Segmented Guide Rail with Ribbed Recesses for Hand Tool Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electric hand tool guide rails are cumbersome and heavy due to their solid design, limiting their portability and suitability for hand-held power tools, and are often designed as single, long components that are difficult to transport and use effectively.

Innovation Solution

A guide rail with open-edged recesses and ribbing for improved stability, allowing for reduced material usage and weight, combined with plug-in connections for length adjustment and snap connections for secure alignment, and featuring anti-slip pads and splinter guards for enhanced functionality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If the guide rail is made as a solid component, then the structural stability is improved, but the weight and handling difficulty increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidweight
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The guide rail is segmented into a hollow structure with open-edged recesses containing ribbing, dividing the solid mass into separate functional elements that provide stability only where needed while reducing overall material usage and weight

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The ribbing is strategically positioned within the open-edged recesses to provide local structural reinforcement and connection rigidity only in areas requiring stability, rather than uniformly strengthening the entire guide rail structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Strength

If the guide rail is made as a solid component, then the connection rigidity is improved, but the material usage and weight increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection rigidityVSAvoidmaterial usage
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The guide rail structure is segmented into hollow sections with ribbing, separating the load-bearing functions into specific localized regions rather than requiring uniform material distribution throughout the entire structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The guide rail combines hollow structural elements with ribbing features to create a composite configuration that achieves high connection rigidity through strategic structural arrangement rather than through material quantity alone

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Stability of the object's composition

If the guide rail is made as a single long component, then the longitudinal guidance is continuous, but the portability and transportability decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelongitudinal guidance continuityVSAvoidportability
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The guide rail system is divided into multiple separable sections that can be individually transported and stored, yet when assembled provide continuous longitudinal guidance through connecting elements that maintain alignment and guidance functionality across section boundaries

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2155433B1Hand tool arrangement with guide rails
Publication Date: 2011.09.28 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
  • EP2155433B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2155433B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2155433B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a hand-held machine tool arrangement, particularly a hand-held circular saw arrangement, a surface milling cutter, or a saber saw arrangement, or the like, having a hand-held machine tool and at least one guide rail which can be seated or clamped to a workpiece to be processed, and having a longitudinal guide for a longitudinal displacement of the hand-held machine tool on the guide rail. It is proposed that the guide rail (1) has at least one recess (19), open to the edge, in which there is a ribbing (20).