducing overall weight through plastic usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by using different materials in different locations based on functional requirements. The secondary housing uses metal locally where high strength is needed for motor and ratchet support, while the primary housing uses plastic locally where weight reduction is beneficial for the handle portion. This localized material selection optimizes the strength-weight tradeoff.
2Ease of manufacture
If wires are routed through the housing without guidance, then manufacturing is simpler, but wire management and structural integrity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary wire guide insert as a separate component that mediates between the housing structure and the wires. This insert is disposed within the secondary housing to guide and organize wires, providing reliable wire management while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through a modular insert design that can be integrated during assembly.
3Strength
If the handle housing, gear case, and yoke housing are made of different materials, then structural integrity is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the housing system into distinct components (primary housing, secondary housing, handle housing) that can be manufactured from different materials according to their specific functional requirements. Each segment is optimized independently - metal for the secondary housing containing critical mechanisms, plastic for the primary and handle housings where weight reduction is beneficial. This modular segmentation manages manufacturing complexity through standardized interfaces and assembly procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
A powered ratchet tool including a primary housing, a secondary housing coupled to the primary housing, and a motor supported within the secondary housing. The motor has an output shaft rotatable about a first axis. The powered ratchet tool further includes a ratchet mechanism supported by the secondary housing. The ratchet mechanism is operably coupled to the output shaft of the motor to be driven by the motor. Moreover, the powered ratchet tool includes an insert disposed within the secondary housing and configured to guide a plurality of wires through the secondary housing, and an output drive rotatably supported by the secondary housing. The output drive is operably coupled to the ratchet mechanism. The output drive is configured to be rotated about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis and to receive a tool element.