Ratchet Wheel Wrench Spring Fixation via Extraction and Merging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Prior art ratchet wheel wrenches are inconvenient and costly to manufacture due to the complex assembly and potential instability of the cooperating block in the crescent groove, which affects the spring's effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A ratchet wheel wrench design featuring a ratchet wheel groove and crescent groove with a spring-mounted ratchet tooth support and a reed with a protuberance, where the reed is firmly attached to the crescent groove and the protuberance is seated in the spring, ensuring secure mounting and operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cooperating block is disposed in the crescent groove to fix the spring, then the spring can be secured, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase due to requiring milling holes and precise positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cooperating block from the crescent groove and relocates it to the ratchet wheel body, where it becomes an integrated feature rather than a separate component requiring precise positioning and milling operations. This simplifies the overall assembly while maintaining spring fixation functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the cooperating block with the ratchet wheel body, combining two previously separate components into a single integrated structure. This eliminates the need for separate positioning holes and reduces assembly complexity while ensuring reliable spring fixation.
2Ease of manufacture
If a magnetic cooperating block is used to fix the spring, then assembly is simplified, but the magnetism may fade away causing the spring to become ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the magnetic fixation system with a mechanical interference fit system. The cooperating block is designed with a specific geometry that creates a mechanical lock within the ratchet wheel body, eliminating reliance on magnetic fields that can fade over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a curved or tapered cooperating block design that creates a mechanical interference fit with the ratchet wheel body. The curvature of the cooperating block surface allows it to engage securely with the curved mating surface, providing stable mechanical fixation without magnets.
3Ease of manufacture
If through holes are milled on the cooperating block and ratchet tooth support, then the springs can be inserted, but the manufacturing cost and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the requirement for milled through holes by integrating the spring insertion features directly into the ratchet wheel body structure. The spring is inserted through an existing feature or open structure of the ratchet wheel body rather than requiring separate milling operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates the spring insertion features during the initial molding or forming of the ratchet wheel body, rather than requiring subsequent milling operations. This preliminary integration of features eliminates later manufacturing steps and improves overall production efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to a wrench, especially a ratchet wheel wrench. The ratchet wheel wrench includes a wrench head on which a ratchet wheel groove and a crescent groove communicating the ratchet wheel groove are attached, a ratchet wheel is disposed in the ratchet wheel groove, a ratchet tooth support is disposed at one side of in the crescent groove, a spring is disposed at one end of the ratchet tooth support; a reed is disposed at the side in the crescent groove opposite the ratchet tooth support, one end of the reed is mounted in the crescent groove along the inner wall of the crescent groove, a protuberance is disposed at the other side of the reed, the protuberance is disposed in the spring.