Retractable Slide Bar Locking Pliers for Portable Handling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pliers with integrally formed slide bars are cumbersome for carrying due to the projecting slide bar, making them difficult to handle and transport.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a locking mechanism with spring-actuated pivot joints and self-adjusting locking units, featuring slide bars that retract into the handles when not in use, allowing for easier handling and adjustable jaw spacing through manual lever manipulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the slide bar is formed integrally with the handle, then the locking mechanism is simple and reliable, but the pliers becomes difficult to carry due to the projecting slide bar
Solution Approach 1:
The slide bar is designed to be movable relative to the handle through a retractable mechanism. When not in use, the slide bar can be retracted into the handle to reduce overall length and improve portability. When needed, it extends outward to perform its locking function, thus dynamically changing the structure between storage and operational states.
Solution Approach 2:
The slide bar is designed to be nestable within the handle when not in use. The handle structure incorporates a recess or cavity that receives the slide bar, allowing it to be stored inside the handle body. This nesting arrangement eliminates the projecting slide bar during storage while maintaining full functionality when extended.
2Ease of operation
If the slide bar is made retractable into the handle, then portability is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The retractable mechanism integrates the slide bar and handle into a unified structure where the slide bar is received within the handle body. The release lever mechanism combines multiple functions (locking, unlocking, and positioning) into a single integrated component that interacts with both the slide bar and handle, reducing the need for separate complex mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-loaded release lever automatically engages with the slide bar to lock it in position when extended, and automatically returns the slide bar to its retracted position when released. This self-actuating mechanism eliminates the need for additional motors, sensors, or complex control systems, achieving automatic operation through simple mechanical means.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the second lever is slidably mounted on the slide bar, then adjustable jaw spacing is achieved, but the projecting slide bar makes the pliers cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The slide bar transitions from a static projecting component to a dynamic retractable element. During adjustment operations, the slide bar extends to allow the second lever to slide and adjust jaw spacing. When not in use, it retracts into the handle, eliminating the portability issue while preserving the adjustability function when needed.
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
This design enhances portability and usability by allowing the slide bars to be securely retracted, reducing the bulk of the pliers and enabling adjustable jaw positioning for various tasks.
Implementation Method 1
a spring-actuated pivot joint
Implementation Method 2
a self-adjusting locking unit disposed between the first and second handles and comprising a spring-actuated release lever
Implementation Method 3
a spring-actuated first release lever member lockingly put on the first slide bar; and a spring-actuated second release lever member lockingly put on the second slide bar
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment of a locking pliers includes a first stationary jaw carrier comprising a first jaw at one end; a second stationary jaw carrier comprising a second jaw at one end; a bent first handle integrally formed with the first stationary jaw carrier; a bent second handle joined the first handle at a spring-actuated pivot joint and engaged with the other end of the second stationary jaw carrier; a self-adjusting locking unit disposed between the first and second handles and comprising a spring-actuated release lever; a locking assembly comprising a slide bar having one end fixedly secured to the other end of the second stationary jaw carrier and the other end inserting into a portion of the second handle between the pivot joint and the other end of the second stationary jaw carrier, and a spring-actuated release lever member lockingly put on the slide bar.